Soft State Framework for Mobile WSN Routing

16) A routing protocol method for a wireless sensor network utilizing a plurality of network nodes comprising a sink node and a router node, comprising the steps of:

• moving each of the plurality of network nodes randomly in a three dimensional space;
• communicating wirelessly between each of the network nodes;
• utilizing each of the plurality of network nodes to perform steps comprising:
• identifying a plurality of network elements;
• organizing the plurality of network elements into a first community and a second community depending on attributes and refreshing time interval of the plurality of network elements between the first community and the second community;
• organizing the plurality of network elements of the first community into a first group and a second group depending on a changing condition of the plurality of network elements, specific needs of the plurality of network elements and the evenness of distribution of the plurality of network elements between the first group and the second group;
• refreshing periodically and dynamically the plurality of network elements belonging to the first community and the second community;
• timing the refreshing of the plurality of network elements using only one timer, the only one timer refreshing different communities at different times;
• and
• sending a routing packet reflecting the content of each refreshed community via a virtual socket to another one of the plurality of network nodes.

20) A routing protocol method for a wireless sensor network utilizing a plurality of network nodes comprising the steps of:

• moving each of the plurality of network nodes randomly in a three dimensional space;
• communicating wirelessly between each of the network nodes;
• utilizing each of the plurality of network nodes to perform steps comprising:
• identifying a plurality of network elements;
• organizing, by the network node, the plurality of network elements into a first community and a second community depending on the attributes and refreshing time interval of the plurality of network elements between the first community and a second community;
• organizing the plurality of network elements of the first community into a first group and a second group depending on a changing condition of the plurality of network elements, specific needs of the plurality of network elements and the evenness of distribution of the plurality of network elements between the first group and the second group;
• refreshing periodically and dynamically the plurality of network elements belonging to the first community and the second community;
• timing the refreshing of the plurality of network elements using only one timer, the only one timer refreshing different communities at different times;
• sending a routing packet reflecting the content of each refreshed community via a virtual socket to another one of the plurality of network nodes;
• refreshing periodically and dynamically the plurality of network elements belonging to the first group and the second group depending on the changing conditions of the plurality of network elements, specific needs of the plurality of network elements and the evenness of distribution of the plurality of network elements between the first group and a second group;
• sending a routing packet reflecting the content of the refreshed first group via the virtual socket to another one of the plurality of network nodes;
• refreshing periodically and dynamically the plurality of network elements belonging to the first sub-group and the second sub-group depending at least partially on the maximum transition unit value of the network node;
• sending a routing packet reflecting the content of the refreshed first sub-group via the virtual socket to another one of the plurality of network nodes;
• wherein the step of refreshing a network element maintains a soft state framework;
• wherein failing to refresh the network element removes the soft state framework;
• wherein the step of sending via the virtual socket comprises sending of a routing packet via both a beacon channel and a socket channel;
• changing the physical location of one of the plurality of network nodes;
• and
• wherein upon changing the physical location, each of the plurality of network nodes performs the steps of:
• re-organizing the plurality of network elements of the first and second community based at least partially on the change in physical location of the one of the plurality of network nodes;
• refreshing periodically and dynamically the plurality of network elements belonging to the first community and the second community;
• timing the refreshing of the plurality of network elements using only one timer, the only one timer refreshing different communities at different times;
• and
• sending a routing packet reflecting the content of the refreshed and re-organized community via a virtual socket to another of the plurality of network nodes.