``Design and analysis of sensing scheduling algorithms under partial
coverage for object detection in sensor networks"
 
Shansi Ren, Qun Li, Xin Chen, Haining Wang, and Xiaodong Zhang

IEEE Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems, Vol. 18, No. 3, 
2007, pp. 334-350.  

Abstract

Object detection quality and network lifetime are two conflicting aspects of 
a sensor network, but both are critical to many sensor applications such as 
military surveillance. Partial coverage, where a sensing field is partially 
sensed by active sensors at any time, is an appropriate approach to balancing 
the two conflicting design requirements of monitoring applications. Under 
partial coverage, we develop an analytical framework for object detection in 
sensor networks, and mathematically analyze average-case object detection 
quality in random and synchronized sensing scheduling protocols. Our 
analytical framework facilitates performance evaluation of a sensing schedule, 
network deployment, and sensing scheduling protocol design. Furthermore, we 
propose three wave sensing scheduling protocols to achieve bounded worst-case 
object detection quality. We justify the correctness of our analyses through 
rigorous proof, and validate the effectiveness of the proposed protocols 
through extensive simulation experiments.