IP-based access to sensor networks enabled by a transparent proxy server

The protocol of a sensor network is optimized for its application field, but to benefit from these networks it is necessary to make sensor data available for other networks, too. Therefore, this paper deals with the realization of an interconnection between wireless sensor networks and the Internet. For the first realization of the system, a sensor network based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard and ZigBee was used. The interface for internetworking is realized as a new gateway-based approach using a transparent proxy server offering a web-based service for the user to query or to change the status of a special sensor network node. The concept of the developed system is independent of the sensor network system and can be used for many network types to establish an interface to the Internet and additionally to provide intercommunication between these technologies.