A node-traffic characteristics considered clustering broadcast protocol for VANETs

A combined weighted clustering broadcast protocol is proposed to construct a stable clustering architecture for vehicular ad hoc networks (VANET). The protocol adopts the combined weighted methodology to select the cluster heads. The traffic rules and road traffic characteristics are taken into account to make the architecture more stable and to reduce the additional communication for cluster building and maintaining. A simulation experiment was designed to validate the performances of the protocol, in which a practical mobility model was designed according to the relationship between the space headway and the velocity of vehicles. The result showed that the cluster architecture formed based the proposed protocol was simple and stable, the control overhead was low and the load was reduced efficiently, at the same time the reliability was guaranteed. This protocol can meet the efficient broadcasting requirements of VANET in different conditions.