A heuristic to maximize network lifetime for target coverage problem in wireless sensor networks

Abstract

Devices in a wireless sensor network are resource constrained. Energy, an exiguous resource of sensor nodes, should be used in an efficient manner to prolong the network lifetime. It is not a feasible approach to turn all sensor nodes on at the same time, which will curtail the overall network lifetime. In this paper, we propose an energy efficient scheme that maximizes the network lifetime for k-coverage and Q-coverage problem. The sensors are divided into sensor covers, such that each cover monitors all targets. The covers are formed based on the order of weight-based-priority. The sensor cover changes dynamically with change in weight. Weight of a sensor node is calculated based on the weight due to the targets it cover and the remaining battery power of the node. Experimental results reveal that optimal results can be obtained by adaptively tuning the weight-deciding component. © 2011 Old City Publishing, Inc.