Game Theory for Vertical Handoff Decisions in Heterogeneous Wireless Networks: A Tutorial

Heterogeneous wireless network (HWN) is an overlay structure of different wireless networks (WN). The WNs may differ in terms of coverage, capacity, underlying technology, service types, and network operators. In such a HWN environment, a mobile user (MU) equipped with multi-mode or multi-home terminal always wish to maintain connectivity with a wireless network which can provide best quality of experience (QoE). Similarly, the WN may allow the connectivity only to a MU which can provide highest revenue. This may leads to an event, called vertical handoff, where the MU leaves current WN and connect to another different WN. The conflicting goals of maximizing QoE and revenue simultaneously while performing a VHO necessitates the selection of mutually best MU and WN. Game theory is an efficient mathematical tool to model such situations where specific actions of decision makers lead to mutually conflicting consequences to each other. This paper, using a tutorial style, presented the game theory concepts and its application for VHO, type of games, and game solutions. It proposes, in specific, the noncooperative game formulations for three different VHO situations and their solutions using NASH for HWNs.

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