Study of multiple-source data collection in wireless sensor networks

Abstract

A detailed survey on the process of data collection from multiple sources in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) is introduced. The topologies that determine the location of the network components with respect to each other are presented. These topologies are often referred to as Mobility topologies. The performance of the overall WSN architecture significantly depends on these topologies. As a consequence, these topologies are elaborately compared and discussed. The most common network components that efficiently collaborate in data collection process are explained. To highlight the data collection process as a subject of our concern, the phases that describe the stages of the data collection are illustrated. These phases consist of three successive stages: discovery, data transfer, and routing. To sum up, the most recent approaches for developing the process of data collection in multiple-source WSNs are also presented.