An internet of things and a terminal node thereof

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of internet of things and its terminal node, wherein terminal node includes: power module, main control module, peripheral control module, communication module and security module;The power module connects the power end of the main control module, for the main control module power supply;The main control module is connected with the peripheral control module, and the peripheral control module is connected with controlled equipment, to send control instruction to the controlled equipment;The main control module is connected with the communication module, to communicate connection gateway;The main control module is connected with the security module, to generate key and the uplink data of the main control module is encrypted.The utility model is by integrated security chip, using hardware encryption technology, not only can greatly improve the data security of internet of things node, also can effectively reduce the load of main control module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of Internet of Things (IoT) technology, and in particular to an IoT and its terminal node. Background Technology

[0002] The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the use of various devices and technologies, such as information sensors, radio frequency identification (RFID), global positioning systems (GPS), infrared sensors, and laser scanners, to collect information in real time about any object or process that needs to be monitored, connected, or interacted with. This information is then interconnected through networks to achieve ubiquitous connectivity between things and between things and people, enabling intelligent sensing, identification, and management of objects and processes. With the rapid development of network technology and intelligent devices, IoT technology has already found widespread applications in fields such as industrial automation, environmental monitoring, and smart homes.

[0003] The system architecture of IoT based on cloud platform, such as Figure 1 As shown, this network consists of multiple gateways and multiple terminal nodes. Each terminal node corresponds to a controlled device and is used to control or collect information from its corresponding controlled device. Each gateway is communicatively connected to a cloud platform and also communicatively connected to multiple terminal nodes. It can obtain data from the cloud platform and send it to a designated node, or it can receive data from the terminal nodes and send it to the cloud platform.

[0004] In the Internet of Things (IoT), terminal nodes are key IoT devices for monitoring and controlling controlled equipment. To ensure the security of terminal node data, existing technologies often employ software encryption, which not only consumes main processor resources but may also lead to communication delays and system performance degradation. Furthermore, some devices with added security measures inevitably increase power consumption. For example, Chinese invention patent application CN118233193A, published on June 21, 2024, discloses an IoT device authentication method, key storage method, and apparatus. By recording IoT system data, including the identity information of IoT devices, on a blockchain, the identity of IoT devices can be verified, reducing the risk of data leakage and improving data security. However, this method relies on the consensus mechanism of blockchain, requiring the participation of all nodes for authentication of a single node, which inevitably increases the power consumption of each node. Utility Model Content

[0005] This utility model provides an Internet of Things and its terminal node, which improves the reliability of power supply to the terminal node and achieves the purpose of ensuring the stability of terminal node operation.

[0006] Specifically, this utility model provides a terminal node for the Internet of Things, including: a power module, a main control module, a peripheral control module, a communication module, and a security module;

[0007] The power module is connected to the power supply terminal of the main control module and is used to supply power to the main control module;

[0008] The main control module is connected to the peripheral control module, and the peripheral control module is connected to the controlled device to send control commands to the controlled device.

[0009] The main control module is connected to the communication module to communicate with the gateway;

[0010] The main control module is connected to the security module to generate a key to encrypt the uplink data of the main control module.

[0011] Furthermore, the power module includes a 12V power supply, a DC-DC step-down converter circuit, and a linear regulator, wherein:

[0012] The input terminal of the DC-DC step-down converter is connected to the output terminal of the 12V power supply, and the output terminal is connected to the input terminal of the linear regulator, for stepping down the voltage of the 12V power supply.

[0013] The output terminal of the linear regulator is connected to the power supply terminal of the main control module to stabilize the voltage output by the DC-DC buck converter circuit and supply power to the main control module.

[0014] Furthermore, the main control module is connected to a data acquisition device, which is used at least to collect environmental information.

[0015] Furthermore, the data acquisition device includes multiple detection sensors, wherein at least some of the detection sensors are connected to the main control module through a protocol conversion circuit.

[0016] Furthermore, the protocol conversion circuit includes an RS485 protocol conversion chip, an RS485 interface and a communication serial port connected to the RS485 protocol conversion chip, wherein the RS485 interface is connected to the detection sensor and the communication serial port is connected to the main control module.

[0017] Furthermore, the data acquisition device includes at least one of a temperature and humidity sensor, a soil moisture sensor, and an ultrasonic meteorological sensor.

[0018] Furthermore, the security module is connected to the main control module via an integrated circuit bus.

[0019] Furthermore, the communication module is a wireless communication module, which is used for communication connection to the gateway.

[0020] Furthermore, the wireless communication module is a 433MHz wireless communication module.

[0021] Secondly, this utility model also provides an Internet of Things (IoT) comprising: multiple gateways, wherein each of the gateways is communicatively connected to multiple terminal nodes as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0022] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0023] (1) By integrating a security chip and using hardware encryption technology, this utility model can not only significantly improve the data security of IoT nodes, but also effectively reduce the load on the main control module.

[0024] (2) The power supply module of this utility model includes a DC-DC step-down conversion circuit and a linear regulator. The DC-DC step-down conversion module performs DC-DC step-down conversion on the obtained 12V power supply to obtain a voltage that matches the requirements of the main control module. The linear regulator is used to stabilize the output voltage of the DC-DC step-down conversion circuit to ensure the stability of the power supply to the main control module and achieve the purpose of ensuring the stability of the terminal node operation.

[0025] The above and other objects, advantages and features of this utility model will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of specific embodiments of this utility model in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0026] The following sections will describe some specific embodiments of the present invention in a detailed manner by way of example and not limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar parts or components. Those skilled in the art should understand that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the drawings:

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the system structure of the Internet of Things in the related technology of this utility model.

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of an Internet of Things (IoT) terminal node according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of an Internet of Things (IoT) terminal node according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 4 This is a schematic structural diagram of an Internet of Things (IoT) terminal node according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 5 This is a circuit diagram of the communication module of the terminal node according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a DC-DC step-down converter circuit in a terminal node according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 7 Circuit diagram of a linear regulator in a terminal node according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the protocol conversion circuit of the terminal node according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a security module in a terminal node according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0036] The following reference Figures 2 to 9 This invention describes an Internet of Things (IoT) and its terminal node according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this description, it should be understood that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature, that is, include one or more of that feature. In the description of the present invention, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified. When a feature "includes or contains" one or more of the features it encompasses, unless otherwise specifically described, this indicates that other features are not excluded and may be further included. Example 1:

[0037] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 2 The diagram shown is a schematic structural diagram of an IoT terminal node in one embodiment of this utility model. The terminal node includes a main control module 10, a power supply module 20, a peripheral control module 30, a communication module 40, and a security module 50. The main control module 10 can be a microcontroller, CPU, or other logic control chip. The power supply module 20 is connected to the power supply terminal of the main control module 10 and is used to supply power to the main control module 10. The peripheral control module 30 is used to connect to the controlled device, and the main control module 10 sends control commands to the controlled device through the peripheral control module 30 to control the controlled device to perform the expected actions. The communication module 40 is used to communicate with the gateway and can connect to a cloud platform or server through the gateway to join the IoT. The security module 50 is used to generate a key to encrypt the uplink data of the main control module 10.

[0038] In this embodiment, the security module 50 is a security chip-based module. This security chip has functions such as random number generation, signature verification, on-chip key pair generation, and data encryption / decryption. Before the terminal node is officially put into use, the security module 50 first programs a device certificate into slot 1 of the security chip. This device certificate is issued by the root certificate and stored in the gateway. When the terminal node first connects to the gateway, the gateway will authenticate the terminal node based on the device certificate in the security chip to ensure the authenticity of the terminal node's identity.

[0039] In this embodiment, the security module 50 is used to perform hardware encryption on the uplink data of the main control module 10. This not only reduces the load on the main control module 10, but also improves the efficiency of encryption, decryption and signature verification of uplink data, ensuring the authenticity of the terminal node's identity, as well as the integrity and confidentiality of the data exchanged with the gateway.

[0040] In some embodiments of this utility model, the security module 50 is connected to the main control module 10 via an integrated circuit bus, that is, connected to the main control module 10 via an IIC bus.

[0041] The integrated circuit bus is a simple, bidirectional two-wire synchronous serial bus with the advantages of simple hardware connection, low power consumption, and high data transmission reliability. Therefore, using the integrated circuit bus to connect the security module 50 to the main control module 10 can not only reduce the power consumption of the terminal node, but also improve the speed of uplink data encryption of the main control module 10.

[0042] In some embodiments of this invention, the communication module 30 is a wireless communication module used for wireless communication with the gateway. Data packets sent by the communication module 30 can be received by the gateway and all terminal nodes within the communication range.

[0043] In this embodiment, the power supply module 20 includes a 12V power supply, a DC-DC buck converter 21, and a linear regulator 22. The input terminal of the DC-DC buck converter 21 is connected to the output terminal of the 12V power supply, and the output terminal of the DC-DC buck converter 21 is connected to the input terminal of the linear regulator 22. The DC-DC buck converter 21 can step down the input voltage and input the stepped-down voltage to the linear regulator 22. The output terminal of the linear regulator 22 is connected to the power supply terminal of the main control module 10. The linear regulator 22 can regulate the voltage output by the DC-DC buck converter 21 and input the regulated voltage to the power supply terminal of the main control module 10 to power the main control module 10.

[0044] In this embodiment, the peripheral control module 30 is used to connect to the control signal terminal of the controlled device. The main control module 10 sends control commands to the controlled device through the peripheral control module 30 to control the controlled device.

[0045] Taking one application scenario as an example, suppose the controlled device is an irrigation device in a smart greenhouse. The irrigation device is equipped with a solenoid valve. If the solenoid valve is opened, the irrigation device will start irrigating; if the solenoid valve is closed, the irrigation device will stop irrigating.

[0046] In this application scenario, the power module 20 draws power from the output terminal JP0 of the 12V power supply, converts it into 3.3V DC power, and then powers the main control module 10.

[0047] In this application scenario, the peripheral control module 30 may include a solenoid valve control interface. The solenoid valve power interface is connected to the solenoid valve control signal interface. The main control module 10 can send control commands to the solenoid valve through the peripheral control module 30 to control the solenoid valve to open or close.

[0048] In some embodiments of this utility model, such as Figure 3 As shown, the main control module 10 is also connected to a data acquisition device 60, which includes a detection sensor for collecting environmental information.

[0049] In this embodiment, the data acquisition device 60 can collect environmental information of the controlled device of the terminal node and send the environmental information to the main control module 10; the main control module 10 can send the environmental information of the controlled device as uplink data to the gateway, and then the gateway sends it to the cloud platform of the Internet of Things.

[0050] Since the terminal node in this embodiment is equipped with a data acquisition device, it can have an environmental detection function, making it suitable for application scenarios that require environmental detection and improving its applicability.

[0051] In some embodiments of this utility model, such as Figure 4 As shown, the data acquisition device 60 includes multiple detection sensors, which are connected to the main control module 10 via a protocol conversion circuit 61.

[0052] In this embodiment, if the signal output terminal of the detection sensor can be connected to the pin of the main control module 10 and can directly send information to the main control module 10, for example, if the interface type of the signal output terminal is SPI or IIC, then the signal output terminal of the data acquisition device 60 can be directly connected to the pin of the main control module 10. Conversely, if the signal output terminal of the detection sensor cannot be connected to the pin of the main control module 10 and cannot directly send information to the main control module 10, for example, if the interface type of the signal output terminal is RS485 communication interface, then the signal output terminal of the data acquisition device 60 needs to be connected to the pin of the main control module 10 through the protocol conversion circuit 61.

[0053] In this embodiment, a protocol conversion circuit 61 is connected to the main control module 10, which enables the main control module 10 to connect to various types of sensors, thereby improving the applicability of the terminal node and enabling the terminal node to be used in various application scenarios. Example 2:

[0054] Based on the above embodiment 1, this embodiment provides a specific IoT terminal node.

[0055] In this embodiment, the main control module 10 uses an STM32L0 series ultra-low power controller.

[0056] In this embodiment, the security module 50 uses a security chip of model STSAFE-A110, such as Figure 9 As shown. After receiving the information data collected by the data acquisition device 60, the main control module 10 uses the information data as uplink data. At this time, the security module 50 generates a key and uses the key to encrypt the uplink data. Then, the encrypted uplink data is sent to the gateway to improve the data security of the terminal node.

[0057] In this embodiment, the communication module 30 is a 433M wireless serial port transparent transmission module, and the circuit structure is as follows: Figure 5 As shown, the device includes a chip U5 with model number TR_433. The output terminal of the power module 20 is connected to the VCC pin of the chip U5 to supply power to the chip U5. The pins RXD, TXD, SET, and CS of the chip are connected to the main control module 10. The RXD pin is used to receive data to be sent to the gateway from the main control module 10. The TXD pin is used to send downlink data received from the gateway to the main control module 10. The SET pin is used to receive configuration information from the main control module 10, which is used to configure the parameters of the chip U5. The CS pin is used to receive the chip select signal from the main control module 10 and determine whether to select the communication module 30 for wireless communication with the gateway based on the chip select information.

[0058] Both GND pins of chip U5 are grounded. Pin ANT is connected to the signal terminal SIG of the RF coaxial connector through resistor R41 and to interface JP1 through resistor R42. The model of the signal terminal SIG connected to the RF coaxial connector can be BWIPX-1-001E. This RF coaxial connector is used to connect the antenna, and both ground terminals GND of the RF coaxial connector are grounded.

[0059] In this embodiment, the 433MHz wireless communication module provides long-distance, low-power data transmission capabilities, ensuring reliable connection and data reporting in complex environments.

[0060] In this embodiment, the DC-DC buck converter circuit 21 adopts a DC-DC buck circuit based on a chip of model JW5060T, and the structure of the DC-DC buck circuit is as follows. Figure 6 As shown, U1 is a JW5060T chip. The 12V power supply output terminal JP0 has a positive and a negative terminal. The VIN pin of chip U1 is connected to the positive terminal of the 12V power supply output terminal JP0. The positive terminal of capacitor C10 is connected to the positive terminal of JP0, and the negative terminal is grounded. Capacitor C11 is connected in parallel with capacitor C10, and capacitors C10 and C11 are voltage regulators used to stabilize the voltage of the VIN pin of chip U1. The EN pin is connected to the positive terminal of JP0 through a pull-up resistor R10, and the GND pin is grounded. Pin SW is connected to the output terminal of DC-DC step-down converter circuit 21 through inductor L0. The output terminal outputs voltage VDD. The positive terminal of capacitor C14 is connected to the output terminal, and the negative terminal is grounded. The output terminal is equipped with capacitors C15, C16, C17, and C18 for voltage regulation. These capacitors C15, C16, C17, and C18 are connected in parallel. Pin FB is grounded through pull-down resistor R12. One end of resistor R13 is connected to pin FB, and the other end is connected to the positive terminal of capacitor C14. Resistor R11 is connected in series with capacitor C13 and then in parallel with resistor R13.

[0061] In this embodiment, the 12V power supply is used to provide a 12V DC voltage VSS. The chip U1 with model number JW5060T can perform DC-DC step-down conversion on the 12V DC voltage VSS to obtain a 4V DC voltage VDD.

[0062] In this embodiment, the linear regulator 22 is an LDO linear regulator based on the RT9193 chip, and the circuit of this linear regulator is as follows: Figure 7 As shown, U2 is a JW5060T chip. The VIN pin of chip U2 is connected to the input of linear regulator 22, which in turn is connected to the output of DC-DC buck converter 21 to obtain a 4V DC voltage VDD from the output of DC-DC buck converter 21. The GND pin of chip U2 is grounded, and the EN pin is connected to the input of linear regulator 22. One end of the voltage regulator capacitor C21 is connected to the input of linear regulator 22, and the other end is grounded. The OUT pin of chip U2 is connected to the output of linear regulator 22, which outputs a 3.3V DC voltage VEE. One end of the voltage regulator capacitor C22 is connected to this output, and the other end is grounded.

[0063] In this embodiment, the data acquisition device 60 includes a temperature and humidity sensor, a soil moisture sensor, and an ultrasonic meteorological sensor. The temperature and humidity sensor is model AHT10, the soil moisture sensor is model LT-CG-S / D-001-M2120-12, and the ultrasonic meteorological sensor is the Wanxiang Environmental ultrasonic anemometer WX-WQX.

[0064] The temperature and humidity sensor can collect temperature and humidity information of the environment where the terminal node is located, and send the monitored humidity information to the main control module 10; the soil moisture sensor can collect soil moisture information and send the moisture information to the main control module 10, wherein the moisture information includes soil temperature, humidity, soil conductivity, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content and pH value; the ultrasonic meteorological sensor can detect meteorological information of the terminal node and send the meteorological information to the main control module 10, wherein the meteorological information includes air pressure information, light information and rainfall information.

[0065] In this embodiment, temperature and humidity sensors, soil moisture sensors, and ultrasonic meteorological sensors are installed on the terminal node, enabling the terminal node to be applied in the agricultural field.

[0066] In this embodiment, the protocol conversion circuit 61 is an RS485 interface to serial port conversion circuit. The protocol conversion circuit 61 includes a chip U3 of model SP3485EN-L / TR, and the chip U3 is connected to an RS485 interface and a communication serial port. The RS485 interface includes an RS485_B1 terminal and an RS485_A1 terminal, and the RS485 interface is connected to the signal output terminal of the data acquisition device 60. The communication serial port includes a transmit terminal TX and a receive terminal RX, and the communication serial port is connected to the main control module 10.

[0067] The protocol conversion circuit 61 in this embodiment is as follows: Figure 8 As shown, the RS485_B1 terminal is grounded through a pull-down resistor R31, and the RS485_A1 terminal is connected to the output of the power module 20 through a pull-up resistor R33. A resistor R32 is connected between the RS485_B1 and RS485_A1 terminals. Pin RO of chip U3 is connected to the receive terminal RX in the communication serial port and is connected to the output of the power module 20 through a pull-up resistor. Pins RE# and DE are connected to the Y pin of the inverted Schmitt trigger U4. Pin DI of chip U3 is grounded, and pin VCC is connected to the output of the power module 20. One end of the voltage regulator capacitor C30 is connected to pin VCC of chip U3, and the other end is grounded. Pin B of chip U3 is connected to the RS485_B1 terminal in the RS485 interface, pin A is connected to the RS485_A1 terminal in the RS485 interface, and pin GND is grounded.

[0068] In this embodiment, the inverted Schmitt trigger U4 can be of model SN74LVC1G14DBVR. The VCC pin of the inverted Schmitt trigger U4 is connected to the output terminal of the power module 20, the NC pin is left floating, the A pin is connected to the transmit terminal TX in the communication serial port, and the GND pin is grounded.

[0069] In this embodiment, chip U3 can obtain data collected by data acquisition device 60 from RS485 interface, and then according to the output signals of data control pin RE# and pin DE, inverted Schmitt trigger U4 is turned on and off according to the output signal, so as to control the transmitting terminal TX to send data to the main control module 10 through pin A; the main control module 10 is connected to the receiving terminal RX, and sends data to chip U3 through the receiving terminal RX.

[0070] In this embodiment, the protocol conversion circuit is an RS485 interface to serial port conversion circuit. Since the RS485 interface is widely used in detection sensors, the applicability of the terminal node can be guaranteed.

[0071] In this embodiment, an inverted Schmitt trigger is used as the device to trigger the communication serial port transmission terminal. In other embodiments, other controllable devices can be used as the device to trigger the communication serial port transmission terminal, for example, an NPN transistor, with pins RE# and DE connected to the base of the NPN transistor. However, transistors have a relatively slow switching speed, which may prevent normal communication at high communication rates. Therefore, this invention uses an inverted Schmitt trigger to improve the reliability and stability of the protocol conversion circuit. Example 3:

[0072] This embodiment provides an Internet of Things (IoT) including multiple gateways, each of which is communicatively connected to multiple terminal nodes. Each terminal node is the same as the terminal nodes in the above embodiments. Since the structure and working principle of the terminal node have been described in detail in the above embodiments, the terminal node will not be specifically described in this embodiment to avoid redundancy.

[0073] Therefore, those skilled in the art should recognize that although many exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail herein, many other variations or modifications conforming to the principles of the present invention can be directly determined or derived from the disclosure of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be understood and recognized as covering all such other variations or modifications.

Claims

1. A terminal node for the Internet of Things, characterized in that, include: Power supply module, main control module, peripheral control module, communication module, and security module; The power module is connected to the power supply terminal of the main control module and is used to supply power to the main control module; The main control module is connected to the peripheral control module, and the peripheral control module is connected to the controlled device to send control commands to the controlled device. The main control module is connected to the communication module to communicate with the gateway; The main control module is connected to the security module to generate a key to encrypt the uplink data of the main control module.

2. The terminal node of the Internet of Things according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power module includes a 12V power supply, a DC-DC step-down converter circuit, and a linear regulator, wherein: The input terminal of the DC-DC step-down converter is connected to the output terminal of the 12V power supply, and the output terminal is connected to the input terminal of the linear regulator, for stepping down the voltage of the 12V power supply. The output terminal of the linear regulator is connected to the power supply terminal of the main control module to stabilize the voltage output by the DC-DC step-down converter circuit and supply power to the main control module.

3. The terminal node of the Internet of Things according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The main control module is connected to a data acquisition device, which is used at least to collect environmental information.

4. The terminal node of the Internet of Things according to claim 3, characterized in that, The data acquisition device includes multiple detection sensors, at least some of which are connected to the main control module via a protocol conversion circuit.

5. The terminal node of the Internet of Things according to claim 4, characterized in that, The protocol conversion circuit includes an RS485 protocol conversion chip, an RS485 interface and a communication serial port connected to the RS485 protocol conversion chip, wherein the RS485 interface is connected to the detection sensor and the communication serial port is connected to the main control module.

6. The terminal node of the Internet of Things according to claim 3, characterized in that, The data acquisition device includes at least one of a temperature and humidity sensor, a soil moisture sensor, and an ultrasonic meteorological sensor.

7. The terminal node of the Internet of Things according to claim 1, characterized in that, The security module is connected to the main control module via an integrated circuit bus.

8. The terminal node of the Internet of Things according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The communication module is a wireless communication module, which is used for communication connection to the gateway.

9. The terminal node of the Internet of Things according to claim 8, characterized in that, The wireless communication module is a 433MHz wireless communication module.

10. An Internet of Things (IoT) characterized in that, include: Multiple gateways, wherein each of the gateways is communicatively connected to multiple terminal nodes as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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