Adaptive sleeping and awakening protocol for an energy-efficient adhoc network

• US 20040230638A1
• Filed: 05/01/2003
• Published: 11/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Balachandran, Krishna, Kang, Joseph H., Lau, Wing Cheong
• Granted Patent: US 7,356,561 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0245 according to signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In a multiple node network, the method includes waking up at least one node from a sleep mode during at least one associated slot of a time-slotted frame, the sleep mode being a low power consumption mode. Also, in at least one node of a multiple node network, the period of time a node sleeps is based on the residual energy of the node, the residual energy of the nodes in the neighborhood, neighborhood node density, and combinations thereof.

Claims

1. In a multiple node network, a method comprising:

waking up at least one node from a sleep mode during at least one associated slot of a time-slotted frame, the sleep mode being a low power consumption mode.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the associated slot(s) for the node to awaken in using a predetermined process.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, at the node, when a neighboring node awakens using a wake up determination process employed by the neighboring node.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined process is based on an address of the node.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving addresses of neighboring nodes at the node such that the node knows when the neighboring nodes wake up from their respective sleep modes.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

waking up the node from a sleep mode during a neighborhood control interval; and

wherein

the receiving step receives the addresses during the neighborhood control interval.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining a neighboring node based on signal strengths of signals received from other nodes in the network.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

directing a transmission from the node towards a destination based on the knowledge of when the neighboring nodes wake up from their respective sleep modes.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

waking up the node from a sleep mode during a neighborhood control interval; and

transmitting the address of the node during the neighborhood control interval.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the waking step wakes up the node after sleeping a period of time determined based on a residual energy of the node.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the node, residual energies for neighboring nodes; and

wherein

the waking up step wakes up the node after sleeping a period of time determined based on a residual energy of the node and the received residual energies for the neighboring nodes.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the waking step wakes up the node after sleeping a period of time determined based on the residual energy of the node and a density of neighboring nodes.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the waking up step wakes up the node after sleeping a period of time determined based on the residual energy of the node, the received residual energies for neighboring nodes, and the density of the neighboring nodes.

14. In at least one node of a multiple node network, a method comprising:

sleeping, at the node, for a period of time based on a residual energy of the node.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the period of time is inversely related to the residual energy of the node.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the sleeping step sleeps for a period of time based on the residual energy of the node and a density of neighboring nodes.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the period of time is based on a residual energy of the node and residual energies for neighboring nodes.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the period of time is based on a residual energy of the node, residual energies for neighboring nodes and a density of neighboring nodes.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining the period of time during a neighborhood control interval.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

selectively backing off from implementing the determined period of time when the determined period of time differs from a currently implemented period of time.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining a sleeper class of the node; and

wherein

the sleeping step sleeps for a period of time associated with the determined sleeper class.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

acting as a relay node based on the determined sleeper class, a relay node being a node that relays transmissions received from other nodes.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

selectively backing off from changing a sleeper class.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein

the determining a sleeper class step determines the node as a short sleep or a long sleeper;

and

the sleeping step sleeps for a longer period of time when the node is determined as a long sleeper than when the node is determined as a short sleeper.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the determining a sleeper class step determines the sleeper class based on a residual energy of the node.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the determining a sleeper class step determines the sleeper class based on a residual energy of the node and a density of neighboring nodes.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the determining a sleeper class step determines the sleeper class based on a residual energy of the node and residual energies of neighboring nodes.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the determining a sleeper class step determines the sleeper class based on a residual energy of the node, residual energies of neighboring nodes and a density of neighboring nodes.