A QoS-oriented routing game for smart meter data collection

To ensure resilient and reliable meter data collection that is essential for the smart grid operation, we propose a QoS-oriented wireless routing scheme. Specifically tailored for the heterogeneity of the meter data traffic in the smart grid, we first design a novel utility function that not only jointly accounts for system throughput and transmission latency, but also allows for flexible tradeoff between the two as desired by various smart meter applications. Then, we model the interactions among smart meter data concentrators as a mixed-strategy network formation game. Such a problem formulation, together with our proposed distributed learning algorithm, results in a stable probabilistic route. Both contributions are novel and unique in comparison with existing work on this topic. Another distinct feature of our approach is its capability of effectively maintaining the QoS of smart meter data collection, even when the network is under attack, as verified by simulations.