Power-aware localized routing in wireless networks

Recently, a cost aware metric for wireless networks based on remaining battery power at nodes was proposed for shortest-cost routing algorithms, assuming constant transmission power. Power-aware metrics, where transmission power depends on distance between nodes and corresponding shortest power algorithms were also recently proposed. We define a new power-cost metric based on the combination of both node's lifetime and distance-based power metrics. We investigate some properties of power adjusted transmissions and show that, if additional nodes can be placed at desired locations between two nodes at distance d, the transmission power can be made linear in d as opposed to d(alpha) dependence for alpha > 2. This provides basis for power, cost, and power-cost localized routing algorithms where nodes make routing decisions solely on the basis of location of their neighbors and destination. The power-aware routing algorithm attempts to minimize the total power needed to route a message between a source and a destination. The cost-aware routing algorithm is aimed at extending the battery's worst-case lifetime at each node. The combined power-cost localized routing algorithm attempts to minimize the total power needed and to avoid nodes with a short battery's remaining lifetime. We prove that the proposed localized (where each node makes routing decisions based solely on the location of itself, its neighbors, and destination) power, cost, and power-cost efficient routing algorithms are loop-free and show their efficiency by experiments.