IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine - September 2018 - 35

The main purpose of the proposed scheme is to actuate a
minimal number of camera sensors while concurrently attaining a maximal event area coverage and reduced redundancy
in data transmission.

INADEQUACIES THAT NEED ADDRESSING
Today, with the progress of science and the proliferation of
emerging network technologies, the popularity of smart sensors in the global market is flourishing, with diverse consumer
electronics applications. In essence, smart technologies aim to
shape and enhance the quality of human life. This is accomplished first through electronically observing humans or animals or any kind of natural phenomena taking place in a given
area of interest using a variety of electronic sensors (Figure 1).
Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are used to monitor
various aspects of the environment, such as temperature,
pressure, stress, and vibration, creating readings in the form
of electrical signals [1], [2]. Wireless multimedia sensor networks (WMSNs) are extensions of WSNs that are capable of
ubiquitously retrieving multimedia content, such as video and
audio streams, still images, and scalar sensor data, from the
corresponding environmental locations [3]. Normally, camera
sensors possess two basic parameters: field of view (FOV)
and depth of field (DOF) [4]. When an event occurs, the scalar sensors lying within the purview of the camera sensors
convey information about the event to their respective camera
sensors. Then, the camera sensors collaborate to decide their
sequence of actuation.
However, while tracking the event, overlap takes place
among the FOVs of the actuated camera sensors, thus leading to
transmission of the same data multiple times by the scalar sensors lying at the superimposed zones of camera sensor FOVs, as
illustrated in Figure 2. As a result, redundant data transmission
takes place, resulting in unnecessary energy loss and power
expenditure. In this research, our objective was to minimize such
redundant data transmission and maximize the event area coverage while also actuating a smaller number of camera sensors.

Another approach, demonstrated in [10], emphasizes a multiple directional cover set problem. A scheme that proceeds in
two passes for redundant data elimination is in [11]. A datasimilarity-based redundant data elimination technique is introduced in [12]. In addition, an optimal strategy is depicted in
[13] that assists in the design of large WSNs in the most effective way. The work presented in [14] uses a new feature-selection framework for globally minimizing the feature redundancy.
A redundancy design approach that deploys heartbeat detection
for connecting the alternate devices is proposed in [15].
While considering the case of network management perspectives, various approaches have been introduced time and

Image Sensor

Pressure Sensor

Types of
Electronic
Sensors in
Consumer
Industries

Temperature Sensor

Proximity Sensor

Fingerprint Sensor

FIGURE 1. Some of the sensors used in WSNs.

RELATED WORK
Distributed collaborative camera actuation based on scalar
count (DCA-SC) [4] is a scheme that involves the actuation
of camera sensors based on the decreasing order of their scalar count values. Similarly, the distributed collaborative camera actuation scheme based on sensing region management
(DCCA-SM) [5] actuates the camera sensors according to the
amount of remaining energy they carry. A centralized cum subcentralized approach suggested in [6] handles multiple events
that occur concurrently in a monitored region of interest. Furthermore, the cover set approach [7] assists in tracking all of
the desired targets, segregating the nodes into cover sets and
generating the maximal number thereof. The notion of directional coverage is discussed in [8], which concentrates on
individual targets associated with differentiated priorities.
The work in [9] uses a scheme for path coverage in which the
analysis of the coverage process induced on a one-dimensional path is accomplished by a sensor network.

Camera
Sensor

Monitored Region

FOV
Event Radius
Event Area
Event Point

: Scalar Sensor

FIGURE 2. A data redundancy scenario in the case of a multievent occurrence.

september 2018

IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine - September 2018