Cooperative IP header compression for parallel channels in wireless meshed networks

In this paper we introduce a novel header compression technique for parallel channels as they are found in meshed networks. The approach introduced advocates the cooperative behavior of parallel channels to maintain the compression state on sender and receiver side. The general concept as well as one particular implementation are shown. Our approach is characterized by no need of a feedback channel and a low complexity of a compression strategy. By means of analytical study combined with our testbed results we show the performance of the introduced approach. The designing goals were to have a low complex, highly efficient and also robust header compression dealing with the characteristics of the wireless channel. As a first result we can show that for independent error pattern a number of three cooperative channels achieves both robustness and efficiency for a wide range of errors.