Temporal coverage mechanism for distinct quality of monitoring in wireless mobile sensor networks

Previous studies have proposed various uses of wireless sensor networks, including military, surveillance, environmental monitoring, and health care applications. Sensor network coverage is a major concern because it reveals how well an area is monitored. However, the number of sensor nodes in a monitored area must be sufficient for achieving full spatial coverage. When the monitored area cannot be fully covered because of few sensor nodes, continually monitoring the specific area is a considerable challenge. Full temporal coverage, in which every point of a given monitored region is monitored within a specific time interval, can be achieved if mobile sensors are precisely scheduled. In this study, an energy balance mechanism is designed to maintain full temporal coverage in a monitored area. Furthermore, the monitoring lifetime is lengthened. The experimental results revealed that the proposed mechanism supports full temporal coverage and improves the quality and lifetime of monitoring.