Routing Node Positioning in Wireless Sensor Networks

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for selecting positions of routing nodes in wireless sensor networks fail to account for environmental factors such as vegetation, terrain, and building structures, leading to inefficient and costly network deployments with potential undeployable positions, which compromises network performance.

Innovation Solution

An apparatus and method that considers the deployment environment and limits of positions to determine optimal routing node positions by generating a connection relationship among sensor nodes, a gateway node, and deployable routing nodes using a link quality model, ensuring effective data transmission by avoiding undeployable areas and optimizing node placement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If routing nodes are deployed to ensure network coverage in large-range networks, then network connectivity and data transmission reliability are improved, but deployment costs and hardware costs increase due to the large number of routing nodes required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork connectivityVSAvoidnumber of routing nodes
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and determining the optimal positions of routing nodes before actual network deployment. The system uses link quality models and environmental data to predict the best locations for routing nodes in advance, avoiding the need to deploy and adjust nodes iteratively after deployment. This reduces the total number of nodes needed while ensuring network connectivity from the start.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Quantity of substance

If routing nodes are deployed in positions that reduce the number of nodes, then deployment costs are reduced, but the positions may be undeployable in practical environments due to environmental constraints

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of routing nodesVSAvoiddeployability
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by considering the specific environmental characteristics of different locations when determining routing node positions. The link quality model incorporates local environmental factors such as vegetation, terrain, and building structures to assess whether a position is suitable for deployment. This ensures that each selected position is locally appropriate and actually deployable, rather than using a uniform approach.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary assessment of deployability by evaluating environmental constraints before finalizing routing node positions. The link quality model pre-calculates whether proposed positions are feasible for actual deployment, avoiding selections of undeployable locations and reducing the need for post-deployment adjustments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Quantity of substance

If existing methods select routing node positions without considering environmental factors, then the number of routing nodes is minimized, but network performance is compromised and positions may be undeployable

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of routing nodesVSAvoidnetwork performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by incorporating environmental factors into the link quality model to assess communication conditions at each potential routing node position. The system evaluates local characteristics such as vegetation density, terrain features, and building structures that affect signal propagation. This ensures that selected positions not only reduce the number of nodes but also maintain network performance by avoiding environmentally unfavorable locations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3300412B1Method and apparatus for selecting position of routing node and terminal equipment
Publication Date: 2020.08.26 FUJITSU LTD
  • EP3300412B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3300412B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3300412B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

Embodiments of this disclosure provide a method and apparatus for selecting a position of a routing node and terminal equipment. Wherein, the method includes: generating a connection relationship among sensor nodes, a gateway node and deployable routing nodes according to network deployment information and a link quality model related to a deployment environment; and calculating a shortest path from each sensor node to the gateway node according to the connection relationship, and determining deployable positions of routing nodes on the shortest path as positions of the routing nodes. With the embodiments of this disclosure, in selecting a position of a routing node, an effect of a deployment environment and limit of a deployment position are taken into account, thereby obtaining a routing node deployment scheme satisfying a practical environment and ensuring a network data transmission performance.