Sectoral sweepers for sensor node management and location estimation in ad hoc sensor networks

Abstract

In this paper the sectoral sweeper scheme is introduced where a central node that has a directional antenna broadcasts tasks. Nodes which receive a task start sensing and generating reports. Hence nodes at a specified region can be activated or deactivated at any time. Tasks are also associated with a unique identification for each region. Sensor nodes include related task identifications and received signal strength indicator in their messages. By using this data, the location of the sensor nodes can be estimated with a resolution high enough for many applications. Since our scheme does not require any additional software or hardware for node management and location estimation in sensor nodes, the deficiencies of tiny sensors are effectively eliminated. Our scheme also reduces energy consumption considerably and provides immediate task dissemination.