Aggregation Processor for Facility Sensor Data Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional facility monitoring systems provide only raw, unidimensional data from sensors, lacking analysis or interpretation of trends and conclusions, which can lead to unnecessary on-site visits based on single rogue readings, and fail to aggregate multiple sensor values for comprehensive problem indication.
Innovation Solution
A facility monitoring system that computes aggregate values from multiple sensors using an aggregation processor and compares these values against alert logic to trigger alarms or indicate anomalies, providing a compound sensor value that can be treated as an individual sensor for alerts and notifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If conventional facility monitoring systems relay only raw sensor readings, then the system complexity is low and sensors are simple, but the system lacks analytical capability and requires more on-site visits to diagnose problems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an aggregation sensor as an intermediary component that sits between the physical facility conditions and the monitoring system. This aggregation sensor combines multiple individual sensor readings (temperature, humidity, pressure, etc.) into a single composite reading that represents the overall environmental condition. By doing so, it provides analytical capability without requiring complex centralized processing, thus reducing information loss while maintaining relatively simple system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple individual sensor readings into a single aggregation sensor reading. Instead of transmitting and processing separate readings from temperature sensors, humidity sensors, pressure sensors, etc., the system combines these into one unified aggregation sensor output. This combining approach preserves the analytical value of multiple parameters while simplifying the data transmission and processing infrastructure.
2Measurement precision
If the system uses multiple individual sensors, then measurement coverage is comprehensive, but the data requires extensive processing and interpretation by facilities managers
Solution Approach 1:
The aggregation sensor performs self-service by automatically combining multiple environmental parameters into a single interpretable reading. Instead of requiring facilities managers to manually collect, correlate, and interpret data from multiple sensors, the aggregation sensor autonomously processes this information and presents a unified measurement that directly indicates overall environmental conditions, making the system easier to operate and interpret.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms multiple individual environmental parameters (temperature, humidity, pressure, etc.) into a single aggregation sensor parameter that represents the composite environmental state. This parameter change from multiple separate measurements to one unified measurement maintains the precision benefits of monitoring multiple factors while dramatically simplifying how the data is presented and interpreted by users.
3Speed
If facilities managers respond to single rogue sensor readings, then response time is quick, but unnecessary on-site visits occur due to lack of contextual analysis
Solution Approach 1:
The aggregation sensor performs preliminary analysis by combining and evaluating multiple environmental parameters before generating an alert. Instead of immediately responding to individual sensor readings, the aggregation sensor pre-processes the data to determine whether the reading represents a genuine environmental issue or merely a transient anomaly. This preliminary action maintains quick response capability while filtering out false alarms, thus improving alert reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A facility monitoring system and application receives and interprets readings from multiple sensors for determining a condition, alert or alarm and initiating appropriate notifications. Low-cost, deployed sensors detect or receive a parameter pertaining to a condition in a physical space, such as temperature, electric flow, or an open door. A channel to a remote monitoring server or application receives and reports the reading via a user accessible GUI (graphical user interface). A compound or aggregate value is computed from multiple channels based on readings from a plurality of sensors, thus allowing reporting of conclusory conditions based on several related readings, rather than a single scalar sensor value that imposes a burden on the user to deduce or investigate other related sensor readings. A GUI receives aggregation processor defining computations to be performed on readings from the multiple sensors, and alert processor defining conditions and alerts representative of issues requiring attention.