Wireless Communication Simulation on Model for Dynamic Cellular Handoff-based Traffic Monitoring Systems: Framework and Evaluation

摘要

The handoff-based cellular probe tracking technology is one of the most importantmodern traffic monitoring methods. Some simulation frameworks have been proposed toinvestigate key issues about such systems. However, most existing simulation approachesrely on certain assumptions of cell boundaries and handoff points, which may lead toinaccurate prediction of the performance of real systems. The proposed modelincorporates the actual cell phone signal communication mechanism in real cellularnetworks. In the proposed simulation framework, cell boundaries are dynamic and cellsizes are varying; the handoff process is controlled by the real cellular communicationprotocols. A handoff pattern matching algorithm is also presented to deal with thedynamic handoff sequence for traffic detection purpose. The entire approach is verifiedusing a calibrated simulation road network. Impacts of two important factors, the callduration and probe penetration, are also investigated. The results show that this wirelesscommunication simulation platform can produce more reliable results and gain deeperinsights into the performance of the handoff-based cellular traffic monitoring systems.