Abstract
In this paper, a fuzzy-based dynamic channel-borrowing scheme (FDCBS) is presented to maximize the number of served calls in a distributed wireless cellular network. The uneven traffic load may create hot-spot cells and possibly causes a high blocking rate in hot-spot cells. Most conventional methods use load indices with a threshold value to determine the load status of a cell. However, those exists a ping-pong effect, as loads are around the threshold value. This result causes an unstable system and unnecessary message passing overhead. In addition, the estimation of traffic load is difficult and time-consuming. Thus, an intelligent prediction mechanism is needed. In this paper, we develop a method to predict the cell load and to solve the channel-borrowing problem based on the fuzzy logic control. A new channel-borrowing algorithm with multi-channels borrowing is also presented in this paper. A borrowing mechanism supporting the present facility has been built on the application-level of wireless cellular networks. The FDCBS exhibits better adaptability, robustness, and fault-tolerant capability thus yielding better performance compared with other algorithms. Through simulations, we evaluate the blocking rate, update overhead, and channel acquisition delay time of the proposed method. The results demonstrate that our algorithm has lower blocking rate, less updated overhead, and shorter channel acquisition delays. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.