Resource Discovery in Activity-Based Sensor Networks

Abstract

This paper proposes a service discovery protocol for sensor networks that is specifically tailored for use in human-centered pervasive environments. It uses the high-level concept of computational activities (as logical bundles of data and resources) to give sensors in Activity-Based Sensor Networks (ABSNs) knowledge about their usage even at the network layer. ABSN redesigns classical network-level service discovery protocols to include and use this logical structuring of the network for a more practically applicable service discovery scheme. Noting that in practical settings activity-based sensor patches are localized, ABSN designs a completely distributed, hybrid discovery protocol which is proactive in a neighbourhood zone and reactive outside, tailored so that any query among the sensors of one activity is routed through the network with minimum overhead, guided by the bounds of that activity. ABSN enhances the generic Extended Zone Routing Protocol with logical sensor grouping and greatly lowers network overhead during the process of discovery, while keeping discovery latency close to optimal.