Network connectivity and capacity improvement in cooperative vehicular networks using distributed network coding

In this paper, we propose to combine cooperative communications with network coding in order to improve connectivity and capacity in vehicular network at the network layer. This proposed combination is split into three steps (modules) performed at each vehicle. The decoding step that captures, treats, and stores overheard packets. The relay selection step that allows selecting the best vehicle among all candidates to perform the cooperative relaying task. The coding step that carries out the combinations of stored packets and broadcasts the resulting one. Performance evaluation shows a clear improvement in terms of data dissemination when cooperative communications are performed at a price of a long reception delay in the case where the coding step is not performed. However, once deploying network coding on the best vehicular relay, the reception delay becomes less important in addition to a better data dissemination.