I-Corps: Microcast: Cooperative Networking of Mobile Devices

在这个项目中，一组移动的设备能够执行一个共同的任务（包括从彼此和/或从远程服务器获取内容），以享受比每个设备本身能够实现的更高的带宽和更低的延迟。这是通过建立一个协作网络框架来实现的，该框架使多个设备能够一起使用它们的所有资源。每个设备可以同时使用两个网络接口：一个（蜂窝或WiFi）连接到远程服务器，另一个（WiFi或蓝牙）连接到组的其余部分。这一框架可以：（i）提供将每个设备处的带宽乘以协作电话数量级的因子的连接捆绑，（ii）显著提高需要获取远程内容的应用（例如视频流）的下载速率，以及（iii）支持高度交互式应用（例如多人游戏）。为了演示这些功能，开发了两个原型应用程序;一个支持HTTP视频流到一组用户，另一个支持本地多人游戏。该系统的关键组成部分包括：（一）在所有可用的下行链路连接上合作下载的调度算法;（二）在组成员之间共享内容的全对全本地传播方案;（三）有效利用Android手机上的偷听和网络编码的方法。该架构是模块化的，可以根据应用程序轻松优化带宽或延迟。该项目将促进彼此邻近的移动的设备之间的合作。它不仅可以显著改善使用互联网时的用户体验和现有应用程序在移动的设备上的性能，还可以启用一类新的协作应用程序。随着智能手机的普及和移动的服务部门的空前增长，这一框架有可能产生重大的社会和经济影响。这些技术的潜在商业化包括：独立应用程序，为软件开发人员提供开发框架和库，以及与电信提供商和设备制造商的合作伙伴关系。

In this project, a group of mobile devices are enabled to perform a common task (involving acquiring content from each other and/or from a remote server) to enjoy higher bandwidth and lower delay than each device would be able to achieve by itself. This is achieved by building a cooperative networking framework that enables several devices to use all their resources together. Each device can use simultaneously two network interfaces: one (cellular or WiFi) to connect to a remote server and another (WiFi or Bluetooth) to connect to the rest of the group. This framework can: (i) provide a connectivity bundle that multiplies the bandwidth at each device by a factor on the order of the number of cooperating phones, (ii) significantly improve the download rate for applications that need to acquire remote content, such as video streaming, and (iii) support highly interactive applications, such as multiplayer games. To demonstrate these capabilities, two prototype applications have been developed; one that supports HTTP video streaming to a group of users, and another which supports local multiplayer games. Key components of the system include the following: (i) a scheduling algorithm for cooperative downloading over all available downlink connections; (ii) an all-to-all local dissemination scheme for sharing content among group members; (iii) a way to efficiently exploit overhearing and network coding on Android phones. The architecture is modular and can be easily optimized for bandwidth or latency, depending on the application.This project will advance cooperation among mobile devices within proximity of each other. It can not only significantly improve the user experience when using the Internet and the performance of existing applications on mobile devices, but can also enable a new class of collaborative applications. With the proliferation of smartphones and the unprecedented growth of the mobile service segment, this framework has the potential to have a significant social and economic impact. Potential commercialization of these technologies include: standalone apps, providing a development framework and libraries to software developers, and partnerships with telecom providers and device manufacturers.