Systems and methods for telescopic data compression in sensor networks

1. A method for telescopically compressing data received from a plurality of sensors in a network adapted to detect a field, comprising:

(a) broadcasting a first set of one or more sampling positions to two or more of said plurality of sensors;

(b) forming a first set of one or more clusters of sensors based on said one or more sampling positions;

(c) receiving data from said two or more sensors contained within said one or more clusters;

(d) performing local interpolation of said received data;

(e) reconstructing a representation of said field using said interpolated data; and

(f) determining one or more areas of interest based on said reconstructed representation of said field, to thereby enable said telescopic compression.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

(g) broadcasting a second set of one or more new sampling positions to two or more of said plurality of sensors within said one or more areas of interest;

(h) forming a second set of one or more clusters based on said second set of one or more new sampling positions; and

(i) repeating (c), (d), (e) and (f) one or more times utilizing said second set of one or more clusters, to thereby obtain said telescopic compression.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said forming one or more clusters of sensors comprises designating one or more sensors as one or more cluster heads.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said forming one or more clusters of sensors comprises selecting one or more sensors within a fixed range from said one or more sampling positions.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said forming one or more clusters of sensors further comprises limiting the number of sensors selected by use of a probability algorithm.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said forming one or more clusters of sensors comprises selecting a predetermined number of sensors that are closest to said one or more sampling positions.

7. The method of claim 3 , wherein said receiving data from said two or more sensors comprises forwarding data of said two or more sensors contained within said one or more clusters to said one or more cluster heads.

8. The method of claim 3 , wherein said performing local interpolation comprises:

(a) using said one or more cluster heads to estimate the value of said field at said one or more sampling positions.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said performing local interpolation further comprises:

(b) using said one or more cluster heads to apply a digital low-pass filter algorithm to said data.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein estimating the value of said representation of said field and applying said digital low-pass filter algorithm are performed utilizing the same scattered data interpolation algorithm.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said scattered data interpolation algorithm is a Gaussian-weighted averaging algorithm.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said local interpolation is performed simultaneously for all of said one or more clusters.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said reconstructing a representation of said field comprises:

(a) transmitting said local interpolated data to one or more sensors closest to a wireless access point;

(b) transmitting said local interpolated data from said wireless access point to a processing center; and

(c) processing said local interpolated data to reconstruct said representation of said field.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said transmitting said local interpolated data to one or more sensors closest to a wireless access point is performed utilizing a shortest path algorithm.

15. A system for telescopically compressing data received from a plurality of sensors in a network adapted to detect a representation of a field, comprising:

a processor, a wireless connection device operatively coupled to the processor, two or more sensors operatively connected to said wireless connection device, and a memory operatively coupled to the processor, said memory storing program instructions that when executed by said processor, cause said processor to utilize the wireless connection device to:

broadcast a first set of one or more sampling positions to two or more of said plurality of sensors;

form a first set of one or more clusters of sensors based on said one or more sampling positions;

receive data from said two or more sensors contained within said one or more clusters;

perform local interpolation of said received data; reconstruct a representation of said field using said interpolated data; and

determine one or more areas of interest based on said reconstructed representation of said field, to thereby enable said telescopic compression.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein said execution by said processor of said memory storing program instructions causes said processor to utilize said wireless connection device to further:

broadcast a second set of one or more new sampling positions to two or more of said plurality of sensors within said one or more areas of interest;

form a second set of one or more clusters based on said second set of one or more new sampling positions; and

repeat said receipt of data from said two or more sensors contained within said one or more clusters, repeat said performance of local interpolation of said received data, repeat said reconstruction of a representation of said field using said interpolated data, and repeat said determination of one or more areas of interest based on said reconstructed representation of said field one or more times utilizing said second set of one or more clusters, to thereby obtain said telescopic compression.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein said execution by said processor of said memory storing program instructions further causes said processor to utilize said wireless connection device to designate one or more sensors as one or more cluster heads.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein said execution by said processor of said memory storing program instructions further causes said processor to utilize said wireless connection device to forward data of said two or more sensors contained within said one or more clusters to said one or more cluster heads.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein said execution by said processor of said memory storing program instructions further causes said processor to utilize said wireless connection device to use said one or more cluster heads to estimate the value of said field at said one or more sampling positions.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein said execution by said processor of said memory storing program instructions further causes said processor to utilize said wireless connection device to use said one or more cluster heads to apply a digital low-pass filter algorithm to said data.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein said execution by said processor of said memory storing program instructions further causes said processor to utilize said wireless connection device to perform

said estimate of the value of said field, and

said application of said digital low-pass filter algorithm utilizing the same scattered data interpolation algorithm.

22. The system of claim 15 , wherein said execution by said processor of said memory storing program instructions further causes said processor to utilize said wireless connection device to:

transmit said local interpolated data to one or more sensors closest to a wireless access point;

transmit said local interpolated data from said wireless access point to a processing center; and

process said local interpolated data to reconstruct said representation of said field.