An Architecture of Cloud-Assisted Information Dissemination in Vehicular Networks

Abstract

Vehicular network technology allows vehicles to exchange real-time information between each other, which plays a vital role in the development of future intelligent transportation systems Existing research on vehicular networks assumes that each vehicle broadcasts collected information to neighboring vehicles, so that information is shared among vehicles. The fundamental problem of what information is delivered with which vehicle(s), however, has not been adequately studied. We propose an innovative cloud-assisted architecture to facilitate intelligent information dissemination among vehicles. Within the novel architecture, virtual social connections between vehicles are created and maintained on the cloud. Vehicles with similar driving histories are considered friends in a vehicular social network (VSN). The closeness of the relation between two vehicles in a VSN is then modeled by the three-valued subjective logic model. Based on the closeness between vehicles, only relevant information will be delivered to vehicles that are likely interested in it. The cloud-assisted architecture coordinates vehicular social connection construction, VSN maintenance, vehicle closeness assessment, and information dissemination.