ENERGY-DRIVEN CLUSTER AGGREGATION POINT RE-ELECTION IN A WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK

摘要

A sensor network comprises a plurality of nodes arranged to communicate wirelessly with one another, at least some of the nodes being arranged to operate as an aggregation point for the network in which the aggregation point communicates data between other nodes of the network and externally of the network. Potential aggregation points are arranged to: at some time after the node becomes an aggregation point, determine an energy state for the aggregation point; responsive to the energy state satisfying a criterion, transmit to adjacent nodes of the network a request to change aggregation point; receive from the adjacent nodes at least one energy state indicator for at least one other node in the network; determine in accordance with the received energy state indicators whether one of the other nodes should become the next aggregation point for the network; and responsive to a positive such determination, transmit to the one of the other nodes an indicator that the node is to become the next aggregation point for the network.