Towards a Cross-Layer Based MAC for Smooth V2V and V2I Communications for Safety Applications in DSRC/WAVE Based Systems

The DSRC/WAVE system is standardized to disseminate safety critical information using IEEE 802.11p as a MAC protocol. Studies show that IEEE 802.11p does not address adverse effects of asymmetric radio link and mobility related problems in vehicle to vehicle (V2V) and vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) communications. This paper presents a cross-layer (i.e. MAC and network) algorithm to address these problems for making the V2V and V2I communications efficient and reliable. The analysis shows that the proposed cross-layer algorithm removes contention in channel accessing and confirms a better channel utilization. The solution can be used to disseminate information up to three hops without using a routing protocol. This is particularly important for extending range of safety critical and emergency related messages in the vehicular network.