Architecture for information dissemination in wireless mobile ad hoc networks

In future large-scale Emergency Response/Management (ER/EM) to terrorism and natural disasters, sharing the so-called common operational picture amongst dynamic task groups provides immediate advantages. In an ER/EM scenario, dissemination of the right data to the right person at the right time has a direct benefit. Timely and bandwidth efficient dissemination of sensor and Command and Control data remains a challenge. For example, dynamically changing mobile teams, information-needs profiling, information routing based upon information needs (not on IP address) are all complex issues. Accordingly, a protocol, called dissemination mesh, for constructing and reconfiguring network paths for disseminating information from sources to sinks, a software architecture for multi-domain wireless network information dissemination in the context of emergency response (resting above existing MANET protocols), supports needs-based dissemination, node mobility, rapidly changing groups (information sinks) and sensor networks (sources) is provided. The protocol includes: exploitation of Semantic Web and collaborative agent technologies, novel subscription-based information dissemination, intelligent networked information intermediaries, smart dissemination mesh forming and management. Together these technologies provide information dissemination management in the wireless setting. Application realms other than ER/EM can also be supported.