Monitoring and influencing the behavior and status of wireless sensor networks
Monitoring the status and behavior in a wireless network is provided. In a wireless network of operational nodes, one or more monitoring nodes are embedded in the network to monitor the status and behavior of the network without unintentionally disturbing the network. The monitoring nodes receive state information from the operational nodes. The operational nodes can be nodes in a wireless sensor network or a broadcast-only distributed wireless network. State information is sent in small state messages during the idle period of the communication frame of the operational node to be received by monitoring nodes. Transmission of state messages in the idle period for monitoring purposes does not disturb communication between operational nodes and can be energy efficient. The monitoring nodes can also intercept communications between operational nodes. Providing feedback to and influencing operational nodes are also provided.
1. A system for monitoring behavior and status of a wireless network, said system comprising:
(a) a plurality of operational nodes, wherein at least some of said operational nodes are wirelessly connected for communication, wherein said operational nodes use repeated communication frames for said communication, and wherein each of said communication frames comprises:
(i) a first period which is an active period, wherein said operational nodes communicate with each other through one or more operational messages sent and received in said active period; and
(ii) a second period, wherein little or no activity occurs in said second period;
(b) one or more monitoring nodes, wherein at least one of said monitoring nodes is communicatively connected to at least one of said operational nodes,
wherein one or more of said operational nodes transmits a state message to be received by said monitoring nodes, wherein said state message comprises state information of said operational node transmitting said state message, wherein said state message is transmitted in said second period of said communication frame,
wherein at least one of said monitoring nodes receives at least one of said state messages transmitted by said operational nodes, and wherein said state messages are for monitoring said operational nodes.
2. The system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said state message is transmitted in a random position of said second period of said communication frame.
3. The system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said operational nodes communicate with each other through a broadcast-only communication system, and wherein each of said operational messages broadcasted by each of said operational nodes does not comprise an address of another of said operational nodes.
4. The system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said state message transmitted by one of said operational nodes is not received by another of said operational nodes.
5. The system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein one of said monitoring nodes transmits a feedback message to be received by one or more of said operational nodes.
6. The system as set forth in claim 5 , wherein said feedback message comprises feedback information, and wherein said feedback information is used to change a behavior of said operational node receiving said feedback message.
7. The system as set forth in claim 5 , further comprising a feedback channel, wherein said feedback channel is dedicated for said operational nodes to receive said feedback message.
8. The system as set forth in claim 5 , wherein the active period of said communication frame of said operational nodes comprises a time division multiple access (TDMA) schedule, wherein said TDMA schedule comprises a plurality of TDMA slots for sending and receiving said operational messages, and wherein one of said TDMA slots is dedicated for receiving said feedback message.
9. The system as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising a computing device, wherein one of said monitoring nodes is communicatively connected to said computing device, wherein said state information received by the same monitoring node is transmitted to said computing device, and wherein the computing device provides power to the same monitoring node.
10. The system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said monitoring nodes continually listen for said state messages.
11. The system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said one or more monitoring nodes comprise two or more communicatively connected monitoring nodes.
12. The system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said state information is selected from the group consisting of a node identifier, a slot allocation, a number of collisions, a local energy supply, a number of neighbors, a state of the media access control (MAC), synchronization information, a reception level, a reception quality, and a current local random number.
13. In a wireless network comprising a plurality of operational nodes, a method of monitoring behavior and status of said operational nodes, said method comprising:
(a) providing one or more monitoring nodes, wherein at least one of said monitoring nodes is communicatively connected to at least one of said operational nodes for receiving state information of said connected operational nodes;
(b) providing a state transmit function for allowing each of said operational nodes to transmit a state message to be received by one or more of said monitoring nodes, wherein said state message comprises said state information of said operational node transmitting said state message; and
(c) providing a state receive function for allowing one or more of said monitoring nodes to receive said state message transmitted by said operational nodes, wherein said state messages are for monitoring said operational nodes,
wherein at least some of said operational nodes are wirelessly connected for communication with each other, wherein said operational nodes use repeated communication frames for said communication, wherein each of said communication frames comprise a first period which is an active period and a second period, wherein little or no activity occurs in said second period,
wherein said operational nodes communicate with each other through one or more operational messages sent and received in said active period, and wherein said state message is transmitted in said second period.
14. The method as set forth in claim 13 , wherein said state message is transmitted in a random position of said second period of said communication frame.
15. The method as set forth in claim 13 , further comprising providing an intercept function for allowing said monitoring nodes to intercept said operational messages sent between said operational nodes.
16. The method as set forth in claim 15 , further comprising associating one of said intercepted operational messages with one of said state messages, wherein both of said associated operational and state messages are transmitted by the same operational node, and wherein said associating is used to analyze the behavior of the transmitting operational node.
17. The method as set forth in claim 13 , further comprising providing a feedback function for allowing said monitoring nodes to transmit a feedback message to be received by one or more of said operational nodes.
18. The method as set forth in claim 17 , further comprising dedicating a feedback channel for said operational nodes to receive said feedback message.
19. The method as set forth in claim 17 , wherein one of said operational nodes changes its behavior based on said received feedback message.
20. The method as set forth in claim 13 , further comprising connecting one of said monitoring nodes to a computing device, wherein said state information received by said monitoring node connected to said computing device is transmitted to said computing device, and wherein said computing device provides power to the same monitoring node.
21. The method as set forth in claim 13 , further comprising communicatively connecting at least two of said monitoring nodes, and correlating said state information received by said connected monitoring nodes.
22. The method as set forth in claim 13 , further comprising moving one of said monitoring nodes from a first region of the wireless network to a second region of the wireless network, wherein said monitoring node is moved for monitoring said operational nodes of said first region and said second region.