A multicast protocol for mobile ad hoc networks using location information

Multicasting is a one-to-many process by wbich a node can send the same packet to a subset of nodes, called multicast group, which have already registered to the same multicast group address. The goal of this paper is to propose a multicast algorithm for mobile ad hoc networks using location information, where a multicast group is definro with respect to a specific network space area, called millticost domain. A mohile ad hoc network (MANET) is a set of nodes that agrero upon fonning a spontaneous, temporar y network so that they can communicate over wireless Iinks despite the lack of any centraIized administration and any fonn or infrastructure. The proposed algorithm benefits from the location-oriented service offered by a glohal positioning system (GPS), which provides MANET nodes (or nodes for short) with their location information when needed. Moreover, the protocol makes use of the Vorono; diagram properties in order to multicast a packet in a selective manner towards its target multicast dOmain, where ouly a small subset of nodes is involved in the forwarding process. These nodes, called authorized forwarders, are identified from the loc.aIized Voronoi graph that a multicast source node or an authorized forwarder constructs based on the location infonnation of its neighborhood as well as the target multicast domain. The analysis bas shown that fhe protocol helps minimize the transmission overhead, which would be caused during the forwarding of a multicast packet, while guaranteeing convergence and correctness. Compared to other existing location-based multicast protocols, the proposed one yields more reduction of transmission overhead and perfonns correctly even with particular MANET topologies. Keywords - Multicasting, mobile ad hoc networks, locationbased service, Voronoi diagmms, global positioning system.