A virtualization layer for mobile consumer devices to support demanding communication services in vehicular ad-hoc networks

The high mobility and variability of road traffic has hampered the design and deployment of automotive entertainment and information services through vehicular ad-hoc networks (VANETs). However, a scenario of greater predictability is looming in the near future, thanks to advances in such areas as automated transportation, fleet management and real-time traffic information systems, and also to the promotion of transport sharing policies. Having a priori knowledge about the vehicles' movements opens unprecedented opportunities for planning communication services. Knowing that, we present extensions for consumer devices to support demanding communication services through VANETs technology, relying on the concepts of virtual mobile nodes (VMNs) and virtual virtual circuits (VVCs). © 2012 IEEE.