Column generation algorithm for sensor coverage scheduling under bandwidth constraints

• Published in: Networks Vol. 60; no. 3; pp. 141 - 154
• Main Authors: Rossi, André, Singh, Alok, Sevaux, Marc
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.10.2012; Wiley
• Subjects: column generation; Computer Science; coverage scheduling; genetic algorithms; Operations Research; wireless sensor networks; coverage scheduling; column generation; wireless sensor networks; genetic algorithms
• ISSN: 0028-3045; 1097-0037
• DOI: 10.1002/net.20466

This article addresses three problems that arise in coverage scheduling for wireless sensor networks subject to bandwidth constraints. The first problem focuses on minimizing the total breach under a lifetime constraint, where a breach occurs when some targets are not covered by active sensors. The second problem aims at maximizing the network lifetime under a breach constraint. Finally, the problem of computing the possible trade‐offs between breach and lifetime offered by the sensor network is also addressed. An exact approach based on a column generation algorithm is proposed for solving these problems, and a heuristic is also derived from it and briefly presented. The use of a genetic algorithm within the column generation scheme appears to significantly decrease computation time. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, 2012