A node hibernation protocol utilizing multiple transmit power levels for wireless sensor networks

Wireless sensor networks are typically constrained by limited, irreplaceable energy reserves. The "idle" energy consumption of the radio transceiver can be the most dominant component of energy consumption of a sensor node. A substantial reduction in the energy consumption can be achieved by utilizing the sleep mode of the radio whenever possible. In this paper, we propose a novel hibernation protocol that allows redundant nodes in a network to sleep. With the protocol, a node negotiates with its neighbors, and switches between active and hibernating states, based on its residual energy reserves. The nodes use multiple transmission power levels, and power level and routing decisions are fully integrated with the sleep protocol. Simulation results show that the proposed protocol significantly increases the network lifetime.