Socially Inspired Relaying and Proactive Mode Selection in mmWave Vehicular Communications

As the Internet of Vehicles matures and acquires its social flavor, novel wireless connectivity enablers are being demanded for reliable data transfer in high-rate applications. The recently ratified New Radio communications technology operates in millimeter-wave (mmWave) spectrum bands and offers sufficient capacity for bandwidth-hungry services. However, seamless operation over mmWave is difficult to maintain on the move, since such extremely high frequency radio links are susceptible to unexpected blockage by various obstacles, including vehicle bodies. As a result, proactive mode selection, that is, migration from infrastructure- to vehicle-based connections and back, is becoming vital to avoid blockage situations. Fortunately, the very social structure of interactions between the neighboring smart cars and their passengers may be leveraged to improve session continuity by relaying data via proximate vehicles. This paper conceptualizes the socially inspired relaying scenarios, conducts underlying mathematical analysis, continues with a detailed 3-D modeling to facilitate proactive mode selection, and concludes by discussing a practical prototype of a vehicular mmWave platform.