Device Abstraction for Heterogeneous IoT Edge Onboarding

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Solution Overview

Problem

The manual onboarding and management of heterogeneous IoT edge devices from different vendors are cumbersome and time-consuming, often due to incompatibilities between devices using different APIs, leading to difficulties in configuration and control within a user's home network.

Innovation Solution

A device onboarding and integration service that automatically onboards and manages heterogeneous edge devices by using device abstractions to emulate different types of devices, allowing communication and interaction across various APIs, thereby simplifying the process and reducing the need for separate management applications.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If manual onboarding is used for heterogeneous edge devices, then device configuration can be performed, but the process becomes burdensome and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of device onboardingVSAvoidtime required for onboarding

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring device templates and abstraction layers before actual device onboarding. The abstraction layer is pre-established to map multiple device types to a unified interface, so when devices connect, they are automatically categorized and configured without manual intervention, significantly reducing onboarding time and effort

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Edge devices perform self-onboarding by automatically discovering their own device information, selecting appropriate abstraction layers, and configuring themselves through the service gateway. The system enables devices to self-register, self-configure, and self-manage, eliminating the need for manual user configuration and reducing both time and operational complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple device types from different vendors are supported, then device versatility is improved, but incompatibility issues arise between devices using different APIs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesupport for heterogeneous devicesVSAvoidcomplexity of device management

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an abstraction layer as an intermediary between diverse edge devices and the service gateway. This abstraction layer acts as a mediator that translates various device-specific APIs into a unified set of abstract methods, allowing the system to support multiple device types from different vendors while presenting a consistent, simplified interface for management and control

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements universality by creating a universal abstraction layer that can handle multiple device types through a single unified interface. The abstraction layer defines a set of universal methods that can be implemented by devices from different vendors, enabling the system to manage heterogeneous devices as if they were homogeneous, thereby reducing management complexity while maintaining versatility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Adaptability or versatility

If separate management applications are used for different device types, then device-specific control is achieved, but the need for multiple applications increases operational complexity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice-specific control capabilityVSAvoidnumber of management applications

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal management application that can control multiple device types through the abstraction layer. This single application replaces multiple device-specific management applications by using the abstraction layer to translate control commands into device-specific operations, thereby maintaining device-specific control capability while reducing the number of applications needed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11695632B1Management and control across heterogeneous edge devices of a client network using device abstractions

Publication Date: 2023.07.04 AMAZON TECH INC

AI summary

Automatic onboarding, management, and control across heterogeneous edge devices of a client network using device abstractions may be performed (e.g., different types of edge devices manufactured by different vendors). A device onboarding and integration service may emulate, by a first device abstraction, an edge device of a client network, where the edge device is a first type of device. The service emulates, by a second device abstraction, the edge device as a second type of edge device (e.g., from a different vendor/uses a different API). The service updates a state of the first device abstraction based on a state of the edge device. The service then updates a state of the emulating, by a second device abstraction, the edge device as a second type of edge device. The second device abstraction sends its updated state to an application at the client network.