Packets distribution algorithms for sensor networks

In this paper, we study, via simple discrete mathematical models, the problems of data distribution and data collection in wireless sensor networks. The work that follows continues the work presented by the authors in (C. Florens et al., 2002) where the focus was on sensor networks equipped with unidirectional antenna elements. Here we shift our interest to networks equipped with omnidirectional antenna elements. In particular we show how the data distribution and collection tasks can be performed optimally (with respect to time) on tree networks and give the corresponding time performances of those strategies. We also present a strategy for general graph networks that performs within a factor of 3 of the optimal performance. Finally we compare the performance of a network equipped with omnidirectional antenna elements with one equipped with unidirectional antenna elements. We show the latter outperforms the former by 33% at most in tree networks. To that purpose we included relevant results on directional antenna sensor networks, partly obtained in (C.Florens et al., 2002).