Low-energy and multi-hop enhancement in wireless smart utility networks

This paper proposes an effective and low-energy multi-hop data collection scheme using a superframe division technique with frame aggregation in the wireless smart utility networks (SUNs). In the proposed scheme, MAC layer profile deploying IEEE 802.15.4/4e-compliant low-energy (LE) superframe-based multi-hop transmission mitigates the bottleneck problem by controlling the radio link numbers in a superframe, thereby preventing the data collection throughput degradation expected in high-traffic situations such as emergencies. Computer simulation results confirm that the proposed superframe division multi-hop data collection scheme with frame aggregation achieves over a 95% frame success probability under the high-traffic situation in which 1,000 meter nodes generate frames at a 10-minute interval.