Forecasting the next handoff for users moving with the Random Waypoint mobility model

Abstract

Users in a cellular network can move while their connections are handed off to different access points. Studies prove that the mobility pattern followed have a strong impact on performance metrics (i.e., handoff (HO) rate, cell residence time). Recently, some key aspects of the Random Waypoint mobility model have been studied in depth, but relating those studies with different cellular layouts has not been reported. Interest in forecasting the cell to which a device may be handed off depending on the movement pattern is twofold. First, it gives insight into properties and statistics of the mobility model. Second, and from a more practical perspective, it is useful to manage resource allocation and reservation strategies in order to smooth the HO process. The goal of this article is to provide an analytical framework for these predictions in a simple layout. Given a node's current location and the timestamp and location of the last waypoint, an approximation for HO during time Δt is derived. The analysis is provided along with numerical examples and simulations for a symmetrical layout and uniform speed distribution. Results shed light on how useful more advanced strategies can be.