Energy-efficient bluetooth scatternet formation based on device and link characteristics

Abstract

Bluetooth is a promising ad hoc networking technology. Although construction and operation of piconets are well defined in Bluetooth specifications, there is no unique standard for scatternet formation and operation. In this thesis, we propose a distributed and energy-efficient Bluetooth Scatternet Formation algorithm based on Device and Link characteristics (SF-DeviL) that is compatible with Bluetooth specifications. SF-DeviL handles energy efficiency using classes of devices, battery levels and the received signal strengths. SF-DeviL forms scatternets with tree topologies that are robust to battery depletions, where devices are arranged in an hierarchical order in terms of battery power and traffic generation rate. SF-DeviL is dynamic in the sense that the topology is reconfigured when battery levels are depleted, thereby increasing the lifetime of the scatternet. Unlike many of the algorithms in the literature SF-DeviL is also multihop, i.e., there is no requirement for each node to be in the transmission range of all other nodes.