A Path Coverage-Enhancing Algorithm for Directional Sensor Network Based on Improved Potential Field

Path coverage is one of the hot research topics in monitor area using wireless sensor network. Motivated by the directional sensing feature of wireless multimedia sensor network, a direction adjustable sensing model is analyzed firstly and an path coverage-enhancing algorithm for directional sensor network based on improved potential field (IPFPCA) is proposed in this paper. Traditional virtual potential field’s local minimum may lead to path coverage-enhancing failure. Aimed at this problem, an improved potential field function considering the joint coverage rate of adjacent sensor nodes is designed. In this improved potential fields two forces including exclusive force and attractive force are defined, and the exclusive force considering joint coverage rate of adjacent sensor nodes is calculated between sensor nodes while the attractive force is calculated between sensor nodes and discrete points in montior path. And then, the total force for each node is calculated by exclusive force and attractive force’s vector sum to achieve path coverage-enhancing efficiently by adjusting directions of sensor nodes seperately. Experimental results show that compared with the existing path cover-enhancing algorithm in directional wireless sensor network, sensation overlap area and blind spots may be eliminated by IPFPCA, and thus the whole path coverage performance of the wireless sensor network can be enhanced.