Reconfigurable Encoding Arrays for Sensor Network Resilience
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless Sensor Networks face challenges in extending network lifetime due to energy consumption and node failures, where existing array codes require successful data symbol exchange to compute parity symbols, leading to reduced resilience against internode link failures.
Innovation Solution
A method for configuring array codes in wireless networks by selecting an arrangement based on link quality estimates, specifically internode error probabilities, to minimize outage probability by determining the dependence of parity symbols on data symbols stored on other nodes and optimizing node connectivity, thereby reducing the need for internode data exchange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If array codes are used to introduce redundancy and protect against node or link failures, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to the need for data symbol exchange and parity symbol computation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-configures array codes during network setup, establishing the dependency relationships between data symbols and parity symbols in advance. This preliminary configuration eliminates the need for complex real-time computations during failure events, as the recovery process simply retrieves pre-computed parity symbols from surviving nodes based on the predetermined array code structure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates redundant copies of data through parity symbols that are distributed across multiple nodes. These parity symbols serve as backup representations of the original data, allowing recovery without requiring complex real-time computation. The copying is done in advance during the code configuration phase
2Use of energy by moving object
If duty-cycling the radio interface is used to reduce energy consumption, then use of energy is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to increased vulnerability to link failures during sleep periods
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of node operational states by allowing nodes to alternate between active and sleep modes. The array code configuration ensures that parity symbols are distributed such that even when some nodes are sleeping, sufficient nodes remain active to provide the necessary parity symbols for data recovery, thus maintaining reliability while reducing energy consumption
3Productivity
If data is stored locally at sensor devices to reduce network traffic, then productivity is improved, but reliability worsens due to increased impact of local node failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data storage function across multiple nodes in the network. Each node stores both its own data symbols and parity symbols that depend on data from other nodes. This segmentation ensures that no single node holds all critical information, and the loss of any individual node does not result in complete data loss, as other nodes contain segments of the redundancy needed for recovery
Data Source
AI summary
In an embodiment, a method of managing distributed storage in a wireless network is disclosed. The wireless network comprises a plurality of data generating nodes, each data generating node configured to generate and store data symbols and parity symbols. The parity symbols depend on data symbols stored on other data generating nodes. The method comprises receiving indications of link quality estimates for wireless links between the data generating nodes; selecting an arrangement of an array code from a plurality of possible arrangements using the indications of link quality estimates, the array code depending on the number of data generating nodes in the plurality of data generating nodes and a required number of nodes from which all of the data symbols stored in the wireless network can be generated, the arrangement indicating for each data generating node, the dependence of the parity symbols stored on that data generating node on the data symbols stored on other data generating nodes; and sending an indication of the selected arrangement to the data generating nodes.