Cost efficient data transfer for M2M infrastructure with heterogeneous wireless networks

Machine-to-machine (M2M) networking that connects and manages machines has been gaining much attention and enabling new business models based on emerging applications. For a practical development of M2M networking, cost-effective, scalable, and deployable solutions are requested for data transfer from/to machines distributed in heterogeneous environments. DTN-based store-carry-forward (SCF) approaches have been studied for M2M networking especially in extreme and infrastructure-less environments, where machines send to and receive from only relay nodes by short range wireless communications (e.g., Wifi). In this paper, we combine a pure SCF approach with a mobile data network (e.g., 3G) infrastructure by assuming that a relay node has 3G capability in addition to Wifi capability to allow both end-to-end connection-based and SCF-based communications between the machine and the server, depending on situation. A proof-of-concept scheme for intermediate proxy relay nodes is proposed to exploit an integrated use of a wide-area 3G infrastructure and a high-speed local-ranged Wifi networking. A model-based simulation validates and characterizes the proposed scheme from the view point of communication delay and cost performance.