A layered architecture for delay sensitive sensor networks
D. Wang, Yan Long, Funda Ergün · 2005
Sensor networks are powerful tools for performing monitoring and surveillance tasks over large areas. A sensor is a cheap, simple device with low power and limited capabilities. In a sensor network a large number of sensors are deployed to span the whole area to be monitored. Due to the simplicity and the large quantity of the sensors involved, collecting data from a sensor network can be time and energy inefficient. In this paper, we investigate making the data gathering task from a sensor network more efficient by using a randomized, layered architecture. The layers in our architecture are constructed in a distributed fashion, with each sensor deciding locally on what layers it will exist. The key property of our technique is that the information is collected from one layer of the architecture containing a small subset of the sensors, resulting in fewer hops and thus smaller data in data aggregation. We provide provably correct results for the delay incurred and the accuracy of the results. In the context of our new techniques, we also explore ways to speed up the data gathering process even further, such as using history information. In addition, we consider how to optimize the structure of our system so that the energy consumption will be evenly distributed among each sensor, thus extending the overall lifetime of the entire network.