Cognitive Networking for Wireless Communication in Rural Areas: A Directional Antennas and Propagation Modeling Approach with Low Cost Implementation

农村地区无线通信认知网络：低成本实施的定向天线和传播建模方法

• 批准号: 1443875
• 负责人: Magdy Iskander
• 金额: $ 50万
• 依托单位: University of Hawaii
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-08-15 至 2019-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1443875&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Cognitive; Networking; Wireless; Communication; Rural

Cognitive Networking for Wireless Communication in Rural Areas: A Directional Antennas and Propagation Modeling Approach with Low Cost ImplementationInstitution: University of HawaiiAbstract Nineteen million people, 6 percent of the US population, do not have reliable broadband and high data rate communications coverage due to inaccessibility in rural areas. Availability of such services is essential to education, jobs, health care, and the economic development of these areas. The objective of the proposed work is to develop a practical and affordable wireless communication system that covers and best fits the needs of rural areas. The proposed technology is particularly suitable for applications in areas with vast coverage requirements, rough terrain, and sparse access nodes and base stations. The project involves the development of an integrative approach based on the utilization of "advanced" slow moving (or stationary but strategically placed based on sight planning) mobile nodes with extended monitoring and control capabilities to facilitate the use of advanced antennas and propagation technologies while not requiring changes in existing Medium Access Control (MAC) standards and upper layers of the ISO communications model. The proposed affordable wireless communication and connectivity technology in rural areas will have significant educational, job creation, health care, and economic development impact on minorities and underrepresented communities in the US and throughout the world. It represents a solution that fits the long unaddressed needs of these communities. Demonstrating the proposed technology and its use in rural areas in Hawaii, and perhaps beyond, will have significant economic, educational, and health care (remote patient monitoring) benefits to these communities. As wireless protocols and implementation standards continue to expand with additional capabilities to meet fast growing demands, it is also becoming more difficult to interface and integrate special needs such as those of rural areas with set protocols and standards in the ISO communication model. The proposed work addresses this issue, and an affordable, expandable, and effective system will be developed that utilizes innovative technology and research advances without requiring changes and adjustments in the MAC and upper layers of the ISO model. The proposed procedure is based on the use of the so called "advanced" nodes which include the use of "directional antennas," beam steering capabilities, integration of propagation modeling, implementation of cognitive spectrum sensing capabilities, and also providing networking topology controls in each of these nodes. Specific innovations include development of new broadband, dual polarization and low cost directional antenna array designs with beam steering capabilities and the implementation of multi-level details propagation modeling to enhance receivers performance while minimizing required computation time and resources. The proposed cognitive network system and the associated introduction of the "advanced" nodes, not only provide communication advantages such as extended range and area coverage using high gain antennas and the relatively lower power requirements when directional (rather than omnidirectional) antennas are used, but the integration of the communication channel links controls in these units facilitates interfaces between the proposed directional physical layer with the MAC and other upper layers in the ISO model without modification or alteration of set standards and protocols. A team of investigators with expertise in antennas, propagation, and networking, is participating in this proposal. In addition to the extensive simulation and optimization studies, two "advanced" nodes prototype systems will be developed and tested in the vast and challenging terrain conditions in rural areas in the islands of Hawaii.

农村地区无线通信的认知网络：一种低成本实现的定向天线和传播建模方法机构：夏威夷大学摘要由于农村地区无法接入，1900万人，占美国人口的6%，没有可靠的宽带和高数据速率通信覆盖。这些服务的提供对这些地区的教育、就业、医疗保健和经济发展至关重要。拟议工作的目标是开发一种实用和负担得起的无线通信系统，覆盖并最适合农村地区的需要。该技术特别适用于覆盖范围广、地形崎岖、接入节点和基站稀疏的地区。该项目涉及开发一种综合方法，其基础是利用具有扩展的监测和控制能力的“高级”缓慢移动(或静止但根据视线规划而战略性地放置)移动节点，以促进使用先进的天线和传播技术，同时不需要改变现有的媒体访问控制(MAC)标准和ISO通信模型的上层。拟议中的农村地区负担得起的无线通信和连接技术将对美国和世界各地的少数族裔和代表性不足的社区产生重大的教育、就业机会、医疗保健和经济发展影响。它代表了一种解决方案，满足了这些社区长期未解决的需求。在夏威夷乃至更远的地方展示提议的技术及其在农村地区的使用，将为这些社区带来显著的经济、教育和医疗保健(远程患者监控)好处。随着无线协议和实施标准不断扩展，增加功能以满足快速增长的需求，将特殊需求(如农村地区的需求)与ISO通信模型中设定的协议和标准对接和集成也变得更加困难。拟议的工作将解决这一问题，并将开发一个负担得起、可扩展和有效的系统，该系统利用创新技术和研究进展，而不需要对ISO模型的MAC和上层进行更改和调整。所提出的过程基于所谓的“高级”节点的使用，其中包括使用“定向天线”、波束控制能力、传播建模的集成、认知频谱感知能力的实现以及在这些节点中的每个节点中提供网络拓扑控制。具体创新包括开发具有波束控制能力的新型宽带、双极化和低成本定向天线阵列设计，以及实施多级细节传播建模，以提高接收器性能，同时最大限度地减少所需的计算时间和资源。所提出的认知网络系统和相关的“先进”节点的引入，不仅提供了诸如使用高增益天线的扩展范围和区域覆盖以及在使用定向(而不是全向)天线时相对较低的功率要求等通信优势，而且这些单元中的通信信道链路控制的集成促进了所提议的定向物理层与ISO模型中的MAC和其他上层之间的接口，而无需修改或改变设定的标准和协议。一个在天线、传播和网络方面具有专业知识的调查团队正在参与这项提案。除了广泛的模拟和优化研究外，还将在夏威夷岛农村地区广阔和具有挑战性的地形条件下开发和测试两个“先进”节点原型系统。