Dynamic node activation in networks of rechargeable sensors

— We consider a network of rechargeable sensors, deployed redundantly in a random sensing environment, and address the problem of how sensor nodes should be activated dynamically so as to maximize a generalized system performance objective. The optimal sensor activation problem is a very difficult decision question, and under Markovian assumptions on the sensor discharge/recharge periods, it represents a complex semi-Markov decision problem. With the goal of developing a practical, distributed but efficient solution to this complex, global optimization problem, we first consider the activation question for a set of sensor nodes whose coverage areas overlap completely. For this scenario, we show analytically that there exists a simple threshold activation policy that achieves a performance within a factor of 3 4 of the optimum over all possible policies. We extend this threshold policy to a general network setting where the coverage areas of different sensors could have partial or ...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2005
• Where: INFOCOM
• Authors: Koushik Kar, Ananth Krishnamurthy, Neeraj Jaggi
• Keywords: Activation, Communications, INFOCOM 2005, Sensor Nodes, Threshold Activation Policy