CPROB: A dynamic hybrid broadcasting protocol for Vehicular Ad hoc Networks

Vehicular Ad-hoc networks VANETs is a sub-class of Mobile Ad-hoc networks MANETs that has many promising future applications. For example, VANETs can significantly reduce car deaths. In VANETs, nodes mainly communicate by broadcasting messages to each other. Such broadcasting needs to be designed carefully to minimize both congestion and latency. However, most prior broadcasting protocols minimize either congestion or latency, but not both. In this paper, we present CPROB, a new broadcasting algorithm for VANETs that minimizes both congestion and latency. We achieve this result by setting a key parameter (namely the waiting time before retransmission) based on the characteristics of the surrounding environment. Through NS2 simulations, we show that CPROB achieves 57% less latency and comparable congestion than prior work in congested areas. In less congested areas, CPROB has a comparable performance to prior work.