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A Smartphone-based Network Architecture for Post-disaster Operations Using WiFi Tethering

Published:10 February 2020Publication History
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Abstract

Electronic communication is crucial for monitoring the rescue-relief operations and providing assistance to the affected people during and after disasters. Given the ubiquity of smartphones, we envision that smartphones with lost connection (due to damage) to the communications infrastructure are nevertheless integrated seamlessly into the network as far as possible. To achieve this, we propose to build ad hoc subnetworks of disconnected smartphones using the WiFi tethering technology and ultimately connect them to either the emergency communication equipment deployed in the disaster area or to other smartphones that have still the network connectivity. The proposed architecture for such integration and a defined software-based control through the emergency control center (ECC) enables battery aware collection of critical data through smartphone sensors. The developed solution supports mobility of all smartphones, including those that have lost direct cellular connectivity as well as those that have not and are willing to act as gateways. We demonstrate how the proposed scheme can be tied to the standardized wireless emergency alert service and how it can effectively handle mobility tolerant device discovery and data transfer.

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            • Published in

              cover image ACM Transactions on Internet Technology
              ACM Transactions on Internet Technology  Volume 20, Issue 1
              Visions and Regular Papers
              February 2020
              135 pages
              ISSN:1533-5399
              EISSN:1557-6051
              DOI:10.1145/3381410
              • Editor:
              • Ling Liu
              Issue’s Table of Contents

              Copyright © 2020 ACM

              Publisher

              Association for Computing Machinery

              New York, NY, United States

              Publication History

              • Published: 10 February 2020
              • Accepted: 1 November 2019
              • Revised: 1 September 2019
              • Received: 1 March 2019
              Published in toit Volume 20, Issue 1

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