Adjustable convergecast tree protocol for wireless sensor networks

  • Authors:

  • Tzung-Shi Chen;Hua-Wen Tsai;Chih-Ping Chu

  • Affiliations:

  • Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National University of Tainan, Tainan 700, Taiwan;Department of Computer Information and Network Engineering, Lunghwa University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan 300, Taiwan;Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan

  • Venue:
  • Computer Communications
  • Year:
  • 2010

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Abstract

For data-collection applications in sensor networks, it is important to ensure base station receives a complete picture about the monitored area. Convergecast is an important communication pattern commonly used to collect continuous data. The prior broadcast trees are not suitable for convergecast, because convergecast is a reverse broadcast process. We point out the load-balancing problem in the current design of sensor networks. A non-load-balancing tree makes some nodes consume energy faster than others. It is important to design a distributed load-balancing solution due to the lack of global knowledge about the network topology. This paper presents a novel convergecast tree protocol and a distributed adjustment algorithm to attain load balancing and to extend network lifetime. The tree protocol constructs an approximate load-balancing convergecast tree. Additionally, the adjustment algorithm dynamically adjusts tree structure to avoid breaking tree link. The tree adjustment only needs localized information and operations at the sensors. Moreover, the tree adjustment is controlled by a sensor's grandparent to avoid loop problem. This study performs extensive simulations, demonstrating that the proposed protocols can effectively increase convergecast throughput.