A Directional Routing Protocol for Ad Hoc Networks with Angle-of-Arrival Estimation

Using adaptive antennas, both the transmission range and spatial reuse of wireless systems can be enhanced. In this paper, we propose a reactive source routing protocol for ad hoc networks using directional antennas. Signal parameter estimation via the rotational invariance technique (ESPRIT) is used for direction-of- arrival (DOA) estimation and hence, alleviating the need for global positioning system (GPS). This also makes our protocol suitable for both outdoor and indoor applications. By maintaining the status of the topology and ongoing neighborhood communications, the routing path is chosen to minimize the interference with any on going transmission. Simulation results demonstrate a clear performance improvement relative to IEEE 802.11.