Clustering and communications scheduling in WSNs using mixed integer linear programming

We consider the problem of scheduling communications in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) to ensure battery preservation through the use of the sleeping mode of sensors. We propose a communication protocol for 1-hop WSNs and extend it to multi-hop WSNs through the use of a 1-hop clustering algorithm. We propose to schedule communications in each cluster in a virtual communication ring so as to avoid collisions. Since clusters are cliques, only one sensor can speak or listen in a cluster at a time, and all sensors need to speak in each of their clusters at least once to realize the communication protocol. We model this situation as a mathematical program.