Virtual Stationary Automata for Mobile Networks

Abstract

We define a programming abstraction formobile networks called the Virtual Stationary Automataprogramming layer, consisting of real mobile clients, virtualtimed I/O automata called virtual stationary automata(VSAs), and a communication service connecting VSAs andclient nodes. The VSAs are located at prespecified regionsthat tile the plane, defining a static virtual infrastructure.We present a self-stabilizing algorithm to emulate a VSAusing the real mobile nodes that are currently residingin the VSA’s region. We also describe several examplesof applications whose implementations benefit from thesimplicity obtained through use of the VSA abstraction.