Ontology-Based Methodology for Managing Heterogeneous Wireless Sensor Networks

With the growing interest in ubiquitous technologies recently, many studies have been conducted in order to manage wireless sensor network, which is the central component in ubiquitous environment. To manage a certain wireless sensor network, a variety of techniques can be applied and thereby the network can be managed. However, it is very complicated and time-consuming to incorporate and manage more than a heterogeneous wireless sensor network since each network has different data, meanings, and terms. Instead of conducting verification through examining the detailed technology or simulation in order to manage a variety of wireless sensor networks, we suggest a methodology which manages data coming from the various sensors mentioned above, a technique by which those data from various sensor networks are managed in each different network, and a methodology which manages sensor networks where management languages exist. This paper defined the network-related terminology using Protégé for the tools and definitions necessary for ontology-based methodology, thereby defined OWL and the related rules, and suggested a methodology for incorporated management. In addition, this study showed that the methodology presented in this study has expandability and it can incorporate and manage a variety of wireless sensor networks.