A Precise Coverage Control Protocol with Limited Communication in Wireless Sensor Networks

In this paper, we address the problem of maximizing sensor networks lifetime under coverage constraint. A Distributed Coverage Control Strategy based on Precise Coverage Degree (DSP) is proposed for both homogeneous and heterogeneous sensor networks randomly deployed. We extend the coverage degree concept by defining Pure Coverage and Joint Coverage. DSP adopts the probabilistic sense model, which is a more practical model compared with the binary sensing model. In DSP, each node calculates the coverage degree locally, so it can provide differentiated service of coverage degree, which can be adjusted dynamically according to the precision requirement by the application. Our protocol takes the complicated boundary effect into account. Experiments results show that with k-coverage guarantee, DSP can reduce the number of the active nodes and prolong the networks lifetime effectively. In addition, DSP can balance the energy consumption, and the protocol needs limited communication.