Device Data Validity Through Expiration-Aware Attribute Caching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems fail to efficiently manage device data by unnecessarily consuming system resources such as power and bandwidth, especially in battery-powered devices, due to the communication of outdated data values.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that maintains a memory store with synchronized device attribute values, providing valid data on demand by checking expiration and using queuing mechanisms to update values as needed, optimizing resource use by minimizing unnecessary communications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If devices send data continuously or frequently, then data availability and freshness are improved, but system resource consumption (power, bandwidth) increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by maintaining a memory store with pre-synchronized device attribute values before they are requested. This allows the data to be ready and available immediately when needed, eliminating the need for frequent active data requests while ensuring data availability. The memory store acts as a buffer that prepares data in advance during synchronization events.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary component (memory store/cache) between the device and the requesting system. This intermediary holds copies of device attribute values and serves requests from its storage rather than requiring direct device communication. This mediator layer decouples the data availability from continuous device communication, reducing power consumption while maintaining reliability.
2Loss of information
If devices communicate frequently to provide updated data, then data freshness is improved, but bandwidth consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates copies of device attribute values and stores them in a memory store for later retrieval. Instead of requiring continuous access to the actual device, the system works with replicated data copies that are periodically synchronized. This copying mechanism allows multiple requests to be served from the copy without additional device communication, reducing bandwidth consumption while maintaining data freshness within the synchronization interval.
Solution Approach 2:
Data synchronization is performed in advance during dedicated synchronization events, preparing the memory store with current device values before they are needed. This preliminary data preparation eliminates the need for frequent communication bursts, as the cached data can serve multiple requests without additional bandwidth consumption.
3Reliability
If the system checks data expiration and requests updates, then data validity is improved, but response time increases due to additional communication steps
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary synchronization of device data to the memory store before requests are made. This advance preparation ensures that when a request arrives, the data is already available in the cache, allowing for rapid validity checking and retrieval without initiating new communication sequences. The preliminary action of pre-synchronizing data minimizes the time penalty that would otherwise result from expiration checks.
4Reliability
If devices are woken up to provide data, then data availability is improved, but device power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of waking devices on-demand for each data request, the system uses periodic synchronization events where devices naturally wake up to transmit their data to the memory store. This periodic action aligns device wake-ups with scheduled synchronization intervals rather than arbitrary request times, reducing unnecessary wake-ups and power consumption. The device only consumes significant power during these scheduled periodic transmissions.
Solution Approach 2:
The memory store acts as an intermediary that accumulates requests and serves data from cached values, reducing the frequency with which devices need to be woken up. By mediating between requests and device wake-ups, the system can satisfy many requests from cache without triggering additional device power consumption, thereby improving data availability while minimizing power usage.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for managing device data comprising the steps of receiving from one or more devices values of one or more attributes. Storing the values of the one or more attributes associated with the one or more devices in a memory store. Maintaining synchronisation of the one or more values between the attributes stored in the memory store and the corresponding attributes associated with the devices, wherein the device attributes comprise at least a first attribute. Receiving a request for the value of the first attribute. Determining if the value of the first attribute has expired. If the stored value of the first attribute has expired then receiving the value of the first attribute from the one or more devices and providing the received value of the first attribute in response to the request.