Reliable Packet Delivery Protocol for Geocast Protocol in Disconnected Vehicular Ad Hoc Network

A vehicular multi-hop message dissemination system in a vehicle for providing redundant message packet delivery in an inter-vehicle ad hoc network, the system comprising:

• an on-board broadcasting unit including a transmitter and receiver for communicating with other vehicles within the inter-vehicle ad hoc network;
• a global positioning system for determining the vehicle's position, the vehicle communication system adapted to exchange vehicle position data with other neighboring vehicles for determining whether the vehicle is part of a first cluster;
• and
• a buffer for storing a received data message;
• wherein the on-board broadcasting unit further includes a controller for determining whether the vehicle qualifies as a trailer vehicle within the first cluster, wherein when the controller determines the vehicle is a trailer vehicle and when a respective data message is received, then the respective data message is broadcast by the on-board broadcasting unit to at least one leading vehicle in a second cluster traversing along the road in an opposite direction of the first vehicle cluster.