Adaptive distributed dynamic channel allocation for wireless networks

Channel allocation schemes in a mobile computing (wireless) environment can be either static or dynamic. Static allocation offers negligible channel a cquisition time and zero message complexity and works well at a low system load, the performance steadily decreases as system load increases since man y calls are dropped. In the case of even temporary hot spots many calls may be dropped by a heavily loaded switching station even when there are enoug h idle channels in the interference region of that station. On the other ha nd. dynamic schemes provide better utilization of the channels at higher lo ads albeit at the cost of higher channel acquisition time and some addition al control messages. Our purpose in the present paper is to propose a combi ned channel allocation scheme so that each switching station can tune to it s own load independent of other stations in its interference region; the ob jective is to minimize the call drop rate and at the same time maintain a m inimum average channel acquisition time and minimum control message complex ity. (C) 2001 Academic Press.