PRAVDA: Pseudo random network coding in vanet for data download

Abstract

This paper introduces PRAVDA, a new approach for infrastructure based content distribution in a vehicular network. PRAVDA is built on broadcasting and pseudo random network coding. Its first strength is that, being broadcast based, it does not need any feedback channel and thus consumes very little throughput. Data is transmitted through network coding: multiple linear combinations of data are sent. A vehicle needs to receive a defined number of independent linear combinations to decode the data. The server will send a larger number of different linear combinations. The unreliability of broadcast is thus fought through a useful redundancy rather than through re-transmission. Finally, computation of the linear combination coefficients is done so that the overhead is the same as it would be without network coding.