Abstract
It is important to increase the Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) lifetime, due to its limited energy resource, while meeting the constraints of applications. Recent Advances for In-Network Processing (INP) motivate many WSN applications which are based on multi rate and distributed signal processing, and therefore require the support of rate-based routing as well as MAC and link layer designs to maximize the WSN lifetime. In this paper, we propose a new scheme called 'Rate Distribution (RateD)', in which the application rate constraints are distributed in the WSN based on an optimized routing scheme. An optimal RateD is achieved by forming optimal data flows under rate constraints, which is an NP-complete problem. To reduce the complexity, a near optimization solution is formed and analyzed, and a practical rate-based routing selection based on rate assignment is also proposed to achieve effective rate distributions. The simulation shows that this scheme significantly extends the WSN lifetime for INP applications.