Low-Power Alert Sensor Aggregation Framework

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing Internet-connected devices often operate independently and lack the ability to communicate and interoperate effectively, leading to inefficient use of resources and difficulty in deploying and configuring them for collaborative systems, especially in managing and conserving power.

Innovation Solution

An aggregation framework system and method that automatically configures, aggregates, and optimizes devices and sensors by using a low-power alert sensor to awaken specialized sensors only when needed, converting them into intelligent systems through a data aggregator and interpreter module, and communicating with a remote system via a bridge.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If specialized sensors are continuously active to monitor environmental changes, then detection reliability is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection reliabilityVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The low-power alert sensor performs preliminary monitoring of environmental changes and only activates specialized sensors when actual events are detected, avoiding continuous operation of high-power sensors while maintaining detection reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The low-power alert sensor acts as an intermediary between the environment and specialized sensors, filtering environmental changes and only triggering specialized sensors when relevant events occur, thus reducing overall power consumption while maintaining detection reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If multiple independent devices operate autonomously, then device complexity is reduced, but system interoperability worsens

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice complexityVSAvoidsystem interoperability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The aggregation framework serves as an intermediary layer between independent devices, handling device discovery, capability negotiation, and data aggregation, allowing simple autonomous devices to participate in collaborative systems without increasing their individual complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The aggregation framework provides universal functionality for device discovery, capability matching, and coordinated operation across diverse sensor types and manufacturers, enabling systems interoperability while devices maintain their simple autonomous operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Measurement precision

If all sensors are activated simultaneously, then measurement precision is improved, but resource efficiency worsens

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemeasurement precisionVSAvoidresource efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary environmental assessment using the low-power alert sensor to determine whether conditions warrant activation of specialized sensors, ensuring measurement precision is achieved only when environmentally relevant

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of activating all sensors simultaneously, the system activates only the necessary subset of specialized sensors based on detected environmental events, achieving sufficient measurement precision for actual conditions while improving resource efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP2918062B1Aggregation framework using low-power alert sensor
Publication Date: 2018.07.25 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP2918062B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2918062B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2918062B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An aggregation framework system and method that automatic configures, aggregates, disaggregates, manages, and optimizes components of a consolidated system of devices, modules, and sensors. Embodiments of the system and method include a low-power alert sensor, a data aggregator module, and an interpreter module. The low-power alert sensor is a sensor that is continuously on and continuously monitoring its environment. The low-power alert sensor acts as a watchdog and triggers other sensors to awaken them from a power-conservation state when there is a change or event that occurs in an environment. The data aggregator module manages the set of sensors within the system and aggregates sensor data obtained from the sensors. The interpreter module then translates the physical data collected by sensors into logical information. Together the data aggregator module and the interpreter module present a unified logical view of the capabilities of the sensors under their control.