A Hybrid Protocol Using Fuzzy Logic and Rough Set Theory for Target Coverage

Background: Target coverage is considered a significant problem in the area of wireless sensor networks, which usually aims at monitoring a given set of targets with the required confidence level so that network lifetime can be enhanced while considering the constraints of the resources. Objective: To maximize the lifetime of the sensor network and minimize the overhead involved in the scheduling approach, such that the pre specified set of targets is monitored for a longer duration with the required confidence level. Methods: The paper uses a fuzzy logic system based on Mamdani inference in which the node status to remain in the active state is determined on the basis of coverage probability, trust values and node contribution. The rule set for determining the set cover is optimized by using the rough set theory, which aims to determine the node validity for the trust calculation. Results: The results show that the proposed approach improved the network performance in terms of processing time, throughput and energy conservation by a factor of 50%, 74% and 74%, respectively, as compared to the existing approaches. Conclusion: The paper proposes a scheduling strategy of the nodes for target coverage as an enhancement to the Energy Efficient Coverage Protocol (EECP) on the basis of rough set theory. The rule set for determining the set cover is optimized by using the rough set theory so that the network performance is improved in terms of the processing time, throughput and energy consumption.