A method and a system for managing sensor allocation in an industrial internet of things (IOT) network

Abstract

Present disclosure discloses method and system for managing sensor allocation in an industrial IOT network. Method includes receiving input data related to plurality of sensors and plurality of gateways deployed in an industrial IoT network. Method includes sorting each of one or more sensors based on corresponding input data. Method includes allocating one or more sensors to one of corresponding plurality of gateways based on sorting and predefined criteria related to corresponding plurality of gateways. One or more sensors allocated to one of plurality of gateways are excluded from further allocation to remaining gateways of plurality of gateways. Method includes updating allocation of one or more sensors to each of corresponding plurality of gateways. Therefore, present disclosure facilitates an optimized management of sensor allocation in industrial IoT network.

Description

P241064W001TITLE: A METHOD AND A SYSTEM FOR MANAGING SENSOR ALLOCATION IN AN INDUSTRIAL INTERNET OF THINGS (IOT) NETWORKTECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of wireless communication and Internet of Things (loT). More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and a system for managing sensor allocation in an industrial loT network.BACKGROUND

[0002] The Internet of Things (loT) refers to a platform (e.g., network structure) such as an Internet-like network, which may link identifiable things (e.g., objects or people) and / or their virtual representations. For example, smart sensors may be objects of an loT network, which may be identifiable via Radio-Frequency Identifications (RFIDs), addresses (e.g., IP addresses), or other identification means within the loT or the Internet. Generally, the smart sensors are configured in industrial loT networks to monitor industrial assets for data collection and cloud processing. To transmit data related to equipment in the industrial loT network across multiple interconnected and remote entities, smart sensors may communicatively connect with intermediate equipment such as gateways. It is essential to efficiently communicate information via the gateways in the industrial loT networks.

[0003] The information disclosed in this background of the disclosure section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.SUMMARY

[0004] The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.

[0005] In an embodiment, a method of managing sensor allocation in an industrial Internet of Things (loT) network is disclosed. The method includes receiving, by a processor, input dataP241064W001related to a plurality of sensors and a plurality of gateways deployed in an industrial loT network. One or more sensors from the plurality of sensors are detected by one or more gateways of the plurality of gateways. The method includes sorting, by the processor, each of the one or more sensors detected by each of the one or more gateways based on the corresponding input data. The method includes allocating, by the processor, the one or more sensors to one of the corresponding plurality of gateways based on the sorting and a predefined criteria related to the corresponding plurality of gateways. The one or more sensors allocated to one of the plurality of gateways are excluded from further allocation to remaining gateways of the plurality of gateways. The method includes updating, by the processor, the allocation of the one or more sensors to each of the corresponding plurality of gateways.

[0006] In an embodiment, an allocation system for managing sensor allocation in an industrial Internet of Things (IOT) network is disclosed. The system includes a memory that stores processor-executable instructions. The system includes a processor configured to execute the processor-executable instructions stored in the memory and thereby configured to receive input data related to a plurality of sensors and a plurality of gateways deployed in an industrial loT network. One or more sensors from the plurality of sensors are detected by one or more gateways of the plurality of gateways. The processor is configured to sort each of the one or more sensors detected by each of the one or more gateways based on the corresponding input data. The processor is configured to allocate the one or more sensors to one of the corresponding plurality of gateways based on the sorting and a predefined criteria related to the corresponding plurality of gateways. The one or more sensors allocated to one of the plurality of gateways are excluded from further allocation to remaining gateways of the plurality of gateways. The processor is configured to update the allocation of the one or more sensors to each of the corresponding plurality of gateways.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the disclosed principles . The same numbers are used throughout the figures to reference features and components. Some embodiments of at least one of device and methods in accordance with embodiments of the present subject matter are now described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:P241064W001

[0008] Fig. 1 shows an exemplary environment in which some embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced;

[0009] Fig. 2 shows an allocation system for managing sensor allocation in an industrial Internet of Things (IOT) network, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0010] Fig. 3 shows an exemplary detailed industrial loT network, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0011] Fig. 4a shows an exemplary graph illustrating sensor detection in an industrial loT network, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0012] Fig. 4b shows an exemplary graph illustrating redundant sensors detected in an industrial loT network, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0013] Fig. 4c shows an exemplary graph illustrating cluster view of sensors allocated to each gateway in an industrial loT network, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figs. 5a-5d show exemplary graphs illustrating sensor allocation to individual gateways in an industrial loT network, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0015] Fig. 6 shows a flow chart of a method of managing sensor allocation in an industrial Internet of Things (IOT) network, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0016] Fig. 7 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary computer system for implementing embodiments consistent with the present disclosure.

[0017] The figures depict embodiments of the disclosure for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein.P241064W001DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] In the present document, the word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any embodiment or implementation of the present subject matter described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.

[0019] While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof has been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail below. It should be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternative falling within the spirit and the scope of the disclosure.

[0020] The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a setup, device, or method that comprises a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup or device or method. In other words, one or more elements in a device or system or apparatus proceeded by “comprises... a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the device, system, or apparatus.

[0021] Disclosed herein is a method and a system for managing sensor allocation in an industrial Internet of Things (loT) network. Existing systems suffer from sensor overlap, where multiple gateways detect same sensors, thereby leading to redundant operations, unnecessary data traffic and increased computational load. Another challenge lies in the lack of structured planning for deploying loT gateways. Currently, gateways are placed in approximate locations without a systematic approach, often resulting in uneven coverage. Some sensors may fall outside the effective range of any gateway due to weak Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) values, while others may connect to multiple gateways, causing data conflicts and inefficiencies. Existing techniques primarily rely on manual methods or trial -and-error methods for gateway placement and sensor allocation. The existing methods are time-consuming, error-prone, and fail to address the problem of overlap effectively.P241064W001

[0022] Particularly, sensors are critical to an industrial setup. For an instance, a delay or a loss during transmission of information from the sensors may lead to delays in decision making and may be further hazardous in the industrial setup. Therefore, it is critical to maintain an efficient communication between the sensors and the gateways to avoid loss of information.

[0023] Therefore, the present disclosure discloses a method and a system for managing sensor allocation in an industrial loT network. The present disclosure facilitates detection of sensors in the industrial loT network, sorting the sensors based on RS SI values and allocating the sensors to a gateway based on the sorting and a predefined criteria specific to the corresponding gateway. Particularly, the allocated sensors are excluded from being allocated to other gateways in the industrial loT network based on the predefined criteria. In this manner, the present disclosure facilitates an optimized management of sensor allocation in an industrial loT network:• Automation of sensor-to-gateway allocation, thereby reducing deployment time. • Optimization of number of gateways required for deployment in the industrial loT network.• Elimination of redundant operations, thereby improving data accuracy.• Scalability by adapting to diverse industrial setups and sensor counts.• Simplified allocation process thereby providing an intuitive visualization and actionable recommendations for efficient management in the industrial loT network of an industry.

[0024] In the following detailed description of the embodiments of the disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.

[0025] Various embodiments of the present disclosure are hereinafter explained with reference to Figs. 1-8.P241064W001

[0026] Fig. 1 illustrates an exemplary environment in which some embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced. As shown, the environment 100 (also referred as industrial loT network) includes an allocation system 102, gateway 104i, agateway 1042, . and a gateway 104N (collectively referred to as plurality of gateways) and a sensor 1031 to a sensor 103N (collectively referred to as a plurality of sensors 103). The allocation system 102 further includes an Input / Output (I / O) interface 108, a memory 110 and a processor 112, as shown in Fig. 1. The allocation system 102 may be connected to the plurality of gateways 104 through a communication network 106. The communication network 106 may be at least one of a wired communication network and a wireless communication network. The plurality of gateways 104 are communicatively connected to the plurality of sensors 103. In some embodiments, the plurality of gateways 104 may be connected to the plurality of sensors 103 via wireless communication network as shown in the FIG.l, however this should not be construed as a limitation of the present disclosure as the connection may also be a wired communication network or a combination of wired and wireless communication network (not shown in the FIG.l).

[0027] In the context of the present disclosure, the phrase “plurality of sensors 103” may refer to all the sensors configured in the loT environment. The plurality of sensors 103 may include, but not limited to, sensors that are detected by one or more gateways of the plurality of gateways 104, and sensors that are undetected by none of the plurality of gateways 104. In the context of the present disclosure, sensor 1051 to sensor 105N (collectively referred to as one or more sensors 105) as shown in the FIG.1 are the one or more sensors detected by one or more gateways of the plurality of gateways 104. Therefore, in the present disclosure, the phrase “one or more sensors 105” may refer to the sensors detected by the one or more gateways of the plurality of gateways 104.

[0028] In an embodiment, the industrial loT network may be part of an industrial setup including, but not limited to, manufacturing, transportation, automation, and the like. In an embodiment, the allocation system 102 may be a device operated by an operator of industrial assets in the industrial loT network. In another embodiment, the allocation system 102 may be embedded or configured in the device operated by the operator. As an example, the allocation system 102 may include, but not limited to, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a Personal Computer (PC), a notebook, a smartphone, a tablet, e-book readers, a server, a network server,P241064W001a cloud-based server, router, and the like. In one implementation, the allocation system 102 may be deployed in the industrial loT network in the industrial setup and may be deployed within Industrial Control Systems (ICS). In an embodiment, the ICS may include a plurality of industrial monitoring systems operatively coupled to the allocation system 102. In another implementation, the allocation system 102 may be deployed at a different location and each of the plurality of gateways 104 may communicate with the allocation system 102. Therefore, the allocation system 102 may be implemented in an edge computing platform or in a cloud computing platform. According to these embodiments, functionalities of the allocation system 102 may be hosted on a cloud based server associated with the industrial monitoring system or locally in the industrial monitoring system.

[0029] Each of the plurality of gateways 104 associated with the industrial assets that may include, but not limited to, a Distributed Control System (DCS), edge devices, or any industrial device capable of hosting the plurality of sensors 103. In some embodiments, the plurality of sensors 103 are loT based sensors deployed in the loT environment to monitor and measure data associated with at least one of, the corresponding industrial asset and other environmental parameters in the industrial setup. Some non-limiting examples of the sensors may include, humidity sensor, motion sensor, temperature sensor and gas sensor. The plurality of sensors 103 are loT based sensors, hence the measured or observed data may be communicated via a communication interface to the corresponding plurality of gateways 104. In an embodiment, the communication interface may be at least one of a wired communication network or a wireless communication network. In an embodiment, each of the plurality of gateways 104 may be any industrial devices, that may include, but not limited to, Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), Industrial Personal Computers (IPCs), Single Board Computers (SBCs), specialized gateway devices, and the like. In another embodiment, the gateway may correspond to a virtual gateway implemented as a software. According to this embodiment, gateway functionalities may be handled by a software program running on a server or within a cloud environment.

[0030] In an embodiment, each of the plurality of gateways 104 may be associated with a transceiver to establish connection with the allocation system 102 via a communication network 106. It is understood that each of the plurality of gateways 104 may be in operative communication with the communication network 106, such as the Internet, enabled by aP241064W001network provider, also known as an Internet Service Provider (ISP). The plurality of gateways 104 may be connected to the communication network 106 using a wireless network. Some nonlimiting examples of wireless networks may include the Wireless LAN (WLAN), cellular networks, Bluetooth or ZigBee networks, and the like.

[0031] Upon establishing the connection, the allocation system 102 is configured to receive input data related to the plurality of sensors 103 and the plurality of gateways 104 deployed in the industrial loT network. The input data comprises information related to the corresponding plurality of gateways 104 and the plurality of sensors 103 deployed in the industrial loT network. The allocation system 102 based on the input data interprets the one or more sensors 105 from the plurality of sensors 103 that are detected by the one or more gateways of the plurality of gateways 104 deployed in the industrial loT network. As discussed in the some sections of the present disclosure, when one sensor is detected by more than one gateway, the data related to the sensor may be communicated to each of these gateways that have detected the sensor. Hence, this leads to sensor overlap, where multiple gateways detect same sensors, further leading to redundant operations, unnecessary data traffic and increased computational load. In an embodiment, the allocation system 102 is configured to perform allocation of the one or more sensors 105 in a manner that a sensor which is allocated to one gateway is excluded from being allocated to remaining gateways in the industrial loT network. Therefore, the allocation system 102 addresses the problem of sensor overlap while maintaining a structured planning for deploying gateways in the industrial loT network.

[0032] Various embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a method performed by the allocation system 102 for managing sensor allocation in the industrial loT network. The allocation system 102 performs allocation of the one or more sensors 105 to one of the corresponding plurality of gateways 104. The operations performed by the allocation system 102 are explained in detail with reference to Fig. 2.

[0033] Fig. 2 illustrates an allocation system 102 for managing sensor allocation in the industrial loT network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As already explained, the allocation system 102 may establish a connection with each of the plurality of gateways 104 for receiving the input data.P241064W001

[0034] In an embodiment, the allocation system 102 may be communicatively connected to the plurality of gateways 104 using a wired network, a wireless network, or a combination of wired and wireless networks. Some non-limiting examples of the wired networks may include the Ethernet, the Local Area Network (LAN), a fiber-optic network, and the like. Some nonlimiting examples of the wireless networks may include the Wireless LAN (WLAN), cellular networks, Bluetooth or ZigBee networks, and the like. An example of the communication network is the Internet.

[0035] In an embodiment, the allocation system 102 comprises the processor 112, the memory 110, the input / output interface 108 and a network interface 202. It shall be noted that, in some embodiments, the allocation system 102 may include more or fewer components than those depicted herein. The various components of the allocation system 102 may be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or any combinations thereof, further, the various components of the allocation system 102 may be operably coupled with each other. More specifically, various components of the allocation system 102 may be capable of communicating with each other using communication channel media (such as buses, interconnects, etc.).

[0036] In one embodiment, the processor 112 may be embodied as a multi-core processor, a single core processor, or a combination of one or more multi-core processors and one or more single core processors. For example, the processor 112 may be embodied as one or more of various processing devices, such as a coprocessor, a microprocessor, a controller, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a processing circuitry with or without an accompanying DSP, or various other processing devices including, a Microcontroller Unit (MCU), a hardware accelerator, a special-purpose computer chip, or the like. In an embodiment, the processor 112 may be configured to generate an allocation list for the each of the plurality of gateways 104, while allocating each of the plurality of sensors 103 to only one gateway from the plurality of gateways 104.

[0037] In one embodiment, the memory 110 is capable of storing machine executable instructions, referred to herein as instructions 204. In an embodiment, the processor 112 is embodied as an executor of software instructions. As such, the processor 112 is capable ofP241064W001executing the instructions 204 stored in the memory 110 to perform one or more operations described herein.

[0038] The memory 110 can be any type of storage accessible to the processor 112 to perform respective functionalities. For example, the memory 110 may include one or more volatile or non-volatile memories, or a combination thereof. For example, the memory 110 may be embodied as semiconductor memories, such as flash memory, mask ROM, PROM (programmable ROM), EPROM (erasable PROM), RAM (random access memory), etc., and the like. Further, the memory 110 is also capable of storing a sorted lists 206, a predefined criteria 208, allocation strategy 210, and the like.

[0039] The input data is related to the plurality of sensors 103 and the plurality of gateways 104 deployed in the industrial loT network. Initially, the one or more sensors 105 from the plurality of sensors 103 are detected by the one or more gateways from the plurality of gateways 104. The processor 112 may receive the input data from one or more predefined sources upon establishing the connection with the plurality of gateways 104. In an embodiment, the one or more predefined sources may be gateway management services hosted on a distinct cloud platform. Predominantly, the gateway management services provide support and information related to each of the plurality of gateways 104 throughout the life cycle of the corresponding plurality of gateways 104. In an embodiment, customers may subscribe for availing the gateway management services such that a part of the input data may be provided by the customers to the gateway management services. In an embodiment, the input data may include, but not limited to, an identifier of each of the plurality of gateways 104, a position of each of the plurality of gateways 104, a number of sensors detected by each of the plurality of gateways 104, an identifier of each of the plurality of sensors 103, a position of each of the plurality of sensors 103, and a RS SI value of each of the one or more sensors 105 detected by each of the plurality of gateways 104, and the like.

[0040] In an embodiment, the input data may require updation by the operator when there are modifications in the infrastructure of the industrial loT network. Particularly, the modifications may impact the connections established between various entities in the industrial loT network, leading to weak signals shared between the entities. In an example, the modifications mayP241064W001include, but not limited to, deployment of new assets in the industrial loT network, construction of a wall or room in the industrial setup, and the like.

[0041] The processor 112 may be configured to sort each of the one or more sensors 105 detected by each of the one or more gateways based on the corresponding input data. In an embodiment, the processor 112 may identify each of the plurality of gateways 104 and each of the one or more sensors 105 detected by the corresponding one or more gateways of the plurality of gateways 104, based on the input data. Particularly, the processor 112 may utilize the input data corresponding to the identifier of each of the plurality of gateways 104, the number of sensors detected by each of the plurality of gateways 104, and the identifier of each of the plurality of sensors 103 detected by each of the plurality of gateways 104, for the identification.

[0042] In an embodiment, the processor 112 may be configured to rank each of the one or more sensors 105 in a descending order based on the RSSI value of each of the one or more sensors 105. Based on the RSSI value of each of the one or more sensors 105 at each of the plurality of gateways 104, the processor 112 may rank a sensor with highest RSSI value first. Therefore, the processor 112 based on the sorting, may generate the sorted lists 206 for each gateway of the plurality of gateways 104 in the industrial loT network. Each sorted list comprises a list of sensors detected by the corresponding plurality of gateways 104 ranked in the descending order based on the RSSI value. In an embodiment, the sorted lists 206 generated by the processor are stored in the memory 110. In an embodiment, the processor 112, based on the input data, may also generate an unallocated list comprising one or more sensors 105 which are not detected by any of the plurality of gateways 104. For example, the industrial loT network may comprise of the one or more sensors 105 which may be undetected by each of the plurality of gateways 104. In an embodiment, the one or more sensors 105 may be undetected as they may not be deployed within a range of any of the plurality of gateways 104. In an embodiment, the processor 112 may identify, apart from the one or more sensors 105, rest of the sensors among the plurality of sensors 103 as undetected sensors i.e., sensors that are undetected by any of the plurality of gateways 104. Thereafter, the processor 112 may add the undetected sensors to the unallocated list of sensors.P241064W001

[0043] The processor 112 may be further configured to allocate the one or more sensors 105 from the plurality of sensors 103 to one of the corresponding plurality of gateways 104. The processor 112 may perform the allocation based on the sorted lists 206 of the plurality of gateways 104 and based on the predefined criteria 208. The predefined criteria 208 comprises a first criteria corresponding to determining whether the RSSI value of the sensor is greater than or equal to a preconfigured RSSI threshold value. The predefined criteria 208 further comprises a second criteria corresponding to determining whether number of sensors allocated to each of the plurality of gateways 104 is less than a preconfigured sensor handling capacity of the corresponding plurality of gateways 104. In an embodiment, the number of sensors corresponds to current number of sensors allocated to the corresponding plurality of gateways 104 during the allocation performed by the processor 112. In an embodiment, the processor 112 may generate an allocation list for the each of the plurality of gateways 104, upon completion of the allocation of the one or more sensors 105. The processor 112 may be configured to add the one or more sensors 105 to the allocation list when the predefined criteria 208 is satisfied by the corresponding one or more sensors 105. The processor 112 may be configured to add the one or more sensors 105 to the unallocated list when at least one of the first criteria or the second criteria is not satisfied by the corresponding one or more sensors 105. The allocation list and the unallocated list are stored in the memory 110.

[0044] For example, consider an industrial loT network with two gateways, G1 and G2, and five sensors SI, S2, S3, S4, and S5. The RSSI values of the five sensors at the two gateways are assumed as given in Table 1. Further, the preconfigured RSSI threshold value during allocation is assumed as -80 dBm and the preconfigured sensor handling capacity for the gateway G1 is assumed as a capacity of two sensors and for the gateway G2 is assumed as a capacity of one sensor.Table 1P241064W001

[0045] In view of the above example, the processor 112 performs the sorting and generates two sorted lists 206 for each gateway G1 and G2. Particularly, the processor 112 ranks the sensors S1-S5 based on their RSSI values given in Table 1. Therefore, the two sorted lists 206 for gateways G1 and G2 may be generated by the processor 112 as follows:Gl: Sl(-50), S5(-60), S2(-70), S3(-80), S4(-90)G2: S5(-55), Sl(-60), S2(-65), S3(-75), S4(-85)

[0046] As seen from the above generated sorted lists 206, the sensor with highest signal strength is prioritized over the sensors with lower signal strengths. Particularly, the sensor SI with RSSI value -50 dBm is with highest priority and the sensor S4 with RSSI value -90 dBm is with lowest priority in the sorted list generated for gateway Gl . Similarly, the sensor S5 with RSSI value -55 dBm is with highest priority and the sensor S4 with RSSI value -85 dBm is with lowest priority in the sorted list generated for gateway G2.

[0047] Upon generating the sorted lists 206 for gateways Gl and G2, the processor 112 is configured to perform the allocation based on the sorted lists 206 and the predefined criteria 208. For gateway Gl, considering the first criteria, the processor 112 adds the sensor S4 to the unallocated list as the RSSI value of S4 at Gl is -90 dBm which is lesser than the preconfigured RSSI threshold value which corresponds to -80 dBm, according to the current example. Similarly, for gateway G2, the processor 112 adds the sensor S4 to the unallocated list as the RSSI value of S4 at G2 is -85 dBm which is lesser than -80 dBm.

[0048] Thereafter, the processor 112 is configured to allocate the sensors SI, S2, S3, and S5 (excluding sensor S4) to the gateways Gl and G2. In an embodiment, the allocation is performed in a sequential order, wherein the gateway Gl is allocated with the sensors and G2 is allocated with the remaining sensors post concluding the allocation for Gl.

[0049] Particularly, from the above example, the allocation of sensors SI, S2, S3, and S5 to gateway Gl is performed in the following manner:51 allocated to Gl (RSSI value: -50 dBm)S5 allocated to Gl (RSSI value: -60 dBm)52 not allocated (Gl’s sensor handling capacity reached)P241064W001S3 not allocated (Gl’s sensor handling capacity reached)

[0050] Based on the sorted list of Gl, sensors SI and S5 hold higher priority with respect to signal strengths. Therefore, the in the above allocation for Gl, the sensors SI and S2 are prioritized during allocation. While the remaining sensors S2 and S3 are added to the unallocated list which will be further accessed during the allocation for the remaining gateways (G2 according to the current example). Thus, the gateway Gl is allocated with sensors SI and S5, which hold the RSSI values greater than the preconfigured RSSI threshold value (i.e., -80 dBm) and the capacity is within the preconfigured sensor handling capacity of gateway Gl (i.e., capacity of handling two sensors).

[0051] Similarly, the allocation of sensors SI, S2, S3, and S5 to gateway Gl is performed in the following manner:S5 already allocated to Gl51 already allocated to Gl52 allocated to G2 (RSSI value: -65 dBm)53 not allocated (G2’s sensor handling capacity reached)

[0052] Based on the sorted list of G2, sensors S5 and S 1 hold higher priority with respect to signal strengths. However, as the two sensors S5 and SI are already allocated to the gateway Gl, the processor 112 excludes the already allocated sensors from being allocated to remaining gateways (gateway G2 in current example) in the industrial loT network. Therefore, the processor iterates further in the sorted list of G2 and identifies sensor S2 with next higher priority after S5 and SI. Accordingly, the sensor S2 with RSSI value -65 dBm is allocated to gateway G2. As mentioned above, the preconfigured sensor handling capacity of gateway G2 was assumed as one sensor. Therefore, upon allocating sensor S2 to gateway G2, the capacity as per the preconfigured sensor handling capacity of gateway G2 is reached. Thereafter, the remaining sensor S3 in the sorted list is added to the unallocated list by the processor 112. Thus, the gateway Gl is allocated with the sensor S2, which holds the RSSI value greater than the preconfigured RSSI threshold value (i.e., -80 dBm) and the capacity is within the preconfigured sensor handling capacity of gateway Gl (i.e., capacity of handling one sensor).P241064W001

[0053] According to the above example, the sensors SI and S5 are allocated to gateway G1 and sensor S2 is allocated to gateway G2. Therefore, the allocation of the one or more sensors 105 to the corresponding gateways is performed in a manner that the one or more sensors 105 allocated to one of the plurality of gateways 104 are always excluded from being allocated to the remaining gateways of the plurality of gateways 104.

[0054] In some embodiments, upon allocation of the one or more sensors 105, the processor 112 may be further configured to perform reallocation of the allocated one or more sensors 105 based on proximity of each of the one or more sensors 105 to each of the plurality of gateways 104. In an embodiment, the processor 112 may be configured to determine the proximity based on the position of each of the plurality of sensors 103 relative to the position of each of the plurality of gateways 104. For instance, there is a possibility that a sensor is allocated to a gateway though the sensor may be positioned at a far proximity. This typically may occur when the sensor satisfies the predefined criteria of the gateway for which the allocation is performed prior to other gateways in the industrial loT network. Therefore, though the sensor may be positioned closer to another gateway in the industrial loT network, the sensor may not be allocated to the gateway which is in a close proximity to the sensor. This is because the sensor is already allocated to the gateway for which the allocation is completed. Therefore, the processor 112 may perform reallocation of the sensor to the gateway which is in the close proximity to the sensor compared to other gateways of the plurality of gateways 104. For example, consider three gateways (Gl, G2, G3) and even sensors (S1-S7) deployed in the industrial loT network. Consider the preconfigured sensor handling capacity of gateways Gl and G2 is three sensors and that of the gateway G3 is two sensors. Consider the following allocation in Table 2 is performed by the processor 112 of the allocation system 102:Table 2

[0055] From Table 2, it is seen that the capacity as per the preconfigured sensor handling capacity of gateways Gl and G2 is reached whereas the capacity as per the preconfiguredP241064W001sensor handling capacity of gateway G3 is not reached. Further consider, sensor S7 is proximal to gateway G3 when compared to gateway Gl, however, the sensor S7 is already allocated to gateway Gl prior to gateway G3. Therefore, the processor 112 may initiate reallocation of the sensor S7 to gateway G3 from gateway Gl due to the proximity. The processor 112 performs the reallocation based on the position of the sensor S7 relative to each of the positions of the gateways G1-G3. Therefore, upon performing reallocation, the number of sensors allocated to gateway Gl changes from three to two, thereby enabling allocation of one more sensor until the gateway G3 reaches the complete capacity as per its preconfigured sensor handling capacity. Therefore, in case there are any unallocated sensors, the processor 112 may allocate one of the unallocated sensors from the unallocated list of sensors to gateway Gl due to the available slot.

[0056] In an embodiment, the processor 112 may be further configured to access the unallocated list from the memory 110. Based on the unallocated list, the processor 112 may recommend an allocation strategy 210 to allocate the one or more sensors 105 from the unallocated list to one of the plurality of gateways 104. In an embodiment, the processor may recommend to reallocate one or more allocated sensors to one of the plurality of gateways 104 that can accommodate the one or more unallocated sensors in view of the preconfigured sensor handling capacity, post the allocation. For example, consider three gateways (Gl, G2, G3) and ten sensors (S1-S10) are deployed in the industrial loT network.

[0057] Consider the preconfigured sensor handling capacity of gateways Gl is G2 is three sensors and that of the gateway G3 is four sensors. Further consider, the preconfigured RS SI threshold value at gateway Gl is -50 dBm, at gateway G2 is -60 dBm and at gateway G3 is -40 dBm. Considering the gateway Gl is allocated with SI, S2, S6, the gateway G2 is allocated with S4, S7, S9 and the gateway G3 is allocated with S3 and S5, based on the sorting order and the predefined criteria 208 associated with the corresponding gateways. Therefore, from the above example, it is understood that the capacity as per the preconfigured sensor handling capacity of gateways Gl and G2 is reached, while that of the gateway G3 is not reached. In this example, sensors S8 and S 10 are added to the unallocated list, as they are not allocated to any of the gateways G1-G3 due to at least one of the predefined criteria 208 not being satisfied. Further, it is noted that it is possible for the third gateway G3 to further accommodate two sensors before it reaches its complete capacity as per the preconfigured sensor handlingP241064W001capacity. However, the third gateway G3 may not accommodate sensors S8 and S10 due to non-compliance with the first criteria, in other words, the RSSI values of the sensors S8 and S 10 is not greater than or equal to the preconfigured RSSI threshold value of the gateway G3.

[0058] In some embodiments, each of the plurality of gateways 104 may hold a predefined adjustable signal strength which may be acceptable at the corresponding plurality of gateways 104. The predefined adjustable signal strength may correspond to a signal strength by which the preconfigured RSSI threshold value may be adjusted. Therefore, when the capacity as per the preconfigured sensor handling capacity of the corresponding plurality of gateways 104 is not reached, then the processor 112 may recommend to allocate the unallocated sensors to the corresponding plurality of gateways 104. In continuation to the above example, the processor 112 may recommend to allocate the sensors S8 and S10 to the third gateway G3, based on the predefined adjustable signal strength acceptable at the corresponding gateway (G3 in current example). For instance, consider the predefined adjustable signal strength of sensors which is acceptable at the gateway G3 may be +10 dBm from the preconfigured RSSI threshold value which corresponds to -40 dBm.

[0059] Therefore, in first example, if the RSSI values of the sensors S8 and S 10 at gateway G3 correspond to -50 dBm, the processor 112 may consider allocating the sensors S8 and S10 to gateway G3 based on the predefined adjustable signal strength. Though the RSSI values of sensors S8 and S10 may correspond to -50 dBm, the processor 112 may consider the RSSI values as -40 dBm which are obtained based on the predefined adjustable signal strength of +10 dBm. Therefore, since the RSSI values considered by processor 112 for the sensors S8 and S10 are equal to the preconfigured RSSI threshold of gateway G3, which is -40 dBm, the processor 112 recommends to allocate the sensors S8 and S10 to the gateway G3.

[0060] However, in second example, if the RSSI values of the sensors S8 and S10 at gateway G3 correspond to -60 dBm, the processor 112 may not consider allocating the sensors S8 and S10 to gateway G3 based on the predefined adjustable signal strength. Particularly, since the RSSI values of sensors S8 and S10 may correspond to -60 dBm, the processor 112 may consider the RSSI values as -50 dBm which are obtained based on the predefined adjustable signal strength corresponding to +10 dBm. Therefore, since the RSSI values considered by processor 112 for the sensors S8 and S10 are not within the preconfigured RSSI threshold ofP241064W001gateway G3, which is -40 dBm, the processor 112 may not recommend allocating the sensors S8 and S10 to the gateway G3.

[0061] In continuation of the second example, when the sensors S8 and S 10 are not allocated to the gateway G3, even based on the predefined adjustable signal strength, the processor 112 may select the one or more allocated sensors for reallocation to gateway G3. In an embodiment, the selection of the one or more allocated sensors for reallocation may also be based on the predefined adjustable signal strength. For example, consider the current RSSI value of sensor S6 at gateway G1 may be -50 dBm and the current RSSI value of sensor S9 at gateway G2 may be -50 dBm. Therefore, as the predefined adjustable signal strength of sensors acceptable at gateway G3 corresponds to +10 dBm, the processor 112 may consider the RSSI values of sensor S6 and S9 at gateway G3 as -40 dBm. As the RSSI values considered by the processor 112 based on the predefined adjustable signal strength are equal to the preconfigured RSSI threshold of gateway G3, which is -40 dBm, the processor 112 may recommend to allocate the sensors S6 and S9 to the gateway G3. Therefore, upon reallocating sensors S6 and S9 to gateway G3, the capacity as per the preconfigured sensor handling capacity of gateways G1 and G2 becomes available for accommodating one sensor, each gateway G1 and G2. Accordingly, the sensors S8 and S10 with RSSI values corresponding to -60 dBm may be allocated to gateway G2 which holds the preconfigured RSSI threshold value of -60 dBm. However, as mentioned above, the preconfigured sensor handling capacity of gateway G2 corresponds to only three sensors. Therefore, only one among the two sensors S8 and S10 may be assigned to the gateway G2. Considering, the sensor S8 is allocated to gateway Gl, the unallocated list may now comprise only one sensor S10. Therefore, the remaining sensors in the unallocated list may be allocated based on the remaining recommendations in the allocation strategy 210.

[0062] In another embodiment, the processor 112 may recommend the allocation strategy 210 comprising a recommendation to reallocate the one or more allocated sensors based on corresponding proximities determined for each of the one or more allocated sensors. Particularly, post allocation, if there are one or more sensors 105 remaining in the unallocated list of sensors, then, the processor 112 may perform reallocation of the one or more sensors 105 in the unallocated list, to the corresponding plurality of gateways 104 which may be in theP241064W001close proximity to the corresponding one or more sensors 105 compared to rest of the plurality of gateways 104.

[0063] In another embodiment, the processor 112 may recommend the allocation strategy 210 comprising a recommendation to deactivate the one or more allocated sensors which are associated with transmission of duplicate data. For example, if more than one allocated sensor in the industrial loT network transmits the duplicate data for the same asset, the processor 112 may recommend deactivating one of the sensor from the allocated sensor to save power in the industrial loT network of the industry. Accordingly, the capacity occupied by the sensors transmitting the duplicate data may be replaced with accommodating sensors from the unallocated list.

[0064] In another embodiment, the processor 112 may recommend the allocation strategy 210 comprising a recommendation to modify a geographical position of at least one gateway of the plurality of gateways 104. Particularly, this recommendation is generated when it is not possible to allocate the sensors in the unallocated list, even based on one of the recommendations of reallocation. In an embodiment, the processor 112 may recommend an updated geographical location for at least one gateway of the plurality of gateways 104. In an embodiment, the processor 112 may also generate a list of effected sensors in the industrial loT network. The list of effected sensors may comprise of one or more sensors 105 which may get effected due to the modification of the geographical position of the at least one gateway to the updated geographical location. For example, the processor 112 may generate the updated geographical location indicating new coordinates towards which the at least one gateway should be relocated. Furthermore, the processor 112 may generate the list of effected sensors due to relocation of the at least one gateway to the new coordinates. Therefore, based on the updated geographical position and the corresponding lists of effected sensors, the operators take decisions on which gateway among the plurality of gateways 104 in the industrial loT network must be relocated. In an embodiment, the operators may take decisions in a manner that the relocation of the at least one gateway does not affect the one or more sensors 105 in the list of effected sensors. Therefore, upon relocating at least one of the plurality of gateways 104, one or more sensors 105 from the unallocated list of sensors may be allocated to the relocated the at least one of the plurality of gateways 104.P241064W001

[0065] In another embodiment, the processor 112 may recommend the allocation strategy 210 may comprise a recommendation to modify a geographical position of the unallocated sensors identified from the unallocated list. Similar to the recommendation of modifying the geographical position of the at least one gateway, the geographical position of the unallocated sensors may also be modified. Particularly, this recommendation is generated when it is not possible to allocate the sensors in the unallocated list, even based on one of the recommendations of reallocation or based on the recommendation of modifying the geographical location of at least one gateway of the plurality of gateways 104. In an embodiment, the processor 112 may recommend an updated geographical location for the corresponding one or more sensors 105 in the unallocated list of sensors. In an embodiment, it may not be possible to relocate the geographical position of the one or more sensors 105 in the unallocated list of sensors. This may be due to non-modifiable infrastructure of the industrial loT network.

[0066] In yet another embodiment, the processor 112 may recommend the allocation strategy 210 comprising a recommendation to deploy a new gateway in the industrial loT network. Particularly, this recommendation is generated when it is not possible to allocate the sensors in the unallocated list, even based on one of the recommendations of reallocation, the recommendation of modifying the geographical location of at least one of the plurality of gateways 104 as well as the recommendation of modifying the geographical location of the one or more sensors 105 in the unallocated list of sensors. Therefore, the processor 112 may recommend to deploy one or more new gateways to accommodate the one or more sensors 105 in the unallocated list of sensors. In an embodiment, the processor 112 may also recommend a geographical location indicating coordinates for the deployment of the one or more new gateways. The operator may accordingly plan for the deployment based on the generated recommendation.

[0067] The allocation strategy 210 is provided to the operator via the I / O interface 108. Further, based on the allocation strategy 210, the operator may opt for one or more recommendations generated in the allocation strategy 210. Upon opting for the one or more recommendations, the operator provides the opted recommendation as an input to the allocation system 102. Thereafter, the processor 112 may be configured to iteratively perform the generation of the allocation list and the unallocated list, until there are no further unallocated sensors to allocateP241064W001in the loT environment (i.e., each of the plurality of sensors 103 are allocated to one of the corresponding plurality of gateways 104).

[0068] Thereafter, the processor 112 may be configured to update each of the corresponding plurality of gateways 104 regarding the corresponding allocation lists. Therefore, each of the corresponding plurality of gateways 104 maintains connection only with the one or more sensors 105 in the allocation list. Therefore, in this manner, each sensor of the plurality sensors in the industrial loT network maintains a connection with only one gateway to perform transmission of observed data.

[0069] In an embodiment, the I / O interface 108 may include mechanisms configured to receive input and provide outputs to the operator of the industrial assets in the industrial loT network. To enable reception of inputs and provide outputs from the allocation system 102, the I / O interface 108 may include at least one input interface and / or at least one output interface. Some examples of the input interface may include, but not limited to, a keyboard, a mouse, a joystick, akeypad, atouch screen, softkeys, a microphone, and the like. Examples of the output interface may include, but not limited to, a display such as a light emitting diode display, a thin-film transistor (TFT) display, a liquid crystal display, an active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) display, a microphone, a speaker, a ringer, and the like.

[0070] In an embodiment, the network interface 202 may include mechanisms configured to communicate with other entities in the industrial loT network, for example, the plurality of gateways 104. In an embodiment, the allocation system 102 may initiate establishing the connection with the plurality of gateways 104 via the network interface 202. The processor 112 may be configured to receive the input corresponding to the plurality of sensors 103 detected by each of the plurality of gateways 104 from the predefined sources. The processor 112 may provide the allocation strategy 210 to the operator via the I / O interface 108 and further provides the allocation list to the each of the plurality of gateways 104 via the network interface 202.

[0071] Fig. 3 shows an exemplary detailed industrial loT network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 3 includes an exemplary industrial loT network 300 which comprises operators 302A of industrial assets (not shown in figure) deployed in the industrial loT network 300 and a monitoring system 304A, preferably a system implementedP241064W001in an ICS. The industrial loT network 300 further comprises a customer based cloud server 306A associated with the industrial assets and communicates with a gateway 308. A person skilled in the art may understand that one gateway 308 is shown in Fig. 3 only for illustration purpose, however, the customer based cloud server 306A may communicate with a plurality of gateways. Further, the industrial loT network shows a gateway based cloud server 306B which is associated with gateway management services 304B. The gateway 308 establishes connections with one or more sensors 105 of plurality of sensors 103. In an embodiment, functionalities of the allocation system 102 may be hosted on the customer based cloud server 306A. In another embodiment, the functionalities of the allocation system 102 may run onpremises in conjunction with functionalities performed by the monitoring system 304A deployed in the industrial loT network 300.

[0072] Fig. 4a shows an exemplary graph illustrating sensor detection in an industrial loT network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 4a shows four gateways ( 1041, 1042, 104s, 1044) and a plurality of sensors 103 deployed in an industrial loT network. Fig. 4b shows an exemplary graph illustrating redundant sensors detected in an industrial loT network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As seen from Fig. 4b, each of the four gateways ( 1041, 1042, 104s, 1044) share at least two sensors from the plurality of sensors 103. This leads to more than one gateway detects the same sensor, leading to duplicate data sharing, redundant data processing and failure in utilizing the industrial resources in an efficient manner. Therefore, on implementing the allocation system 102 in the industrial loT network, the above mentioned challenges are addressed. Fig.4c shows an exemplary graph illustrating cluster view of sensors allocated to a gateway in an industrial loT network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. From Fig. 4c, it is clear that each sensor from the plurality of sensors 103 is allocated to only one gateway from the four gateways (104i, 1042, 1043, 1044), upon implementation of the allocation system 102 in the industrial loT network.Fig. 4a shows an exemplary graph illustrating sensor detection in an industrial loT network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 4a shows four gateways (Gl, G2, G3, G4) and a plurality of sensors 103 deployed in an industrial loT network. Fig. 4b shows an exemplary graph illustrating redundant sensors detected in an industrial loT network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As seen from Fig. 4b, each circleP241064W001may represent a region encompassed by the respective gateways and sensors positioned at an area of intersection between each of the four circles are sensors redundantly detected by more than one gateway of the plurality of gateways (Gl, G2, G3, G4). This redundant detection leads to duplicate data sharing, redundant data processing and failure in utilizing the industrial resources in an efficient manner. Therefore, on implementing the allocation system 102 in the industrial loT network, the above mentioned challenges are addressed. Fig. 4c shows an exemplary graph illustrating cluster view of sensors allocated to each gateway in an industrial loT network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. From Fig. 4c, it is clear that each sensor from the plurality of sensors 103 is allocated to only one gateway from the four gateways (Gl, G2, G3, G4), upon implementation of the allocation system 102 in the industrial loT network. The allocation is further illustrated for each gateway separately in Figs. 5a-5d, respectively.

[0073] Figs. 5a-5d show exemplary graphs illustrating sensor allocation to individual gateways in an industrial loT network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.5a shows a first set of sensors from the plurality of sensors 103 being allocated only to gateway 104i. Fig. 5b shows a second set of sensors from the plurality of sensors 103 being allocated only to gateway 1042. Fig. 5c shows a third set of sensors from the plurality of sensors 103 being allocated only to gateway 1043. Fig. 5d shows a first set of sensors from the plurality of sensors 103 being allocated only to gateway 1044. From Figs. 5a-5d, it is seen that there is no overlap between the sets of sensors allocated to each of the four gateways ( 104i, 1042, 1043, 1044).

[0074] Fig. 6 shows a flowchart of a method of managing sensor allocation in an industrial Internet of Things (IOT) network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0075] At step 602, the method 700 includes receiving, by the processor 112, the input data related to the plurality of sensors 103 and the plurality of gateways 104 deployed in the industrial loT network. The one or more sensors 105 from the plurality of sensors 103 are detected by one or more gateways from the plurality of gateways 104. For example, the industrial loT network may be part of an automation plant. The input data includes the identifier of each of the plurality of gateways 104, the position of each of the plurality of gateways 104, the number of sensors detected by the each of the plurality of gateways 104, the identifier ofP241064W001each of the plurality of sensors 103, the position of each of the plurality of sensors 103, and the RSSI value of each of the plurality of sensors 103 at each of the plurality of gateways 104. The processor 112 may receive the input data from predefined sources.

[0076] At step 604, the method 600 includes sorting, by the processor 112, each of the one or more sensors 105 detected by each of the one or more gateways based on the corresponding input data. Particularly, the processor 112 may perform the sorting of the one or more sensors 105 for each of the plurality of gateways 104, based on the RSSI values of each of the one or more sensors 105 at the corresponding gateways. The processor 112 may be further configured to generate the sorted lists 206 for each of the corresponding plurality of gateways 104.

[0077] At step 606, the method 400 includes allocating, by the processor 112, the one or more sensors 105 of the plurality of sensors 103 to one of the corresponding plurality of gateways 104, based on the sorting and the predefined criteria 208 related to the corresponding plurality of gateways 104. The processor 112 may be configured to generate the allocation list and the unallocated list upon completion of the allocation. The processor 112 may be configured to recommend the allocation strategy 210 for allocating the one or more unallocated sensors in the unallocated list, to one of the corresponding plurality of gateways 104. The processor 112 may be configured to perform allocation iteratively until each of the plurality of sensors 103 are allocated to one of the corresponding gateway. The processor 112 map perform the allocation in a manner that the one or more sensors 105 allocated to one of the plurality of gateways 104 are excluded from the further allocation to remaining gateways.

[0078] At step 608, the method 600 includes updating, by the processor, the allocation of the one or more sensors 105 to each of the corresponding plurality of gateways 104. Particularly, the processor 112 may be configured to transmit the allocation list to each of the corresponding plurality of gateways 104. Accordingly, the gateways establish connections only with the sensors in the allocation list.

[0079] The disclosed method 600 with reference to Fig.6, may be implemented using software including computer-executable instructions stored on one or more computer-readable media (e.g., non-transitory computer-readable media, such as one or more optical media discs, volatileP241064W001memory components (e.g., DRAM or SRAM), or non-volatile memory or storage components (e.g., hard drives or solid-state non-volatile memory components, such as Flash memory components) and executed on a computer (e.g., any suitable computer, such as a laptop computer, net book, Web book, tablet computing device, smart phone, or other mobile computing device). Such software may be executed, for example, on a single local computer.

[0080] The sequence of operations of the method 600 need not be necessarily executed in the same order as they are presented. Further, one or more operations may be grouped together and performed in form of a single step, or one operation may have several sub-steps that may be performed in parallel or in sequential manner.

[0081] Fig. 7 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary computer system 700, for implementing embodiments consistent with the present disclosure. The computer system 700 may be, without limitation to, the allocation system 102. The computer system 700 may include a central processing unit (“CPU” or “processor”) 701. The processor 701 may include at least one data processor for executing processes. The processor 701 may include specialized processing units such as, integrated system (bus) controllers, memory management control units, floating point units, graphics processing units, digital signal processing units, etc.

[0082] The processor 701 may be disposed in communication with one or more input / output (I / O) devices 708 and 709 via I / O interface 707. The I / O interface 707 may employ communication protocols / methods such as, without limitation, audio, analog, digital, monaural, RCA, stereo, IEEE-1394, serial bus, universal serial bus (USB), infrared, PS / 2, BNC, coaxial, component, composite, digital visual interface (DVI), high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), RF antennas, S-Video, VGA, IEEE 9O2.n / b / g / n / x, Bluetooth, cellular (e.g., code-division multiple access (CDMA), high-speed packet access (HSPA+), global system for mobile communications (GSM), long-term evolution (LTE), WiMax, or the like), etc.

[0083] Using the I / O interface 707, the computer system 700 may communicate with one or more I / O devices 708 and 709. For example, the input devices 708 may be an antenna, keyboard, mouse joystick, (infrared) remote control, camera, card reader, fax machine, dongle, biometric reader, microphone, touch screen, touchpad, trackball, stylus, scanner, storageP241064W001device, transceiver, video device / source, etc. The output devices 709 may be a printer, fax machine, video display (e.g., cathode ray tube (CRT), liquid crystal display (LCD), lightemitting diode (LED), plasma, Plasma display panel (PDP), Organic light-emitting diode display (OLED) or the like), audio speaker, etc.

[0084] In some embodiments, the processor 701 may be disposed in communication with external elements such as external computer systems, servers, network elements. The network interface 510 may employ connection protocols including, without limitation, direct connect, Ethernet (e.g., twisted pair 10 / 100 / 1000 Base T), transmission control protocol / intemet protocol (TCP / IP), token ring, IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / x, etc.

[0085] In some embodiments, the processor 701 may be disposed in communication with a memory 703 (e.g., RAM, ROM, etc.) via a storage interface 702. The storage interface 702 may connect to memory 703 including, without limitation, memory drives, removable disc drives, etc., employing connection protocols such as, serial advanced technology attachment (SATA), Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE), IEEE-1394, Universal Serial Bus (USB), fibre channel, Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI), etc. The memory drives may further include a drum, magnetic disc drive, magneto-optical drive, optical drive, Redundant Array of Independent Discs (RAID), solid-state memory devices, solid-state drives, etc.

[0086] The memory 703 may store a collection of program or database components, including, without limitation, user interface 704, an operating system 705, a web browser 706 etc. In some embodiments, computer system 700 may store user / application data, such as, the data, variables, records, etc., as described in this disclosure. Such databases may be implemented as fault-tolerant, relational, scalable, secure databases such as Oracle ® or Sybase®.

[0087] The operating system 705 may facilitate resource management and operation of the computer system 700. Examples of operating systems include, without limitation, APPLE MACINTOSH® OS X, UNIX®, UNIX-like system distributions (E G., BERKELEY SOFTWARE DISTRIBUTION™ (BSD), FREEBSD™, NETBSD™, OPENBSD™, etc ), LINUX DISTRIBUTIONS™ (E G., RED HAT™, UBUNTU™, KUBUNTU™, etc ), IBM™ OS / 2, MICROSOFT™ WINDOWS™ (XP™, VISTA™ / 7 / 8, 10 etc ), APPLE® IOS™, GOOGLE® ANDROID™, BLACKBERRY® OS, or the like.P241064W001

[0088] In some embodiments, the computer system 700 may implement the web browser 706 stored program components. The web browser 706 may be a hypertext viewing application, such as MICROSOFT® INTERNET EXPLORER®, GOOGLE™ CHROME™, MOZILLA® FIREFOX®, APPLE® SAFARI®, etc. Secure web browsing may be provided using Secure Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTPS), Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), Transport Layer Security (TLS), etc. Web browser 706 may utilize facilities such as AJAX, DHTML, ADOBE® FLASH®, JAVASCRIPT®, JAVA®, Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), etc. In some embodiments, the computer system 700 may implement a mail server stored program component. The mail server may be an Internet mail server such as Microsoft Exchange, or the like. The mail server may utilize facilities such as Active Server Pages (ASP), ACTIVEX®, ANSI® C++ / C#, MICROSOFT®, NET, CGI SCRIPTS, JAVA®, JAVASCRIPT®, PERL®, PHP, PYTHON®, WEBOBJECTS®, etc. The mail server may utilize communication protocols such as Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP), Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI), MICROSOFT® exchange, Post Office Protocol (POP), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), or the like. In some embodiments, the computer system 700 may implement a mail client stored program component. The mail client may be a mail viewing application, such as APPLE® MAIL, MICROSOFT® ENTOURAGE®, MICROSOFT® OUTLOOK®, MOZILLA® THUNDERBIRD®, etc.

[0089] The present disclosure provides a method and a system for managing sensor allocation in an industrial Internet of Things (IOT) network. The present disclosure facilitates detection of sensors in the industrial loT network, sorting the sensors based on RSSI values and allocating the sensors to a gateway based on the sorting and a predefined criteria specific to the corresponding gateway. Particularly, the allocated sensors are excluded from being allocated to other gateways in the industrial loT network based on the predefined criteria. In this manner, the present disclosure facilitates:• Automation of sensor-to-gateway allocation, thereby reducing deployment time. • Optimization of number of gateways required for deployment in the industrial loT network.• Elimination of redundant operations, thereby improving data accuracy.• Scalability by adapting to diverse industrial setups and sensor counts.P241064W001Simplified allocation process thereby providing an intuitive visualization and actionable recommendations for efficient management in the industrial loT network of an industry.

[0090] The described operations may be implemented as a method, system or article of manufacture using standard programming and / or engineering techniques to produce software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof. The described operations may be implemented as code maintained in a “non-transitory computer readable medium”, where a processor may read and execute the code from the computer readable medium. The processor is at least one of a microprocessor and a processor capable of processing and executing the queries. A non-transitory computer readable medium may include media such as magnetic storage medium (e.g., hard disk drives, floppy disks, tape, etc.), optical storage (CD-ROMs, DVDs, optical disks, etc.), volatile and non-volatile memory devices (e.g., EEPROMs, ROMs, PROMs, RAMs, DRAMs, SRAMs, Flash Memory, firmware, programmable logic, etc.), etc. Further, non-transitory computer-readable media may include all computer-readable media except for a transitory. The code implementing the described operations may further be implemented in hardware logic (e.g., an integrated circuit chip, Programmable Gate Array (PGA), Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), etc.).

[0091] The illustrated steps are set out to explain the exemplary embodiments shown, and it should be anticipated that ongoing technological development will change the manner in which particular functions are performed. These examples are presented herein for purposes of illustration, and not limitation. Further, the boundaries of the functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for the convenience of the description. Alternative boundaries can be defined so long as the specified functions and relationships thereof are appropriately performed. Alternatives (including equivalents, extensions, variations, deviations, etc., of those described herein) will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein. Such alternatives fall within the scope and spirit of the disclosed embodiments. Also, the words "comprising," "having," "containing," and "including," and other similar forms are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open ended in that an item or items following any one of these words is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items. It must also be noted that asP241064W001used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0092] Furthermore, one or more computer-readable storage media may be utilized in implementing embodiments consistent with the present disclosure. A computer readable storage medium refers to any type of physical memory on which information or data readable by a processor may be stored. Thus, a computer readable storage medium may store instructions for execution by one or more processors, including instructions for causing the processor(s) to perform steps or stages consistent with the embodiments described herein. The term “computer readable medium” should be understood to include tangible items and exclude carrier waves and transient signals, i.e., are non-transitory. Examples include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), volatile memory, non-volatile memory, hard drives, CD ROMs, DVDs, flash drives, disks, and any other known physical storage media.

[0093] Finally, the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and it may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter. Accordingly, the disclosure of the embodiments of the disclosure is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the disclosure.

[0094] With respect to the use of substantially any plural and / or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and / or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and / or application. The various singular / plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.P241064W001

Claims

P241064W001CLAIMS:

1. A method of managing sensor allocation in an industrial Internet of Things (loT) network, the method comprising:receiving, by a processor (112), input data related to a plurality of sensors (103) and a plurality of gateways (104) deployed in an industrial loT network, wherein one or more sensors (105) are detected by one or more gateways of the plurality of gateways (104); sorting, by the processor (112), each of the one or more sensors (105) detected by each of the one or more gateways based on the corresponding input data;allocating, by the processor (112), the one or more sensors (105) to one of the corresponding plurality of gateways (104) based on the sorting and a predefined criteria (208) related to the corresponding plurality of gateways (104),wherein the one or more sensors (105) allocated to one of the plurality of gateways (104) are excluded from further allocation to remaining gateways of the plurality of gateways; andupdating, by the processor (112), the allocation of the one or more sensors (105) to each of the corresponding plurality of gateways (104).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the input data comprises an identifier of each of the plurality of gateways (104), a position of each of the plurality of gateways (104), a number of sensors detected by each of the plurality of gateways (104), an identifier of each of the plurality of sensors (103), a position of each of the plurality of sensors (103) and a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) value of each of the one or more sensors (105) detected by each of the plurality of gateways (104).

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein allocating the one or more sensors (105) further comprises:determining proximity of each of the one or more sensors (105) to each of the plurality of gateways (104) based on a position of each of the one or more sensors (105) and a position of each of the plurality of gateways (104);performing reallocation of the one or more sensors (105) allocated to the one of the plurality of gateways (104), based on the determined proximity.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein sorting comprises:P241064W001ranking each of the one or more sensors (105) in a descending order based on a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) value of each of the one or more sensors (105) at each of the corresponding plurality of gateways (104).

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predefined criteria (208) comprises determining whether:an RSSI value of a sensor is greater than or equal to a preconfigured RSSI threshold value, andnumber of sensors allocated to a gateway is less than a preconfigured sensor handling capacity of the gateway.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprises:determining, by the processor (112), a presence of, unallocated sensors from the plurality of sensors (103) upon completion of the allocation of the one or more sensors (105); andrecommending, by the processor (112), an allocation strategy for the unallocated sensors based on at least one of:reallocation of one or more allocated sensors to at least one of the plurality of gateways (104) available with a preconfigured sensor handling capacity, reallocation of the one or more allocated sensors to the at least one of the plurality of gateways (104), based on corresponding proximities of each of the one or more allocated sensors to each of the plurality of gateways (104),deactivation of the one or more sensors (105) associated with transmission of duplicate data,modification of a geographical position of at least one of the plurality of gateways (104),modification of a geographical position of at least one of the plurality of sensors (103), anddeployment of a new gateway in the industrial IOT network.

7. An allocation system (102) for managing sensor allocation in an industrial Internet of Things (IOT) network, comprises:a memory (110) configured to store instructions; andP241064W001a processor (112) (112) configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory (110) and thereby configured to:receive input data related to a plurality of sensors (103) and a plurality of gateways (104) deployed in an industrial loT network, wherein one or more sensors (105) are detected by one or more gateways of the plurality of gateways (104);sort each of the one or more sensors (105) detected by each of the one or more gateways based on the corresponding input data;allocate the one or more sensors (105) to one of the corresponding plurality of gateways (104) based on the sorting and a predefined criteria (208) related to the corresponding plurality of gateways (104),wherein the one or more sensors (105) allocated to one of the plurality of gateways (104) are excluded from further allocation to remaining gateways of the plurality of gateways;update the allocation of the one or more sensors (105) to each of the corresponding plurality of gateways (104).

8. The allocation system (102) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the input data comprises an identifier of each of the plurality of gateways (104), a position of each of the plurality of gateways (104), a number of sensors detected by each of the plurality of gateways (104), an identifier of each of the plurality of sensors (103), a position of each of the plurality of sensors (103) and a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) value of each of the one or more sensors (105) detected by each of the plurality of gateways (104).

9. The allocation system (102) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the processor (112) (112) is further configured to perform allocation by:determining a proximity of each of the one or more sensors ( 105) to each of the plurality of gateways (104) based on a position of each of the one or more sensors (105) and a position of each of the plurality of gateways (104);performing reallocation of the one or more sensors (105) allocated to the one of the plurality of gateways (104), based on the determined proximity.

10. The allocation system (102) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the processor (112) (112) is configured to perform sorting by:P241064W001ranking each of the one or more sensors (105) in a descending order based on a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) value of each of the one or more sensors (105) at each of the corresponding plurality of gateways (104).

11. The allocation system (102) as claimed in claim 7, wherein based on the predefined criteria (208), the processor (112) (112) is configured to determine whether:an RSSI value of a sensor is greater than or equal to a preconfigured RSSI threshold value, andnumber of sensors allocated to a gateway is less than a preconfigured sensor handling capacity of the gateway.

12. The allocation system (102) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the processor (112) (112) is configured to:determine a presence of unallocated sensors upon completion of the allocation of the one or more sensors (105); andrecommend an allocation strategy for the unallocated sensors based on at least one of:reallocation of one or more allocated sensors to at least one of the plurality of gateways (104) available with a preconfigured sensor handling capacity, reallocation of the one or more allocated sensors to the at least one of the plurality of gateways (104), based on corresponding proximities of each of the one or more allocated sensors to each of the plurality of gateways (104),deactivation of the one or more allocated sensors associated with transmission of duplicate data,modification of a geographical position of at least one of the plurality of gateways (104),modification of a geographical position of the unallocated sensors, and deployment of a new gateway in the industrial loT network.

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