Clustering protocol for directional sensor networks
AssigneePurdue Research Foundation
InventorsHenry Ponti Medeiros, Johnny Park, Avinash Kak, Hidekazu Iwaki
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for tracking target objects includes a network of unidirectional sensors which correspond to nodes on the network. The sensors identify the presence of a target object, determine a first criteria for the relationship of the target object to the sensors and send a message to sensors neighboring the sensor. The message includes a unique identification of the target object and the first criteria. The sensors are ranked to determine which of the sensors should head a cluster of sensors for tracking the target object. Clusters are propagated and fragmented as the target object moves through a field of sensors.
Claims23
A method of tracking target objects in a network of unidirectional sensors which correspond to nodes on the network, the method comprising
- identifying the presence of a target object by a first unidirectional sensor,
- determining a first criteria for the relationship of the target object to the first unidirectional sensor,
- sending a message to at least one second unidirectional sensor which is a neighbor to the first unidirectional sensor, the message including a unique identification of the target object and the first criteria,
- monitoring messages from at least one second unidirectional sensor sending a second criteria indicative of the relationship of the target object to the at least one second unidirectional sensor,
- ranking the first criteria and second criteria, if available, and
- the first unidirectional sensor utilizing the ranking of the first and second criteria to determine whether to elect itself the head of a cluster including at least the first unidirectional sensor or join a cluster headed by a second unidirectional sensor.
A method of tracking a target object in a network of unidirectional sensors which correspond to nodes on the network, the method comprising
- formation of a plurality of clusters of sensors tracking the target object, each cluster having a single sensor node as a head of the cluster each cluster wherein any sensor nodes that are not cluster heads are in single hop communication with the head of the cluster to which they join, and
- communicating between clusters to share information between the clusters regarding the location of the target object.
A system for tracking a target object, the system comprising
- a plurality of unidirectional sensors,
- a plurality of communication devices, each communication device associated with a respective unidirectional sensor, the plurality of communication devices configured to form a distributed network, and
- a control system configured to (i) receive information from one or more of the unidirectional sensors, (ii) process the information from the one or more unidirectional sensors to identify a characteristic of a target object, (iii) form a cluster of unidirectional sensors positioned to sense the target object, the cluster sharing data from each of the sensors in the cluster to monitor the position of the target object.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.