Topology control with application constraints

Numerous topology control algorithms for wireless sensor networks exist. Typically, these algorithms optimize general network metrics like the transmission range of sensors. Being of general nature, they suit application-specific requirements insufficiently; e.g., application-specific communication patterns may favor links that the general algorithm will remove. We suggest a new research focus called application-specific topology control and propose a methodic approach for which we provide a first exploration. First, application-specific communication patterns are expressed as overlay graphs. Then, application-specific requirements are specified as constraints on this overlay. Next follows the core of the method, geared toward deriving application-specific topology control algorithms. Applying the method to a data collection application with a many-to-one communication pattern, we propose two topology control algorithms. In a simulation study, we evaluate these algorithms against the existing algorithm kTC and a shortest path tree, showing that the method allows trading off general network optimization against application-specific optimization.