Vehicular network architecture using the 5G standard

This PhD research concentrates on the development of an ad hoc vehicular network architecture using the PC5 interface of the LTE (Long Term Evolution) standard.

The PC5 standard allows a device-to-device (D2D) communication feature. A new vehicular network architecture is developed in this PhD to enable the LTE-based 5G network to support V2X communications, which will enhance road traffic safety and energy efficiency as well as improve the safety of vulnerable road users using smartphones.

This PhD work has developed the network architecture and V2X communication algorithms for a highway scenario. Figure 1 presents the proposed network architecture. The PhD work has developed new LTE D2D based packet transmission algorithms in vehicular networks. Developed algorithms can support safety and notification services in vehicular networks. This work has also developed an extensive simulation model to represent realistic road traffic structure and load using OMNET ++/SimulTE/SUMO/Veins packages where road data is imported from the OpenStreetMap.

Work in this PhD is further developing the 5G vehicular network architecture to support different deployment areas such as city and local roads, and interconnected roads.

Participants

• • The University of Newcastle

Project background

This research concentrates on the development of an ad hoc vehicular network architecture using the PC5 interface of the LTE (Long Term Evolution) standard¹. The PC5 standard allows device-to-device (D2D) communication feature. The main advantage of D2D communication over the conventional cellular communication is quick delivery information among network devices with minimum network resources.

This feature of the 5G standard introduces a new vehicular network design paradigm and may reduce the cost of mass deployment of vehicular networks.  The proposed 5G based vehicular network will support V2X (Vehicle to Everything) communications to enhance road traffic safety and energy efficiency as well  as  improve safety of vulnerable road users utilising smartphones.

The work has developed a new network architecture and V2X communication algorithms for highway scenario. The work has also developed an extensive simulation model to represent realistic road traffic structure and load using OMNET++/SimuLTE/SUMO/Veins packages where road data is imported from the OpenStreetMap. The developed architecture is compared with the existing IEEE 802.11 p-based VANET.

Research shows that the 5G LTE-based vehicular network can offer significant performance improvement over the 802.11 p networks². Currently the work is further developing the 5G vehicular network architecture to support different deployment areas such as city and local roads, and interconnected roads.

Project objectives

This project has been running in the University of Newcastle over the last 3 years. The work has developed new V2V (Vehicle-to-Vehicle) algorithms using the PC5 interface of the 5G LTE standard. The work has already developed an extensive simulation model based on OMNET++, SUMO and Vein packages to develop realistic simulation models to evaluate the developed algorithms.

The project has developed LTE-based D2D (device-to- device) multicast algorithms to transmit CAM (Cooperative Awareness Message) and DENM (Decentralized Environmental Notification message) in the vehicular network. The simulation model evaluated the above algorithms in the highway scenario.

In the last part of the work (June to September 2020) the following tasks will be achieved.

• Development of simulation models to evaluate the developed LTE-based D2D algorithms for urban and semi-urban road traffic conditions
• Evaluation of the performance of the LTE-based D2D algorithms in the above environments and compare with IEEE802.11 p protocol-based vehicular network
• Enhancement of developed CMPP (Clustered Multi-hop Multicast Protocol) and CMBMP (Clustered Multi-hop Multicast and Broadcast Protocol) algorithms for a city-based V2X network.

Please note …

Ongoing, this page will be a living record of this project. As it continues, matures, hits milestones, etc., we’ll add information, links, images, interviews and more. Watch this space!

Footnotes

1. Yasukawa, H. Harada, S. Nagata and Q. Zhao, “D2D Communications in LTE Advanced Release 12”, NTT DOCOMO Technical Journal, vol: 17, no:2, pp. 56-64.

2. S. Gupta and J. Y.  Khan,  “A D2D Multicast Network Architecture for Vehicular Communications“,  Proc Of the IEEE Vehicular Tech Conf.,  April 2019. DOI: 10.1109/VTCSpring.2019.8746673