QoS for data relaying in hierarchical wireless sensor networks

Abstract

In this paper we present and discuss several models for wireless sensor networks (\wsn s) where the focus is on selecting paths to relay data from sensors to the base station. We are concerned with high level protocols that assume complete knowledge of the local network topology at any node and rely on basic routines to address and forward packets from node to node. More precisely, for every sensor node that needs to send data to the base station, we want to select one or more routes involving perhaps several intermediate nodes along which data are sent. The route(s) are chosen to satisfy quality of service (QoS) requirements expressed by the maximum delay incurred by data from the moment they are captured by sensors to the moment they reach the base station.