Sensor network information collection via mobile gateway

Abstract

There is provided a sensor network information collection mechanism in which, after a UE has decided to become part of an information collecting operation for collecting information from a local sensor network, a signaling transmitted from a managing node of a local sensor network is received and processed. A communication network control element is informed about the willingness to become an information collector by sending a report message comprising measurement results derived from the signaling received from the managing node of the local sensor network. When receiving a gateway allocation message indicating that the UE is determined to be a gateway element to the local sensor network, the information collecting operation is started wherein sensor nodes of the local sensor network are woke up, and a traffic flow direction in the local sensor network is set in accordance with the managing node identity to which the UE is accessed.

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a routing processing portion configured to adjust a traffic flow direction in accordance with network topology information transmitted from a communication network element, wherein the network topology information indicates a cluster head node identification identifying at least one network node acting as a cluster head node for a local sensor network,   wherein the routing processing portion is further configured to determine a next destination node for a data traffic flow in the local sensor network on the basis of the cluster head node identification.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a memory configured to store a routing table, wherein the routing table identifies, for each cluster head node identification of possible cluster head nodes in the local sensor network, a destination node for the data traffic flow in the local sensor network, wherein the routing processing portion is configured to refer to the routing table stored in the memory.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a receiver configured to receive an awakening signal for changing an operation mode from an idle mode to an operational state in which the network topology information can be received, and   an initialization processing portion configured to set the operation mode to the operational state after receiving the awakening signal, wherein the routing processing portion is configured to listen to the network topology information after setting the operation mode to the operational state.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is included in a sensor node of a wireless sensor network, and the communication network device is configured to access at least one node of the local sensor network and to function as a gateway element of the local sensor network and a sink of the local sensor network. 
     
     
         5 . A method, comprising:
 adjusting a traffic flow direction in accordance with network topology information transmitted from a communication network element, wherein the network topology information indicates a cluster head node identification identifying at least one network node acting as a cluster head node for a local sensor network,   wherein determine a next destination node for a data traffic flow in the local sensor network is determined on the basis of the cluster head node identification.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , further comprising:
 storing a routing table, wherein the routing table identifies, for each cluster head node identification of possible cluster head nodes in the local sensor network, a destination node for the data traffic flow in the local sensor network, wherein the routing table stored is referred to in the determining of a next destination node.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 5 , further comprising:
 receiving an awakening signal for changing an operation mode from an idle mode to an operational state in which the network topology information can be received,   setting the operation mode to the operational state after receiving the awakening signal, and   listening to the network topology information after setting the operation mode to the operational state.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the method is implemented in a sensor node of a wireless sensor network, and the communication network device is configured to access at least one node of the local sensor network and to function as a gateway element of the local sensor network and a sink of the local sensor network. 
     
     
         9 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium embodied with computer executable code, which when executed on a computer, performs the steps of:
 receiving from a communication network element an accessing request for requesting allocation as a gateway element for collecting information from a local sensor network, the accessing request comprising a report of measurement results regarding a signaling received by the communication network element from a managing node of the local sensor network,   determining whether the communication network element is to be selected as a gateway element, and   sending, in response to the accessing request, a gateway allocation message informing that the communication network element is determined to be a gateway element to the local sensor network.   
     
     
         10 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium embodied with computer executable code, which when executed on a computer, performs the steps of  claim 5 .