Energy-efficient information retrieval for correlated source reconstruction in sensor networks

We consider information retrieval in a wireless sensor network deployed for the reconstruction of a spatially correlated signal field. Referred to as quality-of-service specific information retrieval (QUIRE), the proposed protocol optimizes the network performance under the metric of information rate per Joule while ensuring a given QoS. Based on the density of sensor deployment and the QoS specified by the maximum distortion for reconstructing the signal field, QUIRE partitions the sensor network into disjoint and equal-sized cells. The cell size is chosen to minimize the number of transmissions required for a given QoS by exploiting the spatial correlation of the signal field. Adopting the cross-layer design methodology that integrates opportunistic carrier sensing and optimal cell activation, QUIRE eliminates redundant transmissions and fully utilizes the channel reception capability in a fading environment