Distributed IoT Management via Rule Processing and Edge Decision Algorithms

The patent segments the centralized cloud management system into distributed edge computing nodes (gateways) that can independently execute decision-making algorithms. This segmentation reduces network communication overhead by processing data locally at the edge rather than requiring constant cloud interaction, while maintaining the adaptability to interconnect diverse IoT devices through the distributed architecture.

The patent implements dynamic functionality allocation where edge devices can adaptively execute decision-making algorithms based on available computational resources and power levels. The system dynamically adjusts the complexity of local processing versus cloud processing, allowing advanced functionalities to be enabled when power is available while reducing to basic operations when power is constrained, thus maintaining device capability without permanently increasing power consumption.

The patent implements partial local execution of decision-making algorithms at gateways, where only the critical time-sensitive portions are executed locally to achieve fast response times, while less time-critical processing is offloaded to the cloud. This partial action approach provides sufficient response time improvement for urgent decisions without requiring the gateway to have full computational capabilities for all processing tasks.

The patent introduces an intermediary distributed edge computing architecture where small, low-power MCUs in IoT devices communicate with gateway nodes that provide enhanced processing capabilities. The low-power MCUs handle basic sensing and data collection, while the gateway acts as an intermediary that performs complex decision-making algorithms, thus maintaining low power consumption at the device level while achieving advanced processing capability through the intermediary gateway infrastructure.