Case Study on Vehicle-Based Virtual Segment Architecture -- On Application, Field Experiment, and Simulation

Various information delivery schemes based on store-carry-forward routing with extensions have been studied as part of efforts to support non-real-time communications in sparse or intermittent networks. However, communication service schemes that cover large areas based solely on store-carry-forward technology have previously been considered impractical because the delay time for message delivery increases in proportion to the size of the service area. Therefore, in an effort to extend the communication service area of such networks, while providing controllable performance in a cost-effective manner, the authors previously proposed a Virtual Segment (VS) concept in which global communications are provided through a combination of a store-carry-forward service provided by vehicles traveling on roadways along with broadband wireless/wired network devices connected to the Internet. A prototype system has been developed for proof-of-concept implementation. In the present paper, we report a case study evaluation of the VS concept and introduce a sample RSS distribution application of the prototype system. Following a field experiment to validate the system concept, and to obtain realistic data reflecting the geographical features of the segment, a simulation using information obtained from the field experiment was conducted to evaluate the VS concept from realistic and quantitative viewpoints.