Sleep Scheduling for Distributed Network Nodes

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current sleep scheduling algorithms in wireless distributed networks face challenges in optimizing energy conservation and network connectivity, leading to energy loss when too many nodes are active and potential transmission loss when too few are active.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a sleep scheduling mechanism where nodes transition between awake and sleep states based on the number of neighboring nodes, using agents to determine whether a node should remain awake or sleep, ensuring a minimum number of nodes are active for effective routing by monitoring and adjusting their states dynamically.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If more nodes are kept awake to maintain network connectivity, then network reliability is improved, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork connectivityVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the operational state parameter of nodes between awake and asleep states dynamically based on network conditions. Each node monitors its neighboring nodes and adjusts its own state accordingly, transitioning from a static to a dynamic parameter approach to resolve the contradiction between maintaining connectivity and conserving energy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

Each node autonomously determines whether to remain awake or go to sleep by monitoring the number of awake neighboring nodes and comparing it against a threshold. The nodes self-manage their power states without requiring centralized control, allowing the network to automatically balance connectivity and energy consumption through distributed decision-making.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Use of energy by moving object

If fewer nodes are kept awake to conserve energy, then energy consumption is reduced, but network reliability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy conservationVSAvoidtransmission reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where each node continuously monitors the number of awake neighboring nodes and uses this information to adjust its own operational state. This feedback loop ensures that nodes only enter sleep mode when sufficient neighboring nodes remain awake to maintain network connectivity, thereby preventing transmission failures while maximizing energy conservation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The network transitions from a static configuration where node states are fixed to a dynamic configuration where nodes continuously adjust their awake/sleep states based on real-time monitoring of neighboring nodes. This dynamic adaptation allows the network to optimize energy consumption while maintaining reliability under varying network conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS7876721B2Sleep scheduling for geographically distributed network nodes

Publication Date: 2011.01.25 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

Techniques for implementing sleep scheduling in a distributed network environment are described. The sleep scheduling attempts to optimize routing of communication among nodes of the distributed network, while still conserving energy by allowing nodes to occasionally transition to sleep mode. The sleep scheduling is performed as a function of the number of awake neighboring nodes.