Multi-gateway coordination in thermal management systems

Abstract

The invention relates to multi-gateway coordination in a thermal management system. Systems and methods are provided for coordinating gateway polling in a multi-gateway sensor system, such as a sensor system implemented in a data center for monitoring thermal conditions. The system comprises: at least two subsets of sensors in communication with at least two gateways; and a controller in communication with the at least two gateways, the controller configured to implement a dynamic polling scheme to coordinate polling of the at least two gateways. In embodiments, the dynamic polling scheme includes scheduling non-overlapping time slots for polling gateways and / or intervals for polling sensors to avoid data packet conflicts.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Application No. 63 / 721,092, filed November 15, 2024, and U.S. Application No. 19 / 377,579, filed November 3, 2025, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure generally relates to thermal management and monitoring systems, and more specifically to dynamic multi-gateway coordination in high-density sensor systems. Background Technology

[0004] Data centers house high-performance electronic equipment that requires thermal protection to ensure normal and efficient operation. This is typically achieved using complex cooling systems that must be carefully monitored. As data centers scale, software is needed to perform critical tasks such as monitoring and managing thermal conditions, automatically discovering devices, and optimizing energy use. In practice, traditional thermal management systems aggregate data from connected devices to ensure optimal thermal conditions and performance.

[0005] Data centers can leverage sensor networks to collect information across their environment. Traditional sensor networks consist of multiple sensors communicating with a base station or gateway. In use, each sensor is positioned to collect environmental data and report it to the gateway for further processing. As data centers scale, the number of sensors required to monitor the environment also increases. For example, a large-scale data center may require hundreds of sensors to adequately monitor the environment.

[0006] There is a practical limitation on the number of sensors that can communicatively couple to a single gateway. Therefore, expanded sensor networks may require multiple gateways to process large volumes of sensor data. Simultaneous polling as each gateway reports to the management system can lead to packet collisions and consequently, the loss of critical data.

[0007] Therefore, in order to ensure that critical data is received, a dynamic scheme is needed to coordinate gateway polling in high-density sensor networks. Summary of the Invention

[0008] According to one aspect, this disclosure relates to a system for monitoring environmental conditions in a data center. In one embodiment, the system includes: a first subset of sensors positioned to monitor environmental conditions in a first coverage area within the data center; a second subset of sensors positioned to monitor environmental conditions in a second coverage area within the data center; a first gateway communicating with the first subset of sensors and configured to receive data from the first subset of sensors; a second gateway communicating with the second subset of sensors and configured to receive data from the second subset of sensors; and a controller communicating with the first and second gateways, the controller including processing circuitry configured to implement a dynamic polling scheme to coordinate polling by the first and second gateways.

[0009] In some implementations, the dynamic polling scheme implemented by the controller includes scheduling a first repeating time slot for polling a first gateway and a second repeating time slot for polling a second gateway, wherein the first repeating time slot and the second repeating time slot are non-overlapping.

[0010] In some implementations, the first and second repetition time slots are based on a predetermined hierarchy of the first and second coverage areas.

[0011] In some implementations, the first repetition time slot and the second repetition time slot are based on the number of sensors in the first subset and the second subset of the respective sensors.

[0012] In some implementations, the dynamic polling scheme implemented by the controller includes: the controller assigning a polling interval to each sensor in a first subset of sensors via a first gateway; and the controller assigning a polling interval to each sensor in a second subset of sensors via a second gateway.

[0013] In some embodiments, the system further includes: at least one additional subset of sensors positioned to monitor environmental conditions in at least one additional coverage area within a data center; and at least one additional gateway communicating with the at least one additional subset of sensors, the at least one additional gateway being configured to receive data from the at least one additional subset of sensors, wherein the controller communicates with the at least one additional gateway, and wherein a dynamic polling scheme implemented by the controller further includes scheduling at least one additional repeating time slot for polling the at least one additional repeating time slot, wherein the at least one additional repeating time slot does not overlap with a first repeating time slot and a second repeating time slot.

[0014] In some implementations, the first coverage area and the second coverage area are separate or at least partially overlap.

[0015] In some implementations, the controller communicates with the thermal management system or is a component of the thermal management system.

[0016] According to another aspect, this disclosure relates to a data center comprising: an environment including a first thermally controlled area and a second thermally controlled area; a first subset of sensors located within the data center to monitor thermal conditions in the first thermally controlled area; a second subset of sensors located within the data center to monitor thermal conditions in the second thermally controlled area; a first gateway communicating with the first subset of sensors and configured to receive data from the first subset of sensors; a second gateway communicating with the second subset of sensors and configured to receive data from the second subset of sensors; and a controller communicating with the first and second gateways, the controller including a processing circuitry system configured to implement a dynamic polling scheme to coordinate polling of the first and second gateways.

[0017] According to another aspect, this disclosure relates to a method for polling gateways in a multi-gateway sensor network. In one embodiment, the method includes: providing a first subset of sensors positioned to monitor environmental conditions in a first coverage area; providing a second subset of sensors positioned to monitor environmental conditions in a second coverage area; providing a first gateway communicating with the first subset of sensors, the first gateway being configured to receive data from the first subset of sensors; providing a second gateway communicating with the second subset of sensors, the second gateway being configured to receive data from the second subset of sensors; and providing a controller communicating with the first and second gateways, the controller including processing circuitry configured to implement a dynamic polling scheme to coordinate polling of the first and second gateways.

[0018] This summary is provided solely as an introduction to the subject matter fully described in the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. It should not be construed as describing essential features or used to define the scope of the claims. Furthermore, it should be understood that both the foregoing summary and the following detailed description are illustrative only and are not necessarily limiting of the claimed subject matter. Attached Figure Description

[0019] A better understanding of the implementation of this disclosure can be achieved by considering the following detailed description of the disclosure herein. Such description refers to the included drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and for clarity, some features may be exaggerated, while others may be omitted or may be schematically represented. Similar reference numerals in the drawings may indicate and refer to the same or similar elements, features, or functions. In the drawings:

[0020] Figure 1A This is a schematic diagram of a data center including a first subset of sensors of a high-density sensor network, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 1B This is a schematic diagram of a data center including a second subset of sensors comprising a high-density sensor network, according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0022] Figure 1C This is a schematic diagram of a data center including a third subset of sensors of a high-density sensor network, according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a polling scheme used to coordinate polling among multiple gateways in a high-density sensor network; and

[0024] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for coordinating polling of multiple gateways in a high-density sensor network. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Before detailing one or more embodiments of this disclosure, it should be understood that the embodiments, in their application, are not limited to the details of the construction and arrangement of the components, steps, or methods set forth in the following description or shown in the accompanying drawings. In the following detailed description of embodiments, numerous specific details may be set forth to provide a more thorough understanding of this disclosure. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art who will benefit from this disclosure that the embodiments disclosed herein can be practiced without some of these specific details. In other instances, well-known features may not be described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating this disclosure.

[0026] As used herein, the letters following the reference numerals are intended to refer to embodiments of features or elements that may be similar to, but not necessarily identical to, previously described elements or features having the same reference numerals (e.g., 1, 1a, 1b). Such abbreviated symbols are used for convenience only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure in any way unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0027] Furthermore, unless explicitly stated otherwise, "or" refers to inclusive or rather than exclusive or. For example, condition A or B is satisfied by any of the following: A is true (or exists) and B is false (or does not exist), A is false (or does not exist) and B is true (or exists), and both A and B are true (or exist).

[0028] Additionally, the terms “a” or “an” may be used to describe elements and components of the embodiments disclosed herein. This is for convenience only, and unless explicitly stated otherwise, “a” and “an” are intended to include “one” or “at least one”, and the singular includes the plural.

[0029] Finally, as used herein, any reference to “one embodiment” or “implementation” means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment disclosed herein. The phrase “in an embodiment” appearing in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment in all cases, and an embodiment may include one or more, or any combination or sub-combination of two or more, features that are expressly described or inherent in this document, together with any other features that may not be expressly described or inherent in this disclosure.

[0030] Broadly speaking, this disclosure relates to data centers, cooling system applications, thermal management systems, and sensor networks. More specifically, this disclosure relates to systems and methods for coordinating at least one of a gateway and sensor polling in a high-density sensor network, such as a wireless sensor network for monitoring environmental conditions in a data center. The advantages of the systems and methods disclosed herein include, but are not limited to: minimizing or avoiding the loss of critical data, integration with thermal management systems, enhanced control, scalability, and energy and cost savings.

[0031] In this implementation, the described system is designed to monitor environmental conditions within a data center through a distributed network of sensors and an intelligent coordination mechanism. The system includes at least two subsets of environmental sensors, each responsible for monitoring different coverage areas within the data center, such as temperature, humidity, airflow, or other critical conditions. These subsets are connected to separate gateways, with a first subset communicating with a first gateway, a second subset communicating with a second gateway, and so on. Each gateway is configured to receive and relay sensor data from its corresponding coverage area. A central controller communicates with the respective gateways and includes processing circuitry configured to implement a dynamic polling scheme. In use, the dynamic polling scheme intelligently coordinates the timing and frequency of data collection for each gateway, allowing for adaptive, efficient, and scalable monitoring. By dynamically adjusting polling data based on conditions or system requirements, the controller helps optimize performance, minimize latency, and reduce unnecessary traffic within the data center's environmental monitoring infrastructure.

[0032] In implementations, the sensor network according to this disclosure typically includes multiple sensors, multiple gateways communicating with the multiple sensors, and a controller communicating with at least the multiple gateways. Each sensor is typically configured to monitor at least one environmental parameter (e.g., temperature, humidity, etc.). Sensors can be grouped according to subsets, for example, each subset is assigned to a predetermined coverage area. Sensors can be wired or wireless. In the case of wireless sensors, communication can be established via conventional protocols such as Wi-Fi (e.g., the 802.11 family of wireless network protocols), Bluetooth, Zigbee, Z-Wave, CDMA, TDMA, infrared, etc.

[0033] In one implementation, each gateway can communicate with its associated subset of sensors according to a polling scheme in which the gateway is configured to poll the sensors according to a predetermined repetition sequence to obtain data collected by the sensors. In another implementation, a controller communicating with or being part of a thermal management system can communicate with multiple gateways via a polling scheme in which the controller is configured to poll the gateways according to a predetermined repetition sequence to obtain data collected by the gateways. In this configuration, data transmission between communication-coupled devices can be scheduled such that data, for example in the form of packets, does not arrive from individual gateways at random time intervals, which could lead to simultaneous reception (e.g., data collisions, where more than one packet is received simultaneously or when one packet arrives before another is fully received).

[0034] In implementations, the controller as described herein may include one or more processors and memory devices or memory. For example, one or more processors may be configured to execute a set of program instructions held in a memory device. One or more processors may include any processor or processing element known in the art. For the purposes of this disclosure, the terms "processor" or "processing element" may be broadly defined to encompass any device having one or more processing or logic elements (e.g., one or more microprocessor devices, one or more application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) devices, one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or one or more digital signal processors (DSPs)). In this sense, one or more processors may include any device configured to execute algorithms and / or instructions (e.g., program instructions stored in memory). Furthermore, different subsystems of this disclosure may include processors or logic elements adapted to perform at least a portion of the steps described herein. Furthermore, the steps described herein may be performed by a single controller or alternatively by multiple controllers. Additionally, the controller may analyze or otherwise process data received from sensors and feed the data to additional components or external to the system.

[0035] The memory device may include any storage medium known in the art suitable for storing program instructions executable by one or more associated processors. For example, the memory device may include a non-transitory memory medium. As additional examples, the memory device may include, but is not limited to, read-only memory, random access memory, magnetic or optical memory devices (e.g., magnetic disks), magnetic tape, solid-state drives, etc. It should also be noted that the memory device may be housed together with one or more processors in a common controller housing.

[0036] Figures 1A to 1C A non-limiting example of a data center 100, including electronics mounted, for example, in rack 102, is schematically shown. The data center may include one or more liquid and air cooling systems for room-level cooling, row-level cooling, rack-level cooling, etc. The data center 100 also includes a sensor network, such as a wireless sensor network, comprising multiple sensors 104a to 104c distributed throughout the monitored environment. In use, each sensor 104a to 104c is configured to: detect environmental parameters (e.g., temperature, humidity, etc.); collect data; and transmit the collected data to at least one gateway 106a to 106c communicating with at least one controller, which is part of or communicates with the thermal management system 108.

[0037] Figure 1A A first subset of sensors 104a are shown, which are positioned to monitor a first coverage area and communicate with a first gateway 106a. Figure 1B A second subset of sensors 104b is shown, which are positioned to monitor a second coverage area and communicate with a second gateway 106b. Figure 1C A third subset of sensors 104c, positioned to monitor a third coverage area and communicate with a third gateway 106c, is shown. In an embodiment, additional sensors, grouped to form an additional subset of sensors, can communicate with additional gateways, each of which communicates with the thermal management system 108.

[0038] Sensors 104a to 104c and gateways 106a to 106c may each be wirelessly equipped to communicate with at least one other sensor and at least one other gateway within the network. Each sensor 104a to 104c may be positioned to monitor the environment or as a device located in the environment (e.g., electronic equipment or cooling system equipment). Depending on the communication capabilities of the sensors and gateways, each gateway 106a to 106c may be located in a data center or a remote location. The thermal management system 108 may be located in the field or remotely within the data center 100. In embodiments, the thermal management system 108 may include hardware and software capabilities configured for monitoring, alarming, implementing changes, identifying devices, programming, etc. In other words, the thermal management system 108 may be an integrated cooling system management system.

[0039] Each subset of sensors 104a to 104c and its corresponding gateways 106a to 106c may include any number of sensors and topologies. For example, a topology may include a configuration where gateways 106a to 106c are configured to transmit wireless signals to and receive wireless signals from each sensor in their respective subset; or sensors 104a to 104c may be configured to communicate with each other to forward data based on the transmission range and location of the sensors 104a to 104c. For example, sensors 104a to 104c located at a distance from their respective gateways 106a to 106c may relay data to another sensor 104a to 104c within the range of the respective gateway 106a to 106c. In this configuration, relay capability can be used to extend the coverage area. In some embodiments, at least one sensor 104a to 104c within a particular subset may communicate with more than one gateway 106a to 106c. For example, at least one sensor 104a to 104c associated with a critical coverage area and / or device may communicate with at least two gateways 106a to 106c to increase polling frequency and / or for redundancy.

[0040] Figure 2A non-limiting example of a polling scheme 200 according to this disclosure is shown. In an embodiment, each gateway 106a to 106c can be configured to poll sensors 104a to 104c in a subset of its assigned sensors 104a to 104c according to a predetermined polling protocol. In an embodiment, the polling protocol can be predetermined and programmable via an interface of the thermal management system 108. In an embodiment, the polling protocol is time-based, wherein each sensor 104a to 104c is assigned a time interval, the length of which can be inconsistent or consistent depending on at least one of the sensor's capabilities, latency, environmental parameters to be monitored, sensor level, etc. Each sensor 104a to 104c can be assigned a predetermined polling time interval, and the time intervals can be organized to form a polling schedule. For example, each subset includes Figures 1A to 1C In the case of the four sensors 104a to 104c shown, four time intervals can be allocated, wherein gateways 106a to 106c query (ping) each sensor 104a to 104c according to a predetermined scheduling table, such that each sensor 104a to 104c transmits the data it has collected during the time interval. The scheduling can include any repeating order depending on the hierarchy (e.g., importance) of the specific sensor and / or coverage area.

[0041] Each gateway 106a to 106c is configured to poll specific sensors 104a to 104c according to a predetermined recurrence schedule. When polled, each sensor 104a to 104c transmits the collected data to the corresponding gateway 106a to 106c. The collected data may include, but is not limited to, environmental parameter data, alarm data, sensor performance data, battery level data, etc. In the case of alarm data, each sensor 104a to 104c can be configured to transmit data to gateways 106a to 106c outside of the assigned polling schedule to reduce reporting delays.

[0042] According to the polling schedule, each gateway 106a to 106c is also assigned a time interval. For example, the first gateway 106a, which communicates with a first subset of sensors 104a, can be assigned a first polling interval; the second gateway 106b, which communicates with a second subset of sensors 104b, can be assigned a second polling interval; and the third gateway 106c, which communicates with a third subset of sensors 106c, can be assigned a third time interval. The time intervals can be consistent or vary according to hierarchy. For example, a gateway communicating with a large number of sensors can be assigned a longer time interval compared to the duration of communication with a small number of sensors. The time intervals can also vary based on layout, delay, importance, etc.

[0043] In some implementations, the scheduling table can be dynamic in terms of allocating time intervals, scheduling time slots, and modifying them. In this regard, a specific gateway can be assigned to one or more time slots in the scheduling table according to hierarchy, and time slots can be added and adjusted as the wireless sensor system scales up or down in terms of the number of gateways, the number of sensors, etc.

[0044] In use, each gateway 106a to 106c is configured to poll a subset of its corresponding sensors 104a to 104c according to a predetermined sensor polling schedule, and the controller of the thermal management system 108 is configured to poll each gateway 106a to 106c according to a predetermined gateway polling schedule, thereby providing a dynamic polling scheme. In this embodiment, the dynamic polling scheme can be programmable in terms of allocated time intervals, scheduled time slots, hourly schedules, daily schedules, peak energy usage time, etc. In this embodiment, the controller of the thermal management system 108 can be configured to poll any gateway 106a to 106c on demand, for example, in response to the receipt of alarm data.

[0045] In an implementation, polling may include paging gateways 106a to 106c, causing gateways 106a to 106c to send collected data or causing subset sensors 104a to 104c to send collected data via their respective gateways 106a to 106c. In this regard, gateways 106a to 106c may function as data collectors including memory for storing data, or as repeaters between sensors 104a to 104c and the controller of the thermal management system 108. As mentioned above, the collected data may include, but is not limited to, environmental data and sensor performance data. The data may be in binary or other data type formats.

[0046] Figure 3 A method 300 for establishing and implementing a polling scheme according to this disclosure is shown. In step 302, a sensor network is established and implemented in an environment such as a data center. In step 304, a controller communicating with a thermal management system identifies gateways in the sensor network that communicate with a subset of sensors, each subset of sensors being assigned a predetermined coverage area. In step 306, based on environmental monitoring needs, the scale of the monitoring system, gateway / sensor hierarchy, etc., the controller assigns time intervals 308 to each gateway in the network, where each time interval corresponds to a time slot in a scheduling table. In step 308, the controller polls the corresponding gateways according to the scheduling table, causing the gateways to return collected data, such as data related to the environment, sensor performance, etc. In step 310, the scheduling table can be modified as needed in response to gateways and sensors moving into and out of the network, environmental changes, etc.

[0047] Based on the above description, it is clear that the present disclosure disclosed herein is well suited to achieve the purposes mentioned herein and to obtain the advantages mentioned herein, as well as those inherent in the present disclosure disclosed herein. While exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure disclosed herein have been described for the purposes of this disclosure, it will be understood that many changes can be made that will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and that such changes are implemented within the broad scope and coverage of the present disclosure disclosed and claimed herein.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring environmental conditions in a data center, the system comprising: A first subset of sensors, the first subset of sensors being configured to monitor environmental conditions in a first coverage area within a data center; A second subset of sensors, configured to monitor environmental conditions in a second coverage area within the data center; A first gateway that communicates with a first subset of the sensors, the first gateway being configured to receive data from the first subset of the sensors; A second gateway that communicates with a second subset of the sensors, the second gateway being configured to receive data from the second subset of the sensors; as well as A controller that communicates with the first gateway and the second gateway, the controller including a processing circuitry system configured to implement a dynamic polling scheme to coordinate polling by the first gateway and the second gateway.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The dynamic polling scheme implemented by the controller includes scheduling a first repeating time slot for polling the first gateway and a second repeating time slot for polling the second gateway, wherein the first repeating time slot and the second repeating time slot are non-overlapping.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein, The first repeating time slot and the second repeating time slot are based on predetermined levels of the first coverage area and the second coverage area.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein, The first repetition time slot and the second repetition time slot are based on the number of sensors in the first subset and the second subset of the corresponding sensors.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The dynamic polling scheme implemented by the controller includes: The controller assigns a polling interval to each sensor in a first subset of the sensors via the first gateway; and The controller assigns a polling interval to each sensor in a second subset of the sensors via the second gateway.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising: At least one additional subset of sensors, the at least one additional subset of sensors being configured to monitor environmental conditions in at least one additional coverage area within the data center; as well as At least one additional gateway communicating with at least one additional subset of the sensors, the at least one additional gateway being configured to receive data from at least one additional subset of the sensors. The controller communicates with the at least one additional gateway, and The dynamic polling scheme implemented by the controller further includes scheduling at least one additional repeating time slot to poll the at least one additional gateway, wherein the at least one additional repeating time slot does not overlap with the first repeating time slot and the second repeating time slot.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The first coverage area and the second coverage area at least partially overlap.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The controller communicates with at least one component of the thermal management system, or the controller is a component of the thermal management system.

9. A data center, comprising: Environment, the environment including a first thermally controlled region and a second thermally controlled region; A first subset of sensors, the first subset of sensors being located in the data center to monitor the thermal conditions in the first thermally controlled area; A second subset of sensors, located in the data center, to monitor the thermal conditions in the second thermally controlled area; A first gateway that communicates with a first subset of the sensors, the first gateway being configured to receive data from the first subset of the sensors; A second gateway that communicates with a second subset of the sensors, the second gateway being configured to receive data from the second subset of the sensors; as well as A controller that communicates with the first gateway and the second gateway, the controller including a processing circuitry system configured to implement a dynamic polling scheme to coordinate polling by the first gateway and the second gateway.

10. The data center according to claim 9, wherein, The dynamic polling scheme implemented by the controller includes scheduling a first repeating time slot for polling the first gateway and a second repeating time slot for polling the second gateway, wherein the first repeating time slot and the second repeating time slot are non-overlapping.

11. The data center according to claim 10, wherein, The first repetition time slot and the second repetition time slot are based on a predetermined hierarchy of the first thermally controlled region and the second thermally controlled region.

12. The data center according to claim 10, wherein, The first repetition time slot and the second repetition time slot are based on the number of sensors in the first subset and the second subset of the corresponding sensors.

13. The data center according to claim 9, wherein, The dynamic polling scheme implemented by the controller includes: The controller assigns a polling interval to each sensor in a first subset of the sensors via the first gateway; and The controller assigns a polling interval to each sensor in a second subset of the sensors via the second gateway.

14. The data center according to claim 9, further comprising: At least one additional subset of sensors, the at least one additional subset of sensors being configured to monitor the thermal condition in at least one additional thermally controlled area in the data center; as well as At least one additional gateway communicating with at least one additional subset of the sensors, the at least one additional gateway being configured to receive data from at least one additional subset of the sensors. The controller communicates with the at least one additional gateway, and The dynamic polling scheme implemented by the controller further includes scheduling at least one additional repeating time slot to poll the at least one additional gateway, wherein the at least one additional repeating time slot does not overlap with the first repeating time slot and the second repeating time slot.

15. The data center according to claim 9, wherein, The first thermally controlled region and the second thermally controlled region at least partially overlap.

16. A method for polling gateways in a multi-gateway sensor network, the method comprising: A first subset of sensors is provided, the first subset of sensors being configured to monitor environmental conditions within a first coverage area; A second subset of sensors is provided, the second subset of sensors being configured to monitor environmental conditions within a second coverage area; A first gateway is provided to communicate with a first subset of the sensors, the first gateway being configured to receive data from the first subset of the sensors; A second gateway is provided to communicate with a second subset of the sensors, the second gateway being configured to receive data from the second subset of the sensors; as well as A controller is provided to communicate with the first gateway and the second gateway, the controller including a processing circuitry system configured to implement a dynamic polling scheme to coordinate polling by the first gateway and the second gateway.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein, The dynamic polling scheme implemented by the controller includes scheduling a first repeating time slot for polling the first gateway and a second repeating time slot for polling the second gateway, wherein the first repeating time slot and the second repeating time slot are non-overlapping.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein, The first repetition time slot and the second repetition time slot are based on at least one of the following: the predetermined levels of the first coverage area and the second coverage area, and the number of sensors in the first subset and the second subset of the corresponding sensors.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein, The dynamic polling scheme implemented by the controller includes: The controller assigns a polling interval to each sensor in a first subset of the sensors via the first gateway; and The controller assigns a polling interval to each sensor in a second subset of the sensors via the second gateway.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising: Provide at least one additional subset of sensors, the at least one additional subset of sensors being configured to monitor environmental conditions in at least one additional coverage area within the data center; as well as Provide at least one additional gateway for communicating with at least one additional subset of the sensors, the at least one additional gateway being configured to receive data from at least one additional subset of the sensors. The controller communicates with the at least one additional gateway, and The dynamic polling scheme implemented by the controller further includes scheduling at least one additional repeating time slot to poll the at least one additional gateway, wherein the at least one additional repeating time slot does not overlap with the first repeating time slot and the second repeating time slot.

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