A new approach to exploit multiple frequencies in DSRC

For inter-vehicle communication the standard IEEE 802.11a/RA is proposed by the Intelligent Transportation Society, ITS. Different frequency channels at 5.9 GHz are allocated for the operation. The existing frequency channels, which are used, e.g., for safety-related purposes as well as entertainment, are exploited by means of frequency division multiple access. Since those systems operate in a decentralized manner without the need of an infrastructure, a solution for simultaneous operation on several frequencies is needed. One of the major challenges is the requirement to receive safety-related messages even though stations are allowed to operate on arbitrary frequency channels. For that purpose a novel concept is introduced that takes into account the complexity of the hardware, the distributed character of self-organizing networks, and the efficient exploitation of the scarce frequency spectrum.