System, method, and computer program for routing data in a wireless sensor network

• US 8,760,995 B1
• Filed: 07/08/2010
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amdocs Development Limited (Amdocs Ltd.), Amdocs Software Systems Limited (Amdocs Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Amdocs Software Systems Limited (Amdocs Ltd.)
• Inventors: Gautam, Amit, Gautam, Ajay Kumar, Patel, Ram Bahadur
• Primary Examiner(s): Chung, Hoon J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wang, Yaotang
• Application Number:
  US12/832,945
• Time in Patent Office: 1,447 Days
• Field of Search: 370/236, 370/238, 370/252, 370/254, 370/255, 370/310, 370/315, 370/351, 370/392, 370/400
• US Class Current: 370/216
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/122 by minimising distances, e.g. by selecting a route with minimum of number of hops
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/10 based on available power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for routing data in a wireless sensor network. In use, sensed data is identified utilizing a first sensor node of a plurality of sensor nodes in a wireless sensor network, the sensor nodes each capable of sensing data. Additionally, a plurality of parameters associated with each route existing between the first sensor node and a gateway node in the wireless sensor network connecting the wireless sensor network to another network is received at the first sensor node from at least one second sensor node in direct communication with the first sensor node via the wireless communication network. Furthermore, one of the at least one second sensor node that is in direct communication with the first sensor node is selected, based on the parameters. Still yet, the sensed data is forwarded from the first sensor node to the selected second sensor node.

Claims

1. A computer program embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising:

computer code for identifying sensed data utilizing a first sensor node of a plurality of sensor nodes in a wireless sensor network, the sensor nodes each capable of sensing data, the sensed data including data directly sensed from an object outside of the wireless sensor network, where the first sensor node is the only sensor node that senses the sensed data;

computer code for receiving, at the first sensor node from at least one second sensor node in direct communication with the first sensor node via the wireless sensor network, a plurality of parameters associated with each route existing between the first sensor node and a gateway node in the wireless sensor network connecting the wireless sensor network to another network, wherein the at least one second sensor node is a parent node to the first sensor node;

computer code for selecting one of the at least one second sensor node that is in direct communication with the first sensor node, based on the parameters;

computer code for forwarding the sensed data including the data directly sensed from the object outside of the wireless sensor network from the first sensor node to the selected second sensor node;

computer code for receiving, at the selected second sensor node from the first sensor node, the sensed data including the data directly sensed from the object outside of the wireless sensor network, wherein the selected second sensor node has at least one child node including the first sensor node, and further has at least one parent sensor node that is in direct communication with the selected second sensor node and that is in a route existing between the selected second sensor node and the gateway node;

computer code for determining, by the selected second sensor node, that none of the at least one parent sensor node of the selected second sensor node is to be selected for forwarding the sensed data to the gateway node in the wireless network;

computer code for, in response to the determination that none of the at least one parent sensor node of the selected second sensor node is to be selected for forwarding the sensed data, backtracking by sending, by the selected second sensor node, the sensed data to a selected one of the at least one child node of the selected second sensor node;

computer code for receiving, at the selected child node of the selected second sensor node, the sensed data; and

computer code for, in response to receiving the sensed data at the selected child node of the selected second sensor node, marking the selected second sensor node as unreliable for at least temporarily avoiding future use of the selected second sensor node;

wherein the computer program is operable such that each of the sensor nodes in the wireless network stores a current status of each immediate parent node of the sensor node in a profile for the immediate parent node;

wherein the parameters associated with each route include an average hop distance of the route;

wherein the average hop distance of each route includes a mean inter-nodal distance for all hops from a root parent sensor node in direct communication with the gateway node to the selected second sensor node in direct communication with the first sensor node, such that the average hop distance of each route includes an estimate of an average distance that it is required to communicate the sensed data in a single hop.

2. The computer program of claim 1, wherein for each of the at least one second sensor node, the computer program is operable such that the parameters are received therefrom for routes inclusive of the second sensor node.

3. The computer program of claim 1, wherein the parameters associated with each route include a set of predetermined types of parameters.

4. The computer program of claim 1, wherein the parameters associated with each route include a hop count of the route.

5. The computer program of claim 1, wherein the parameters associated with each route include an average of remaining energy of sensor nodes in the route.

6. The computer program of claim 1, wherein the parameters associated with each route include reliability of the route.

7. The computer program of claim 1, wherein the parameters associated with each route are generated based on information gathered across sensor nodes included in the route.

8. The computer program of claim 1, wherein the computer program is operable such that the parameters are generated for each of the routes by:

determining, at the root parent sensor node in direct communication with the gateway node, a value for each of a plurality of predetermined types of parameters;

transmitting the value for each of the plurality of predetermined types of parameters to an immediate child sensor node in the route;

updating, at the immediate child sensor node, the value for each of the plurality of predetermined types of parameters; and

repeating the transmitting and the updating for each subsequent sensor node in the route;

wherein the parameters received at the first sensor node include the value for each of the plurality of predetermined types of parameters updated by the at least one second sensor node.

9. The computer program of claim 1, wherein the parameters associated with each route are received as a self profile packet (SPP).

10. The computer program of claim 1, wherein the computer program is operable such that the one of the at least one second sensor nodes is selected in response to a determination that the selected second sensor node is included in a route associated with parameters indicating that the route is the most reliable of all of the routes.

11. The computer program of claim 10, wherein the reliability includes a probability that transmission of the sensed data to the gateway node will be completed.

12. The computer program of claim 1, wherein the one of the at least one second sensor nodes that is selected exists in a route between the first sensor node and the gateway node.

13. The computer program of claim 1, wherein the identifying, receiving, selecting, and forwarding are repeated for each selected second sensor node until the parent root sensor node in direct communication with the gateway node receives the sensed data for forwarding the sensed data to the other network.

17. The computer program of claim 1, wherein the sensed data includes inanimate conditions associated with the object.

14. A method, comprising:

identifying sensed data utilizing a first sensor node of a plurality of sensor nodes in a wireless sensor network, the sensor nodes each capable of sensing data, the sensed data including data directly sensed from an object outside of the wireless sensor network, where the first sensor node is the only sensor node that senses the sensed data;

receiving, at the first sensor node from at least one second sensor node in direct communication with the first sensor node via the wireless sensor network, a plurality of parameters associated with each route existing between the first sensor node and a gateway node in the wireless sensor network connecting the wireless sensor network to another network, wherein the at least one second sensor node is a parent node to the first sensor node;

selecting one of the at least one second sensor node that is in direct communication with the first sensor node, based on the parameters;

forwarding the sensed data including the data directly sensed from the object outside of the wireless sensor network from the first sensor node to the selected second sensor node;

receiving, at the selected second sensor node from the first sensor node, the sensed data including the data directly sensed from the object outside of the wireless sensor network, wherein the selected second sensor node has at least one child node including the first sensor node, and further has at least one parent sensor node that is in direct communication with the selected second sensor node and that is in a route existing between the selected second sensor node and the gateway node;

determining, by the selected second sensor node, that none of the at least one parent sensor node of the selected second sensor node is to be selected for forwarding the sensed data to the gateway node in the wireless network;

in response to the determination that none of the at least one parent sensor node of the selected second sensor node is to be selected for forwarding the sensed data, backtracking by sending, by the selected second sensor node, the sensed data to a selected one of the at least one child node of the selected second sensor node;

receiving, at the selected child node of the selected second sensor node, the sensed data; and

in response to receiving the sensed data at the selected child node of the selected second sensor node, marking the selected second sensor node as unreliable for at least temporarily avoiding future use of the selected second sensor node;

wherein each of the sensor nodes in the wireless network stores a current status of each immediate parent node of the sensor node in a profile for the immediate parent node;

wherein the parameters associated with each route include an average hop distance of the route;

wherein the average hop distance of each route includes a mean inter-nodal distance for all hops from a root parent sensor node in direct communication with the gateway node to the selected second sensor node in direct communication with the first sensor node, such that the average hop distance of each route includes an estimate of an average distance that it is required to communicate the sensed data in a single hop.

15. A system, comprising:

a processor for;

identifying sensed data utilizing a first sensor node of a plurality of sensor nodes in a wireless sensor network, the sensor nodes each capable of sensing data, the sensed data including data directly sensed from an object outside of the wireless sensor network, where the first sensor node is the only sensor node that senses the sensed data;

receiving, at the first sensor node from at least one second sensor node in direct communication with the first sensor node via the wireless sensor network, a plurality of parameters associated with each route existing between the first sensor node and a gateway node in the wireless sensor network connecting the wireless sensor network to another network, wherein the at least one second sensor node is a parent node to the first sensor node;

selecting one of the at least one second sensor node that is in direct communication with the first sensor node, based on the parameters;

forwarding the sensed data including the data directly sensed from the object outside of the wireless sensor network from the first sensor node to the selected second sensor node;

receiving, at the selected second sensor node from the first sensor node, the sensed data including the data directly sensed from the object outside of the wireless sensor network, wherein the selected second sensor node has at least one child node including the first sensor node, and further has at least one parent sensor node that is in direct communication with the selected second sensor node and that is in a route existing between the selected second sensor node and the gateway node;

determining, by the selected second sensor node, that none of the at least one parent sensor node of the selected second sensor node is to be selected for forwarding the sensed data to the gateway node in the wireless network;

in response to the determination that none of the at least one parent sensor node of the selected second sensor node is to be selected for forwarding the sensed data, backtracking by sending, by the selected second sensor node, the sensed data to a selected one of the at least one child node of the selected second sensor node;

receiving, at the selected child node of the selected second sensor node, the sensed data; and

in response to receiving the sensed data at the selected child node of the selected second sensor node, marking the selected second sensor node as unreliable for at least temporarily avoiding future use of the selected second sensor node;

wherein the system is operable such that each of the sensor nodes in the wireless network stores a current status of each immediate parent node of the sensor node in a profile for the immediate parent node;

wherein the parameters associated with each route include an average hop distance of the route;

wherein the average hop distance of each route includes a mean inter-nodal distance for all hops from a root parent sensor node in direct communication with the gateway node to the selected second sensor node in direct communication with the first sensor node, such that the average hop distance of each route includes an estimate of an average distance that it is required to communicate the sensed data in a single hop.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is coupled to memory via a bus.