Providing a unified treatment of radio wave propagation in vehicular environments, this book offers a thorough discussion of their theoretical background and fundamental limits, and paves the way to a better understanding of more advanced topics. Further, the book introduces the newest challenges and problems posed by the ever growing need to communicate in mobile networks whilst in a vehicle. The book provides an exhaustive survey of current propagation models, setting a theoretical path that will allow practical engineers and researchers to understand and improve existing wireless mobile networks through better understanding of propagation modelling as applied to the vehicular environment. Chapters are included on wireless channel properties for vehicular environments; modelling and simulation of vehicular communications; intra-vehicle and inter-vehicle short-range wireless channel characterization; vehicular communications channel modelling; and wireless communication system optimization. The book concludes with a chapter exploring applications and case studies. Radio Wave Propagation in Vehicular Environments is suitable for master's students and above in signal processing and mobile communications courses, as well as researchers working in vehicular communications.
Inspec keywords: telecommunication computing; modelling; optimisation; vehicular ad hoc networks; simulation; wireless channels; radiowave propagation
Other keywords: wireless channel properties; radio wave propagation; intra-vehicle short-range wireless channel characterization; vehicular communications channel modelling; vehicular communications simulation; vehicular communications modelling; inter-vehicle short-range wireless channel characterization; vehicular environments; wireless communication system optimization
Subjects: Simulation, modelling and identification; Communications computing; Mobile radio systems; Optimisation techniques; General electrical engineering topics; Radiowave propagation; General and management topics; Optimisation techniques
Transportation systems are evolving in order to become safer, more efficient and increasing user quality of experience. Transportation infrastructure, vehicles and users are called to interact within vehicular context-aware environments termed as intelligent transportation systems (ITS). In this chapter, we will describe the fundamentals of ITS, and more specifically, the characteristics of vehicular communications in terms of the different types of communication links, systems and architectures employed. An overview of propagation standards as well as applications within multiple ITS domains is also given, as examples of a wide range of future developments to be seen.
In any wireless communication environment, one needs to know the main characteristics that produce impairments to the signals being transmitted. In this chapter, we introduce and define those features and parameters that need to be considered to characterize wireless environments. Fundamentals of propagation are presented together with commonly used, traditional and empirical path loss models, as well as small- and large-scale propagation parameters. Now, the vehicular environment is more complex than other wireless communication systems due to the spatial and time -varying nature of the environment, so we present how the properties of wireless channels need to adapt when vehicular to anything vehicle to -everything (V2X) communications are characterized by propagation and channel models. Mobility is one of those unique features in the vehicular environment that produces non -stationary environments. The chapter ends with an introduction to the use of multi -antenna systems for vehicular communications.
In this chapter, we present the transition from the characterization and modelling of traditional wireless channels, mainly static environments, to the highly mobile, non -stationary and prone to a blockage vehicular communication environment. We introduced the main modelling approaches that have been used for simulation and evaluation of vehicular channels and present a discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of the approaches concluding with the basics of ray -tracing techniques that are used currently.
In this chapter, an analysis of radio wave propagation in different intra-vehicle complex scenarios is introduced. We present different intra-vehicle scenarios, and the most important characteristics of the electromagnetic channel in these environments are assessed with the aid of a 3D ray-launching algorithm. Several case studies are presented, and the differences among them are explained. Two specific case studies to analyse the electromagnetic propagation properties for intra-vehicle communications in intelligent transportation systems are presented, being the fi rst one fast-moving vehicles in underground tunnels and the second one, slow-moving vehicles in underground mines and cave scenarios. At the end of the chapter, the optimal position of the transceivers is proposed for different environments based on simulation, as well as some empirical modelling to be used for this type of wireless communications systems in intra-vehicle scenarios.
In this chapter, an analysis of radio wave propagation in different inter-vehicle complex scenarios is presented. The inter-vehicle scenarios that have been analysed are both urban and rural environments. The main electromagnetic phenomena that occur in this type of scenarios are assessed, including the non-stationarity of the channel, which is an important factor in these types of environments. Two specific case studies to analyse the electromagnetic propagation properties for inter-vehicle communications in intelligent transportation systems are presented, the first one being fast-moving vehicles in underground tunnels and the second one slow moving vehicles in underground mines and caves scenarios. At the end of the chapter, the optimal position of the transceivers is proposed for the different environments based on simulation, as well as some empirical modelling to be used for this type of wireless communications systems in inter-vehicle scenarios.
Vehicular communications technology is promising for supporting multimedia services of high capacities and data rates, inasmuch as it offers wide bandwidths with an unforeseen mobility and ubiquity. However, the combination of large bandwidths and outsized mobility results in severe signal degradation with increased multipath problems and the consequent loss of the quality of service. A precise knowledge of radio channel behaviour is a basic step to define effective models valid to design, build and deploy the vehicular communication systems that support services with guarantee of a correct performance.
In this chapter, we integrate the propagation models with channel models to carry out analysis of link budget, coverage and network design that are used for network design, planning, dimensioning and optimization. Different types of vehicular channels (intra-vehicular and inter-vehicular) and environments will be considered, in order to gain insight on the impact in coverage/capacity relations.
In this chapter, different applications of vehicular communications will be shown. The different methodologies covered in previous chapters will be applied to specific scenarios with different applications, analysing the results of each of the different case studies, and presenting the advantages and disadvantages of each of them for different applications. The significance of radio wave propagation modelling will be described with different case studies of complex scenarios in vehicular environments.