Proactive data delivery scheme with optimal path for dynamic sensor networks

Abstract

In sensor networks, it is crucial to reliably and energy-efficiently deliver sensed information from each source to a sink node. Specifically, in mobile sink (user) applications, due to the sink mobility, a stationary dissemination path may no longer be effective. The path will have to be continuously reconfigured according to the current location of the sink. Moreover, the dynamic optimal path from each source to the sink is required in order to reduce end-to-end delay and additional energy wastage. In this paper, an Adaptive Reversal Optimal path Tree (AROT) protocol is proposed. Information delivery from each source to a mobile sink can be easily achieved along the AROT without additional control overhead, because the AROT proactively performs adaptive sink mobility management. In addition, the dynamic path is optimal in terms of hop counts and the AROT can maintain a robust tree structure by quickly recovering the partitioned tree with minimum packet transmission. Finally, the simulation results demonstrate that the AROT is a considerably energy-efficient and robust protocol. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007.