COOPERATIVE PACKET ROUTING FOR WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORKS

• US 20100142422A1
• Filed: 12/04/2008
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: King SAUD University
• Original Assignee: King SAUD University
• Inventors: Al-Wakeel, Sami S., Al-Nabhan, Najla A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,606,903 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/122 by minimising distances, e.g. by selecting a route with minimum of number of hops
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/125 based on throughput or bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/20 Hop count for routing purposes, e.g. TTL
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/10 based on available power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A cooperative packet routing for wireless sensor networks is described. In one aspect, a transient sensor node in a wireless sensor network receives a packet from a source node, wherein the packet is targeted for receipt by a base station. The transient sensor node, responsive to receiving the packet, estimates how much operational energy remains in the sensor node. If the determined amount of energy meets a configurable threshold, the transient sensor node implements a set of cooperative packet routing operations for conditional re-transmission of the packet to the base station. The configurable threshold is set to ensure substantially optimal usage and lifetime of the sensor node in the wireless sensor network. The conditional re-transmission of the packet is based on a set of randomized packet re-transmission criteria.

Claims

1. In a wireless sensor network comprising multiple sensor nodes and a base station, a method implemented by a sensor node of the sensor nodes for cooperative packet routing, the method comprising:

receiving a packet transmitted by a source node of the sensor nodes, the packet being targeted for receipt by the base station;

responsive to receiving the packet, determining an amount of energy remaining in the sensor node; and

if the amount of energy meets a configurable energy threshold designed to increase lifetime of the sensor node, implementing cooperative packet routing operations for conditional re-transmission of the packet to the base station, the conditional re-transmission being based on randomizing packet re-transmission criteria.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the configurable energy threshold is based on estimated respective amounts of energy used by the sensor node to sense data, perform computations, and engage in wireless communications.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the packet re-transmission criteria is based on one or more of the base station location, packet origin, and packet arrival time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the amount of energy remaining in the sensor node comprises:

calculating an amount of energy dissipated responsive to receiving the packet from the source node; and

responsive to the calculating, updating a persisted energy value for the sensor node to account for the amount of energy dissipated responsive to receiving the packet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the cooperative packet routing operations comprise controlling re-transmission of the packet by the sensor node through a variable address-based timer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the cooperative packet routing operations comprise:

calculating a timer value using an address of the sensor node and a scalar factor;

decrementing the timer value at periodic intervals; and

if an acknowledgement that the base station has received the packet has not been received before expiration of the timer value;

inserting an address assigned to the sensor node to the packet, the address for use by one or more other sensor nodes of the sensor nodes responsive to receipt of the packet to calculate respective timer values controlling respective re-transmission of the packet by the one or more other sensor nodes; and

transmitting the packet for receipt by the base station.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the cooperative packet routing operations further comprise:

if the packet has already been received a duplicate factor number of times, reducing a number of sensor nodes in the wireless sensor network participating in cooperative data transfer of the packet to the base station, the reducing comprising;

not re-transmitting the packet;

canceling any prior scheduled re-transmission event associated with a duplicate of the packet received earlier by the sensor node; and

freeing any memory resources associated with the packet and any duplicates of the packet; and

wherein the reducing is based on a sensor node operational redundancy in the wireless sensor network to conserve sensor node operational life and transmit the packet to the base station, the sensor node operational redundancy being a likelihood that a different node of the sensor nodes will transmit the packet to the base station.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the cooperative packet routing operations further comprise:

estimating an amount of energy dissipated by the sensor node responsive to performing operations; and

updating a persisted energy value for the sensor node to account for the amount of energy.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising if the amount of energy does not meet the configurable energy threshold:

discarding the packet;

freeing any memory resources associated with maintaining the packet;

maintaining operational capabilities for the sensor node to sense and transmit data to the base station; and

wherein the packet is not re-transmitted by the sensor node.

10. A sensor node for use in a wireless sensor network, the wireless sensor network including multiple sensor nodes and a base station, the sensor node comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising computer program instructions executable by the processor, the computer program instructions when executed by the processor for performing operations comprising;

receiving a packet transmitted by a source node of the sensor nodes the packet being targeted for receipt by the base station;

responsive to receiving the packet, determining an amount of energy remaining in the sensor node; and

if the amount of energy meets a configurable energy threshold designed to increase lifetime of the sensor node, implementing cooperative packet routing operations for conditional re-transmission of the packet to the base station, the conditional re-transmission being based on randomizing packet re-transmission criteria.

11. The sensor node of claim 10, wherein the configurable energy threshold is based on estimated respective amounts of energy used by the sensor node to sense data, perform computations, and engage in wireless communications.

12. The sensor node of claim 10, wherein the packet re-transmission criteria is based on one or more of the base station location, packet origin, and packet arrival time.

13. The sensor node of claim 10, wherein the computer program instructions for determining the amount of energy remaining in the sensor node further comprise instructions for:

calculating an amount of energy dissipated responsive to receiving the packet from the source node; and

responsive to the calculating, updating a persisted energy value for the sensor node to account for the amount of energy dissipated responsive to receiving the packet.

14. The sensor node of claim 10, wherein the computer program instructions for the cooperative packet routing operations comprise instructions for controlling re-transmission of the packet by the sensor node through a variable address-based timer.

15. The sensor node of claim 10, wherein the computer program instructions for the cooperative packet routing operations further comprise instructions for:

calculating a timer value using an address of the sensor node and a scalar factor;

decrementing the timer value at periodic intervals; and

if an acknowledgement that the base station has received the packet has not been received before expiration of the timer value;

inserting an address assigned to the sensor node to the packet, the address for use by one or more other sensor nodes of the sensor nodes responsive to receipt of the packet to calculate respective timer values controlling respective re-transmission of the packet by the one or more other sensor nodes; and

transmitting the packet for receipt by the base station.

16. The sensor node of claim 10, wherein the computer program instructions for the cooperative packet routing operations further comprise instructions for:

if the packet has already been received a duplicate factor number of times;

not re-transmitting the packet;

canceling any prior scheduled re-transmission event associated with a duplicate of the packet received earlier by the sensor node; and

freeing any memory resources associated with the packet and any duplicates of the packet.

17. The sensor node of claim 16, wherein the computer program instructions for the cooperative packet routing operations further comprise instructions for:

estimating an amount of energy dissipated by the sensor node responsive to performing operations of claim; and

updating a persisted energy value for the sensor node to account for the amount of energy.

18. The sensor node of claim 10, wherein the computer program instructions further comprise, if the amount of energy does not meet the configurable energy threshold, instructions for:

discarding the packet;

freeing any memory resources associated with maintaining the packet;

maintaining operational capabilities for the sensor node to sense and transmit data to the base station; and

wherein the packet is not re-transmitted by the sensor node.

19. A tangible computer-readable data storage medium for using in a sensor node, the sensor node for deployment in a wireless sensor network of multiple sensor nodes and a base station, the tangible computer-readable data storage medium comprising computer program instructions executable by a processor, the computer program instructions when executed by the processor for performing operations comprising:

receiving a packet transmitted by a source node of the sensor nodes, the packet being targeted for receipt by the base station;

responsive to receiving the packet, determining an amount of energy remaining in the sensor node; and

if the amount of energy meets a configurable energy threshold designed to increase lifetime of the sensor node, implementing cooperative packet routing operations for conditional re-transmission of the packet to the base station, the conditional re-transmission being based on randomizing packet re-transmission criteria.

20. The tangible computer-readable data storage medium of claim 19, wherein the computer program instructions for the cooperative packet routing operations further comprise instructions for:

calculating a timer value using an address of the sensor node and a scalar factor;

decrementing the timer value at periodic intervals; and

if an acknowledgement that the base station has received the packet has not been received before expiration of the timer value;

inserting an address assigned to the sensor node to the packet, the address for use by one or more other sensor nodes of the sensor nodes responsive to receipt of the packet to calculate respective timer values controlling respective re-transmission of the packet by the one or more other sensor nodes; and

transmitting the packet for receipt by the base station.

21. The tangible computer-readable data storage medium of claim 19, wherein the computer program instructions for the cooperative packet routing operations further comprise instructions for:

if the packet has already been received a duplicate factor number of times, reducing a number of sensor nodes in the wireless sensor network participating in cooperative data transfer of the packet to the base station, the reducing comprising;

not re-transmitting the packet;

canceling any prior scheduled re-transmission event associated with a duplicate of the packet received earlier by the sensor node; and

freeing any memory resources associated with the packet and any duplicates of the packet; and

wherein the reducing is based on a likelihood of sensor node operational redundancy in the wireless sensor network to conserve sensor node operational life and transmit the packet to the base station, the sensor node operational redundancy being a likelihood that a different node of the sensor nodes will transmit the packet to the base station.