"Extra-sensory perception" for wireless networks

Abstract

Commodity smartphones and tablet devices now come equipped with a variety of sensors, including accelerometers, multiple positioning sensors, magnetic compasses, and inertial sensors (gyros). In this paper, we posit that these sensors can be profitably used to improve the performance of wireless network protocols running on these mobile devices, and introduce the idea of using external sensor hints for this purpose. We focus on mobility hints, including the device's state of motion, speed, direction of movement, and position. We outline how these hints can be used to: increase throughput by adapting bit rate selection to the state of movement; reduce the bandwidth required for estimating link delivery probabilities; improve the connectivity of routes in vehicular mesh networks using directionality hints; and enable access points to tailor the management of clients to their mobility.