Increasing Network Lifetime Of An IEEE 802.15.4 Wireless Sensor Network By Energy Efficient Routing

In a multi-hop 802.15.4 Wireless Sensor Network the volume of traffic that is processed by intermediate nodes increases considerably as data approaches the PAN coordinator. This problem is referred to as the reachback problem. In this work we focus on a more fundamental implication of reachback on operational network lifetime of 802.15.4-based wireless sensor networks. This paper proposes the joint minimization of two network lifetime metrics, previously proposed for independent use, to more accurately characterize the degree of longevity of wireless sensor networks. The method uses the k-shortest simple path algorithm and a dynamic programming method rooted in operational rate-distortion (RD) theory to increase the operational lifetime of wireless sensor networks.