WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK INFORMATION SWARMING

• US 20120176959A1
• Filed: 02/28/2012
• Published: 07/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hey, Laurence A., Bremner, Richard, Izard, William J., Ponsford, Matthew J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,792,513 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/288 Distributed intermediate devices, i.e. intermediate devices for interaction with other intermediate devices on the same level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/021 in wireless networks with changing topologies, e.g. ad-hoc networks self-organizing networks H04W84/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for information swarming in a wireless sensor network (WSN). In an embodiment of the invention, a method for information swarming in a WSN can include receiving in an overhearing node of the WSN, relay data sensed by a sensor at an originating node of the WSN and transmitted along a relay path exclusive of the overhearing node from the originating node to an aggregation point in the WSN. The method also can include determining a relevance of the relay data in reference to at least one relevance rule. Finally, the method can include forwarding additional data acquired at the overhearing node by a sensor at the overhearing node to the aggregation point over the WSN in response to determining the relay data to be relevant.

Claims

1. A method for information swarming in a wireless sensor network (WSN) comprising:

receiving in an overhearing node of the WSN, relay data sensed by a sensor at an originating node of the WSN and transmitted from an originating node along a relay path exclusive of the overhearing node to an aggregation point of the WSN;

determining a relevance of the relay data in reference to at least one relevance rule; and

,

forwarding additional data acquired at the overhearing node by a sensor at the overhearing node to the aggregation point over the WSN in response to determining the relay data to be relevant.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a relevance of the relay data in reference to at least one relevance rule, comprises determining a relevance of the relay data in reference to at least one relevance rule specifying the relay data to be relevant if a value of the relay data crosses a threshold value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a relevance of the relay data in reference to at least one relevance rule, comprises determining a relevance of the relay data in reference to at least one relevance rule specifying the relay data to be relevant if a trend of values of relay data overheard by the overhearing node crosses a threshold value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a relevance of the relay data in reference to at least one relevance rule, comprises determining a relevance of the relay data in reference to at least one relevance rule specifying the relay data to be relevant if a quantifiable relationship between the overhearing node and the originating node crosses a threshold value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a relevance of the relay data in reference to at least one relevance rule, comprises determining a relevance of the relay data in reference to at least one relevance rule specifying the relay data to be relevant if a value of the data acquired at the overhearing node crosses a threshold value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a relevance of the relay data in reference to at least one relevance rule, comprises determining a relevance of the relay data in reference to at least one relevance rule specifying the relay data to be relevant if a quantifiable relationship between the data acquired at the overhearing node and the overheard relay data crosses a threshold value.

7-17. -17. (canceled)