Constructing a VANET based on cluster chains

The paper proposes a scheme on constructing a vehicular ad‐hoc network based on cluster chains. In the cluster construction algorithm, the distance from a potential cluster head to its neighbor cluster associate node is used as a metric to elect a cluster head, so the number of the cluster heads is minimized. In the cluster‐chain construction algorithm, the distance from a potential cluster associate node to its neighbor cluster head is used as a metric to elect a cluster associate node, so the number of the nodes in a cluster chain is minimized. The cluster/cluster‐chain repair algorithm maintains the cluster/cluster‐chain stability. The cluster/cluster‐chain merging algorithm has no effects on the topology of the corresponding cluster chains, so the cluster‐chain stability is enhanced. The performances of the proposed scheme and the existing scheme are analyzed, and the performance parameters include the cluster size, the cluster formation delay, the cluster stability, and the cluster‐chain stability. And the analytical results show that the performance of the proposed scheme is better. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.