SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRANSMITTING SENSOR DATA AND POSITION INFORMATION, AS WELL AS COMMUNICATION MODULE AND SENSOR

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a system and a method for transmitting sensor data and position information, as well as a communication module and a sensor that can be used for this purpose.

[0002] Sensors have at least one sensing unit that can detect a physical quantity. This physical quantity can include, for example, distance, length, volume, fill level, pressure, temperature, concentration, flow rate, humidity, light intensity, voltage, current, and / or the like. Sensor data is derived from the detected physical quantity and output for further use. A receiver of the sensor data can be a data acquisition unit, which collects, stores, and, if necessary, processes the acquired sensor data. Often, the sensor and the data acquisition unit are located in different locations.

[0003] In practice, it is often not only the sensor data itself that is of interest, but also the position of the sensor that acquired the data. This positional information can be used in various ways. For example, it can simplify the assignment of sensor data in a production line or industrial plant, the assignment of data to movable sensors (e.g., in or on vehicles), and the easier location of the sensor during maintenance or similar tasks.

[0004] For sensors located in stationary environments, the position can be manually recorded in an inventory system. However, this approach is time-consuming and prone to errors.

[0005] Another approach is to equip the sensors with positioning units. These positioning units can utilize a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), such as GPS (Global Positioning System) or Galileo. However, such positioning units require a sufficiently strong satellite signal, which either precludes measurements in basements or under metal roofs or makes them extremely energy-intensive. Furthermore, these positioning units incur considerable additional costs.

[0006] Another problem arises from the transmission of position information from the sensor to the data acquisition unit. A particularly reliable approach for matching position information with sensor data is to always transmit a measured value along with the position information of the corresponding sensor. However, this significantly increases the amount of data to be transmitted. Especially with wireless transmissions, this leads to a considerable additional load on the transmission path. Furthermore, it reduces the battery life of battery-powered sensors.

[0007] US 2021 / 0204095 A1 discloses sensors and actuators that can be deployed as participants in an Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure. A mobile device is used to register the sensor / actuator, receiving identification information from it. Position information determined by the mobile device is used as the sensor / actuator's position information or to derive the sensor / actuator's position information and is sent to a server along with the identification information. US 2019 / 0349709 A1 describes a method for determining the position of a device, whereby the device can obtain position data from other devices that have access to position data or that can provide information that can be used to determine the device's position.

[0008] The invention is based on the objective of providing a system, a communication module, a sensor and a method with which sensor data and position information can be transmitted cost-effectively, energy-efficiently and in a resource-saving manner.

[0009] This task is solved by the combinations of features of the subordinate claims.

[0010] Further, particularly advantageous embodiments are disclosed in the respective subclaims.

[0011] It should be noted that the features listed individually in the claims can be combined with one another in any technically meaningful way (even across category boundaries, for example between method and apparatus) and demonstrate further embodiments of the invention. The description further characterizes and specifies the invention, particularly in conjunction with the figures.

[0012] It should also be noted that the conjunction "and / or" used herein, which stands between two characteristics and links them together, is always to be interpreted in such a way that in a first embodiment only the first characteristic can be present, in a second embodiment only the second characteristic can be present, and in a third embodiment both the first and the second characteristic can be present.

[0013] The present disclosure utilizes the knowledge that a so-called crowdsourcing network and participating devices of this crowdsourcing network can achieve resource-efficient acquisition and transmission of location information. Such networks utilize a large number of participating devices that cooperate in locating a device and thereby send the acquired location information to authorized requesters.

[0014] One example of such a crowdsourcing network is Apple Inc.'s "Find My" network. A device to be located is called an "AirTag." An AirTag cyclically transmits an identifier via Bluetooth, which can be received by participating devices in the "Find My" network within the AirTag's transmission range. Using mostly satellite-based positioning information from the participating device, the AirTag's location is determined and made available in the cloud to an authorized requester. In this way, for example, the location of a lost set of keys can be determined or at least narrowed down.

[0015] Similar approaches to crowdsourcing networks are offered and sold by companies such as Tile Inc., Chipolo Inc. and Samsung Electronics, to name just a few providers.

[0016] By using such a crowdsourcing network, the transmission of sensor data and position information is separated in the present disclosure: The sensor data is transmitted via a first path, the position information via a second path, namely via the crowdsourcing network. For this purpose, the sensor has a first output unit and a second output unit, wherein the first output unit is configured to send generated sensor data to the data collection unit and the second output unit is configured to periodically transmit beacons to the crowdsourcing network. These beacons can be received by participating devices of the crowdsourcing network, which are located within a receiving area around the second output unit, and forwarded into the crowdsourcing network.The beacons are designed in such a way that they can trigger the generation of position information within the crowdsourcing network and the transmission of this information to the data collection unit. How this function is specifically achieved depends – understandably – on the specific crowdsourcing network used.

[0017] Separating the transmission into two distinct paths allows for the optimization of output units for their respective purposes, which can lead to resource- and energy-efficient operation of the sensor and thus of the entire system. Furthermore, by utilizing the crowdsourcing network, the sensors can forgo a GNSS receiver or other dedicated positioning units, which can have a positive impact on costs and energy consumption. Time-consuming manual recording of a sensor's position can be avoided. Nevertheless, the system described in this disclosure may include interfaces that allow the position of a sensor to be automatically recorded and tracked in an inventory system.At the same time, the separate paths enable improved theft protection, as the position information is provided independently of the actual use of a sensor and can, for example, always be transmitted to a user who can be considered authorized.

[0018] The system according to this disclosure comprises at least one sensor and one data collection unit. The crowdsourcing network is not considered part of this system. In practice, the crowdsourcing network may even be operated by a different provider than the system disclosed herein. The system of this disclosure includes interfaces for interacting with such a crowdsourcing network. For seamless cooperation between the system of this disclosure and the crowdsourcing network, the interfaces of the system may be appropriately adapted to the crowdsourcing network.

[0019] The at least one sensor can be configured in various ways. Preferably, the at least one sensor is a field device. Each sensor can have at least one sensing unit designed to detect a physical quantity and with which the sensor can generate sensor data. Furthermore, depending on its configuration, the sensor can include additional components. For example, the sensor can include a power supply (such as a battery and / or energy harvesting means), control electronics for the sensing unit, an evaluation unit, analog-to-digital converters, filters, a linearization unit, a display unit, and / or other units, to name just a few possible components.

[0020] The at least one "sensing unit" can be configured in a variety of ways and for detecting a wide range of physical quantities. By way of example only, and not limited to, these include the measurement of distance, fill level, temperature, pressure, vibration, orientation, brightness, concentration, humidity, voltage, current, or flow rate.

[0021] The "output units" do not necessarily have to be designed exclusively for output. Rather, it is also conceivable that the first output unit and / or the second output unit could also have various types of receiving functionalities. This would allow, for example, the output of generated sensor data to be triggered from outside the sensor, the configuration, activation, or deactivation of the sensor, or the receipt of acknowledgment of successful sensor data output. Such receiving functionalities do not preclude the use of the output units disclosed here.

[0022] The term "output unit" can encompass anything required to output the data to be displayed. This could include, for example, an antenna, a signal amplifier, a controller for generating messages, or units for packetization, protocol execution, or encoding, to name just a few possible components.

[0023] In one embodiment, an "output unit" is a subsystem within the sensor. For example, an output unit can be implemented in the sensor electronics and / or be part of a display and / or control unit. An interchangeable display and / or control unit allows, for instance, the retrofitting of existing sensors for use in the system disclosed herein. In another embodiment, an output unit is designed as a separate module, which—in a further development—can be pluggable and / or even interchangeable. This, too, can facilitate a modular design and the retrofitting of existing sensors. The term "pluggable" can refer to mechanical pluggability (e.g., the output unit is plugged into a designated holder or a slot in the sensor housing) and / or electrical pluggability (e.g., the output unit is plugged into a socket / plug on or in the sensor housing).

[0024] The "data collection unit" can also be configured in a variety of ways. To maximize the benefits of this disclosure, it is advantageous if at least one sensor is located at a distance from the data collection unit. This "distance" can mean several tens of meters in one embodiment, several hundred meters in another, several kilometers in yet another, and even greater distances in a further embodiment. Even global systems can be built.

[0025] It is advantageous if the "data collection unit" is comprised of a combination of software and hardware. For example, the data collection unit could be implemented on a server. However, it is also conceivable that the data collection unit could be implemented in a cloud.

[0026] The term "sensor data" is used here to generally encompass anything related to a physical quantity detected by the sensing unit. In one embodiment, the sensor data consists of digitized measured values ​​from the sensing unit. These measured values ​​may already be processed, for example, by linearization or by averaging multiple measurements. In another embodiment, the sensor data represents a strong quantization of a measured value. For example, the sensor data could indicate that a detected fill level has reached 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, or 100%, to name just one possible quantization. In yet another embodiment, the sensor data consists of state variables derived from measured values.Such state variables can, for example, indicate: "Fill level within target range," "Fill level below target range," "Fill level above target range," "Fill level critically low," "Fill level critically high," "Fill level above limit level," and "Fill level below limit level," to name just one possible configuration of a state variable. These state variables can be represented, for example, by integers or natural numbers. This non-exhaustive list of possible "sensor data" shows how generally the term "sensor data" can be understood. On a transmission path from a second output unit to a data collection unit, the sensor data can be appropriately encoded and, if necessary, encrypted.

[0027] A "beacon" is generally a signal with a predefined structure, containing predefined information, and typically short duration. The beacon is transmitted periodically, for example, once per minute, every 5 minutes, once per hour, or once per day, to name just a few possible intervals. The beacon's interval can be longer than the interval for the sensor data. A beacon can also be triggered, for example, by a request from a user or the data collection unit. The beacon's structure may depend on the transmission technology of the second output unit. The predefined information can include an identifier for the transmitting output unit and / or a timestamp, to name just two possible pieces of information."Short" usually means that sending a beacon takes a maximum of one millisecond, often less than a few microseconds, and sometimes even less than one microsecond.

[0028] In one configuration, the first and second output units are designed for wireless data transmission. This allows for flexible positioning of the sensors. Wireless data transmission, particularly for the second output unit, facilitates, and in some cases even enables, a connection to the crowdsourcing network.

[0029] In one embodiment, the first output unit comprises a wide-area interface, preferably a LoRaWAN, LTE-M (Long Term Evolution for Machine-type communication), NB-IoT (Narrowband Internet of Things), or GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) interface. A wide-area interface allows reliable access to a remote data collection unit without the need for additional gateways for long-range communication. In principle, any wide-area interface can be used. Since the energy efficiency of the sensors used is often a factor, LPWAN (Low Power Wide Area Network) is preferred.

[0030] The abbreviation LPWAN encompasses various classes of network protocols for connecting low-energy devices, such as battery-powered sensors, to a server. These protocols are designed to achieve long range and low power consumption of the end devices, resulting in low operating costs. Examples of LPWAN technologies include LoRaWAN, LTE-M, and NB-IoT.

[0031] LoRaWAN, short for Long Range Wide Area Network, is a standard of the LoRa Alliance. It describes both the radio technology and the protocol technology.

[0032] LTE-M and NB-IoT are wireless communication standards standardized by 3GPP and available in 4G and 5G mobile networks. NB-IoT, for example, utilizes the GSM-900 frequency band, which becomes available as mobile devices evolve to operate at higher frequency bands.

[0033] GSM - Global System for Mobile communications - is a mobile communications standard which, although introduced in the 1990s, is nevertheless suitable for a wide variety of purposes due to good network coverage, a long range of radio waves and relatively efficient communication.

[0034] In one embodiment, the second output unit comprises a short-range interface, which is preferably a Bluetooth or UWB (Ultra Wide Band) interface. The use of a short-range interface enables communication over short distances. "Short distances" here are defined as a maximum of 100 meters, preferably a maximum of 50 meters, particularly preferably a maximum of 25 meters, and most preferably a maximum of 15 meters.

[0035] Bluetooth is an industry standard according to IEEE 802.15.1 for data transmission via radio signal over short distances. Due to its widespread use, it can provide a universal second output device.

[0036] UWB describes an approach to short-range communication that uses a wide-bandwidth frequency range, typically at least 500 MHz or at least 20% of the arithmetic mean between the lower and upper cutoff frequencies of the frequency band. Data is transmitted in the shortest possible pulses. UWB technologies are described, for example, in IEEE 802.15.3a or IEEE 802.15.4a. This allows for the provision of an energy-efficient secondary output device. Furthermore, some UWB technologies incorporate a time-of-flight (TAF) method, which enables even more precise determination of position information.

[0037] In one embodiment, the system additionally includes an evaluation unit that assesses the generated sensor data with regard to compliance with predefined criteria and, if these criteria are not met, generates and outputs a warning, error, and / or alarm message. A predefined criterion could, for example, include reaching or falling below a lower threshold, reaching or exceeding an upper threshold, or entering an unfavorable position. A lower threshold could be, for example, a minimum fill level, a minimum distance, a minimum temperature, or a minimum voltage. An upper threshold could be, for example, a maximum fill level, a maximum temperature, a maximum current, a maximum pressure, a maximum vibration amplitude, or a maximum voltage. Multiple criteria can also be defined, triggering different messages and / or different levels of a message.A first upper threshold can trigger a warning message, and a second upper threshold can trigger an alarm message. Different criteria can refer to different physical quantities, which in turn trigger different warning, error, and / or alarm messages. This allows for flexible responses to conditions detected by one of the sensors.

[0038] In this advanced training, the evaluation unit is integrated into the sensor and configured to output warning, error, and / or alarm messages via a second output unit. This provides added functionality for the second output unit. Messages can then be received by participating devices in the crowdsourcing network or other end devices that are at least temporarily within range of the second output unit and forwarded to a user. It is advantageous if only authorized devices can process received warning, error, and / or alarm messages. This can be ensured, for example, by knowing a key for decryption or through some other link to the respective transmitting sensor. This functionality can, for instance, support personnel monitoring a system or maintenance staff in their work.

[0039] In one embodiment, the data collection unit is configured to store received sensor data and / or position information in a database, the database preferably being configured to store sensor data and position information for each sensor together. The database can be an integral part of the data collection unit or be communicatively connected to it. Storing received data in a database enables clear, structured, and resource-efficient data storage. It is advantageous if received sensor data and position information from the same source, i.e., the same sensor and / or the same sensing unit, are stored with a reference to each other. This can be achieved, for example, by storing them in the same data record or by storing a unique reference.Storing data "commonly for each sensor" means that sensor data and / or position information received from a sensor over a period of time are stored with a reference to each other, for example by storing a reference (e.g., a sensor identification number) and / or by storing them in a common data set. This simplifies the use of the acquired data.

[0040] In one embodiment, the system additionally comprises a provisioning unit, which is configured to output sensor data and / or position information stored by the data collection unit to a user's terminal device. This enables the user to utilize the acquired data. The provisioning unit can provide the data to the user in such a way that the transmission of the sensor data and position information via different channels is invisible to the user. Thus, the use of the data transmitted using the disclosed technology is no different from the use of known transmission technologies. In one embodiment, the provisioning unit can include a web server that makes the sensor data and / or position information collected and stored by the data collection unit available to a user, for example, by displaying it graphically.In another configuration, the provisioning unit can include an inventory system that provides, for example, information about sensors in use, their location, their condition and / or other potentially relevant information to a user.

[0041] In a downstream configuration, the provisioning unit is configured to perform an authorization check for access to stored sensor data and / or position information, based on predefined or definable access permissions. This prevents unauthorized access and / or allows different users to be shown different data and / or different levels of detail. Simultaneously, this can contribute to theft protection. It is also possible to grant access permissions on a case-by-case basis and / or temporarily. This can, for example, make it easier for a maintenance technician to locate a defective and / or servicing sensor and / or estimate the duration of a maintenance operation.

[0042] In one embodiment, the second output unit includes a separate power supply, or a separate power supply is assigned to the second output unit, wherein the separate power supply is designed to supply the second output unit and preferably includes a battery and / or means for energy harvesting. In this way, position information can be transmitted even when the sensor is not currently in operation, for example, when the sensor is being stored in a warehouse or during transport. A battery can, for example, be a button cell. Energy harvesting means that electrical energy is obtained from other forms of energy present at the sensor's location, for example, energy from electromagnetic fields, energy from changing magnetic fields, vibrational energy, or thermal energy.

[0043] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, which are not to be understood as limiting and are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. In this drawing: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of an embodiment of a system according to the present disclosure together with individual components of a crowdsourcing network and Fig. 2 a flowchart of an embodiment of a method according to the present disclosure.

[0044] Fig. 1 Figure 1 schematically shows components of an embodiment of a system 1 according to the present disclosure and its basic operation in conjunction with other components. The system 1 comprises at least one sensor 2, of which in Fig. 1 For the sake of clarity, only a single sensor 2 is shown. The sensor 2 comprises a sensing unit 3, which is located in Fig. 1 The sensor 2 is schematically represented by a rectangle. The sensor 2 further comprises a first output unit 4 and a second output unit 5, which are in Fig. 1Each is indicated by an antenna symbol. It should be noted that the two output units 4 and 5 likely include other components besides an antenna, such as an encoding unit, a modulation unit, and an amplifier. The first output unit 4 is designed for output to a wide-area network, such as LoRaWAN, NB-IoT, GSM, or similar, and the second output unit 5 is designed for short-range output, such as via Bluetooth, UWB, or similar. System 1 further comprises a data collection unit 6, a database 7, and a delivery unit 8, with the database 7 and the delivery unit 8 each being communicatively connected to the data collection unit 6. The data collection unit can be integrated into an inventory system or communicatively connected to it.

[0045] During operation of system 1, the sensing unit 3 detects a physical quantity, such as a fill level, pressure, or temperature, and generates sensor data from it. For this purpose, the sensor may include a control circuit for controlling the sensing unit 3, an evaluation unit for evaluating the electrical signals from the sensing unit 3, a filter unit, an analog-to-digital converter, a linearization unit, and other components. The sensor data is transmitted by the first output unit 4. Fig. 1The transmitted sensor data are symbolized as radio waves, designated by the reference symbol 9. The transmission of sensor data 9 can occur periodically, for example, after one second, 15 seconds, or one minute. Data from multiple measurements can also be transmitted simultaneously. The sensor data 9 is received by the data acquisition unit 6, which stores the sensor data 9 in the database 7. The sensor data 9 from one sensor 2 is stored together, for example, in a single data record or a shared data structure.

[0046] The second output unit 5 periodically transmits a beacon 10, which is in Fig. 1 is also symbolized as radio waves. Within a reception area of ​​these radio waves is located Fig. 1A randomly passing participant device 11 of a crowdsourcing network 12. The participant device 11 receives and processes the beacon 10, which in this way triggers the generation and transmission of position information (and possibly other information, such as ambient air pressure or ambient temperature) in the crowdsourcing network 12. The participant device 11 can determine its own position using a GNSS 16, of which, for example, two satellites 17 are located in Fig. 1The diagram illustrates the process. To process the beacon 10, the participating device 11 extracts an identifier transmitted with the beacon and sends it, along with its own position, optionally distance information to the second output unit 5, and optionally other information, to a crowdsourcing cloud system 13, which forms a central point of the crowdsourcing network. There, the received information is further processed, and position information for the second output unit 5 is generated. This position information is then transmitted to the data collection unit 6. The communication between the crowdsourcing cloud system 13 and the data collection unit 6 is symbolized by a double arrow, indicating bidirectional communication.For example, data collection unit 6 can initiate the generation of position information from crowdsourcing cloud system 13 by specifying an identifier of the sensor to be queried, or it can query position information already available in crowdsourcing cloud system 13 for a given identifier. In principle, it would also be conceivable for crowdsourcing cloud system 13 to automatically transmit generated position information, along with an identifier of the corresponding sensor, to data collection unit 6. Data collection unit 6 stores the received position information in database 7. Since data collection unit 6 knows the identifier of the relevant sensor, the position information can be stored together with the sensor data from sensor 2, for example, by referencing it with the identifier or by storing it in the same data structure or the same data record.

[0047] The provisioning unit 8 provides an interface for accessing data stored in the database 7. A user 14 can connect to the provisioning unit 8 using an end device 15, such as a laptop, tablet, or smartphone, and retrieve and further process sensor data, location information, and other information shared with the user 14. A connection between the end device 15 and the provisioning unit 8 can be established, for example, using HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure).

[0048] Fig. 2Figure 1 shows a flowchart for an embodiment of a method according to the present disclosure. In step S1, the system is first started and initialized. In step S2, generated sensor data is transmitted to the data collection unit 6 via the first output unit 4. In step S3, a beacon is transmitted by the second output unit 5, which is received in step S4 by a participating device 11 of a crowdsourcing network 12. In step S5, position information is generated based on the beacon and the position of the participating device 11, which is forwarded to the data collection unit 6 in step S6. In step S7, the sensor data and / or the position information are received by the data collection unit 6 and stored in the database 7. The method then terminates or returns—possibly after a waiting period—to step S2 and / or step S3.The cycle S2 → S7 → S2 and the cycle S3 → S4 → S5 → S6 → S7 → S3 can be traversed at different speeds.

[0049] Regarding further advantageous embodiments, reference is made to the general part of the description and to the attached claims to avoid repetition.

[0050] Finally, it should be expressly pointed out that the embodiment described above serves only to illustrate the claimed teaching, but does not limit it to the embodiment described above. Reference symbol list

[0051] 1 System 2 Sensor 3 Sensing unit 4 First output unit 5 Second output unit 6 Data collection unit 7 Database 8 Deployment unit 9 Transmitted sensor data 10 Beacon 11 Participant device 12 Crowdsourcing network 13 Crowdsourcing cloud system 14 User 15 User's device 16 GNSS 17 GNSS satellite

Claims

1. A system for transmitting sensor data and positional information of a sensor, comprising at least one sensor (2) and a data collection unit (6), wherein the at least one sensor (2) comprises in each case at least one sensing unit (3) for detecting a physical quantity and is configured for generating sensor data (9) based on the respectively detected physical quantity, wherein the at least one sensor (2), additionally, comprises in each case a first output unit (4) and a second output unit (5), wherein the first output unit (4) is configured for emitting generated sensor data (9) to the data collection unit (6), wherein the second output unit (5) is configured for periodically emitting beacons (10) into a crowdsourcing network (12), wherein the beacons (10) are configured for triggering in the crowdsourcing network (12) a generation of positional information and a transmission of the positional information to the data collection unit (6), using at least one subscriber device (11) of the crowdsourcing network (12).

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the first and second output units (4, 5) are configured for a wireless data transmission.

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first output unit (4) comprises a wide area interface, wherein the wide area interface is preferably formed by an interface for LoRaWAN, LTE-M, NB-IoT or GSM.

4. The system according to any one of the claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the second output unit (5) comprises a short-range interface, wherein the short-range interface is preferably formed by an interface for Bluetooth or UWB - Ultra Wide Band.

5. The system according to any one of the claims 1 to 4, which additionally comprises an evaluation unit, which evaluates generated sensor data (9) with regard to the compliance with predetermined criteria and generates a warning notification, error notification and / or an alert in the case of non-compliance with predetermined criteria.

6. The system according to claim 5, characterized in that the evaluation unit is arranged in the sensor (2) and configured for outputting the warning notification, error notification and / or alert via the second output unit.

7. The system according to any one of the claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the data collection unit (6) is configured for depositing received sensor data (9) and / or positional information in a database (7), wherein the database (7) is preferably configured for storing sensor data (9) and positional information for each of the sensors (2) together.

8. The system according to any one of the claims 1 to 7, which additionally comprises a supplying unit (8), wherein the supplying unit (8) is configured for outputting sensor data (9) and / or positional information stored by the data collection unit (6) to a terminal device (15) of a user (14).

9. The system according to claim 8, characterized in that the supplying unit (8) is configured for performing, based on predefined or definable access authorizations, an authorization check for an access to stored sensor data (9) and / or positional information.

10. The system according to any one of the claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the second output unit (5) comprises a separate power supply unit, or a separate power supply unit is assigned to the second output unit (5), wherein the separate power supply unit is configured for supplying the second output unit and preferably comprises a battery and / or energy harvesting means.

11. A communication module for a sensor for use in a system according to any one of the claims 1, 10, comprising a sensor data input, a first output unit (4) and a second output unit (5), wherein the sensor data input is configured for inputting sensor data (9) of the sensor (2), wherein the first output unit (4) is configured for emitting generated sensor data (9) to the data collection unit (6), wherein the second output unit (5) is configured for periodically emitting beacons (10) into a crowdsourcing network (12), wherein the beacons (10) are configured for triggering in the crowdsourcing network (12) a generation of positional information and a transmission of the positional information to the data collection unit (6), using at least one subscriber device (11) of the crowdsourcing network (12).

12. A sensor for use in a system according to any one of the claims 1 to 10, comprising at least one sensing unit (3), an evaluation unit, a first output unit (4) and a second output unit (5), wherein the at least one sensing unit (3) is configured for detecting a physical quantity, wherein the evaluation unit is connected in a communicating manner to the at least one sensing unit (3) and is configured for generating sensor data (9) based on the respectively detected physical quantity, wherein the first output unit (4) is configured for emitting generated sensor data (9) to the data collection unit (6), wherein the second output unit (5) is configured for periodically emitting beacons (10) into a crowdsourcing network (12), wherein the beacons (10) are configured for triggering in the crowdsourcing network (12) a generation of positional information and a transmission of the positional information to the data collection unit (6), using at least one subscriber device (11) of the crowdsourcing network (12).

13. The sensor according to claim 12, which, for providing the first and second output units (4, 5), comprises a communication module according to claim 11, wherein the evaluation unit is connected in a communicating manner to the sensor data input of the communication module and configured for transmitting sensor data (9) to the sensor data input.

14. A method for transmitting sensor data and positional information of a sensor, using a system according to any one of the claims 1 to 10, comprising: emitting (S2) generated sensor data (9) by means of a first output unit (4) of the sensor (2), wherein the sensor (2) comprises at least one sensing unit (3) for detecting a physical quantity and is configured for generating sensor data (9) based on the respectively detected physical quantity, periodically emitting (S3) a beacon (10) into the crowdsourcing network (12) by means of a second output unit (5) of the sensor (2), wherein the beacon (10) is configured for generating positional information in the crowdsourcing network (12), receiving (S4) the beacon (10) by a subscriber device (11) of the crowdsourcing network (12), generating (S5) positional information based on the beacon (10) and a position of the subscriber device (11), forwarding (S6) the positional information to a data collection unit (6), and receiving and storing (S7) the sensor data (9) and / or positional information by the data collection unit (6).