Discrete Event Operators for Wireless Sensor Network Data Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data management approaches in wireless sensor networks, particularly those using relational database management systems, are not suitable for sensor nodes with limited resources such as power, memory, or processing capability.
Innovation Solution
A wireless sensor network employing a discrete event process algebra for querying, where nodes identify and transmit event data related to specified events of interest, utilizing a data management stack with layers that include a query formalism layer to manage processing and a producer/consumer model for efficient data management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If relational database management systems are used for data management in wireless sensor networks, then data can be organized into tables with structured query mechanisms, but the system becomes unsuitable for sensor nodes with limited resources such as power, memory, or processing capability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heavy computational burden of relational database operations from resource-constrained sensor nodes and relocates it to base stations or gateway nodes with sufficient computing power. Only lightweight event detection and data collection functions remain on sensor nodes, while complex query processing, joins, and aggregations are performed remotely, thereby reducing on-node power consumption while maintaining full SQL functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments data management functions into two parts: (1) lightweight event detection and data collection at the sensor node level, and (2) heavy query processing and relational operations at the base station level. This segmentation allows each component to operate within its resource constraints while achieving overall system functionality.
2Ease of operation
If relational database management systems are used for data management in wireless sensor networks, then structured data organization and query mechanisms are available, but memory and processing capability requirements exceed what sensor nodes can provide
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the memory-intensive relational database management functions from sensor nodes and implements them at the base station. Sensor nodes only store minimal local event data, while the base station maintains the full relational database structure with all tables, indexes, and query processing capabilities, thereby enabling structured queries without exceeding node memory constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The base station acts as an intermediary between the sensor nodes and the relational database system. It receives simplified event notifications from nodes, translates them into relational database operations, and returns results to users, thereby enabling full SQL functionality without requiring sensor nodes to directly implement heavy database structures.
3Productivity
If relational database management systems are used for data management in wireless sensor networks, then comprehensive data processing is achieved, but processing capability requirements exceed what sensor nodes can provide
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts complex query processing, joins, aggregations, and other computationally intensive relational database operations from sensor nodes and implements them at the base station. This allows the system to provide comprehensive data processing capabilities while keeping processing power requirements at the base station where sufficient computational resources are available.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments processing tasks into lightweight event detection at sensor nodes and heavy computational operations at the base station. This segmentation enables comprehensive data processing functionality while distributing computational load according to each node's processing capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A wireless sensor network comprises a plurality of nodes that communicate over wireless communication links. At least one of the plurality of nodes receives sensor data from a sensor. The wireless sensor network is queried by specifying a set of events of interest. For each event of interest included in the set of events of interest, a producer node included in the plurality of nodes identifies when that event of interest occurs and, when that event of interest occurs, transmits event data related to that event of interest to a consumer node included in the plurality of nodes. The query is expressed in a discrete event process algebra that is used to manage processing performed to implement the query.