Sensor context information for energy-efficient optimization of wireless procedures

The wide deployment of Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) we are witnessing today increases connectivity opportunities for mobile terminal devices, such as smartphones. However, continuous scanning for WLAN points of attachment can be a power exhausting mechanism for such battery-powered devices. These mobile devices, besides being equipped with different wireless access interfaces, are also coupled with sensors such as accelerometer, GPS, luminance and magnetic compass. In fact, sensors are increasingly being coupled into different devices and environments and are able to convey sensing information through networks into decision entities able to optimize different processes. In this paper we propose a framework where media independent sensing information is used to enhance wireless link management towards energy-efficiency. This framework enables the dissemination of sensing information towards local and remote decision entities, enhancing other processes (e.g. mobility) with sensing information in order to provide true Ambient Intelligence scenarios. We introduce this framework into a wireless management scenario able to provide energy-efficient optimal network connectivity.