Cognitive wireless mesh networks for multimedia applications

无线Mesh网络作为一种新技术已经出现，它具有巨大的潜力，可以提供低成本的手段，在不同的环境中灵活和快速地部署基于Internet的服务。与此同时，认知无线电的概念带来了以最低成本增加带宽可用性的承诺。这两种技术的目的是相辅相成的，这项研究的重点是设计能够支持多媒体和紧急服务的下一代认知无线网状网络。我们将开发能够提供具有所需服务质量和服务连续性保护的此类服务的体系结构。所有系统层之间的密切互动将为快速适应不断变化的环境提供信息。为了监测流量分布和频谱环境的这些变化，将研究一种覆盖不同时间尺度的监测方案。为了最大限度地利用可用频谱，我们将定义能够提供所提出的服务和资源管理模型所需的功能的认知无线电架构。这些功能将由自适应MAC和路由机制使用，以提供所考虑的应用所需的服务质量和服务连续性保护。我们将提出一个资源管理框架，通过定义良好的跨层接口提供跨所有系统层的平衡协作。这一办法的关键要素将是一个新的经济框架，其中考虑到网络收入以及跨越不同层次和时间尺度的静态和动态成本。这一方法将使网络运营商的成本问题和用户的质量目标得到一致的整合。贝尔加拿大公司参与该项目将有助于指导研究方向，强调实际考虑，并促进向行业转移知识。

Wireless mesh networks have emerged as a new technology that has a significant potential to provide low costmeans for flexible and fast deployment of Internet based services in diverse environments. At the same time theconcept of cognitive radios brings a promise of increased bandwidth availability at a minimum cost. Thepurposes of these two technologies fit each other in a very complementary way and this research proposalfocuses on the design of next generation cognitive wireless meshed networks that can support multimedia andemergency services. We will develop architectures that can offer such services with the required QoS andservice continuity protection. A close interaction between all system layers will provide information for fastadaptation to changing environments. To monitor these changes in traffic distribution and spectrumenvironments, a monitoring scheme covering different time scales will be investigated. To make the best use ofavailable spectrum, we will define cognitive radio architectures that can provide features required by theproposed service and resource management models. These features will be used by adaptive MAC and routingmechanisms to provide the QoS and service continuity protection required by the considered applications. Wewill propose a framework for resource management that provides balanced collaboration across all systemlayers by means of well defined cross layer interfaces. The key element of this approach will be a noveleconomic framework that takes into account network revenues as well as both static and dynamic costs acrossdifferent layers and time scales. This approach will provide coherent integration of network operator's costconcerns and users' quality objectives. Bell Canada's involvement in the project will help steer the researchdirection and emphasize practical considerations as well as facilitate knowledge transfer to industry.