A Multilayer Application for Multi-hop messaging on Android devices

Overview

 

What is multi-hop messaging?

• Most regular wireless connections are single hop.
• Devices act as both clients and access points.
• Data is passed from one wireless device to another whenever a connection is available.
• Devices act as mobile routers, exchanging data until it reaches it destination

 

What is Wifi-direct

• Allows Android devices to act as both clients and access points and exchange data via a wifi connection, but leaves implementation of multi-hop routing up to the developer.

 

Many Different Ways Todo The Same Thing

• There have been many different routing schemes proposed for multi-hop wireless communication, similarly many different possible applications.
• A multilayer design abstracts components such that they can be easily swapped

 

 

Our Multilayer Design

 

• Connection Manager – initiate and manage Wifi-Direct connections between peers.
• Routing Manager – stores and forwards messages using an epidemic routing protocol.
• File Manager – submits and handles file requests from other mobile devices.

 

Future Applications of Wireless Multi-hop Communications

• Mobile device to mobile device (and also vehicle to vehicle) communications in the absence of a static infrastructure.
• Mobile device to mobile device communications that coexist within larger cell infrastructure (free text messaging in a local area).