On the information propagation process in mobile vehicular ad hoc networks

In this paper, we study the information propagation process in a 1-D mobile ad hoc network formed by vehicles Poissonly distributed on a highway and traveling in the same direction at randomly distributed speeds that are independent between vehicles. Considering a model in which time is divided into time slots of equal length and each vehicle changes its speed at the beginning of each time slot, independent of its speed in other time slots, we derive analytical formulas for the fundamental properties of the information propagation process and the information propagation speed (IPS). Using the formulas, one can straightforwardly study the impact on the IPS of various parameters such as radio range, vehicular traffic density, and time variation of vehicle speed. The accuracy of the results is validated using simulations. The research provides useful guidelines on the design of vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs).