A novel cross-layer data aggregation approach for extreme values in wireless sensor networks

In this paper, the task of distributed sensor network data aggregation of extreme (say, maximum) value of sensor measurements is investigated. We exploit the local broadcasting topology of a wireless network to facilitate the development of a novel energy efficient aggregation algorithm. The method models the extreme value aggregation process as a search problem, and devises an approach to accelerate convergence. Through both theoretical analysis and extensive simulation, we characterize the performance of these methods both analytically and experimentally. We observe marked performance advantage of these methods.