Data Aggregation and Packet Bundling of Uplink Small Packets for Monitoring Applications in LTE

In cellular massive Machine-Type Communications (MTC), a device can transmit directly to the base station (BS) or through an aggregator (intermediate node). While direct device-BS communication has recently been in the focus of 5G/3GPP research and standardization efforts, the use of aggregators remains a less explored topic. In this paper we analyze the deployment scenarios in which aggregators can perform cellular access on behalf of multiple MTC devices. We study the effect of packet bundling at the aggregator, which alleviates overhead and resource waste when sending small packets. The aggregators give rise to a tradeoff between access congestion and resource starvation and we show that packet bundling can minimize resource starvation, especially for smaller numbers of aggregators. Under the limitations of the considered model, we investigate the optimal settings of the network parameters, in terms of number of aggregators and packet-bundle size. Our results show that, in general, data aggregation can benefit the uplink massive MTC in LTE, by reducing the signalling overhead.Comment: to appear in IEEE Networ

AM-DisCNT: Angular Multi-hop DIStance based Circular Network Transmission Protocol for WSNs

The nodes in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) contain limited energy resources, which are needed to transmit data to base station (BS). Routing protocols are designed to reduce the energy consumption. Clustering algorithms are best in this aspect. Such clustering algorithms increase the stability and lifetime of the network. However, every routing protocol is not suitable for heterogeneous environments. AM-DisCNT is proposed and evaluated as a new energy efficient protocol for wireless sensor networks. AM-DisCNT uses circular deployment for even consumption of energy in entire wireless sensor network. Cluster-head selection is on the basis of energy. Highest energy node becomes CH for that round. Energy is again compared in the next round to check the highest energy node of that round. The simulation results show that AM-DisCNT performs better than the existing heterogeneous protocols on the basis of network lifetime, throughput and stability of the system.Comment: IEEE 8th International Conference on Broadband and Wireless Computing, Communication and Applications (BWCCA'13), Compiegne, Franc

An objective based classification of aggregation techniques for wireless sensor networks

Wireless Sensor Networks have gained immense popularity in recent years due to their ever increasing capabilities and wide range of critical applications. A huge body of research efforts has been dedicated to find ways to utilize limited resources of these sensor nodes in an efficient manner. One of the common ways to minimize energy consumption has been aggregation of input data. We note that every aggregation technique has an improvement objective to achieve with respect to the output it produces. Each technique is designed to achieve some target e.g. reduce data size, minimize transmission energy, enhance accuracy etc. This paper presents a comprehensive survey of aggregation techniques that can be used in distributed manner to improve lifetime and energy conservation of wireless sensor networks. Main contribution of this work is proposal of a novel classification of such techniques based on the type of improvement they offer when applied to WSNs. Due to the existence of a myriad of definitions of aggregation, we first review the meaning of term aggregation that can be applied to WSN. The concept is then associated with the proposed classes. Each class of techniques is divided into a number of subclasses and a brief literature review of related work in WSN for each of these is also presented

Machine Learning in Wireless Sensor Networks: Algorithms, Strategies, and Applications

Wireless sensor networks monitor dynamic environments that change rapidly over time. This dynamic behavior is either caused by external factors or initiated by the system designers themselves. To adapt to such conditions, sensor networks often adopt machine learning techniques to eliminate the need for unnecessary redesign. Machine learning also inspires many practical solutions that maximize resource utilization and prolong the lifespan of the network. In this paper, we present an extensive literature review over the period 2002-2013 of machine learning methods that were used to address common issues in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). The advantages and disadvantages of each proposed algorithm are evaluated against the corresponding problem. We also provide a comparative guide to aid WSN designers in developing suitable machine learning solutions for their specific application challenges.Comment: Accepted for publication in IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorial