Autonomous Drone Gateway for Incomplete IoT Sensor Data Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
The exponential growth of sensors in IoT and other environments leads to bandwidth issues and ineffective data processing due to the need for real-time data collection and potential data integrity problems, especially when sensors are co-located.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous drone system that collects and processes sensor data, including geo-location information, and requests additional data collection when necessary, using a drone gateway that moves to connect with sensors and send data to the cloud, supporting multiple protocols and equipped with GPS, cameras, and crash sensors for reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If sensors are deployed in large numbers in IoT environments, then data collection capability is improved, but bandwidth issues and data processing effectiveness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments data collection by deploying multiple autonomous drone gateways that independently collect and process sensor data from different geographic locations. Each drone gateway handles a specific region, dividing the overall data collection task into manageable segments that can be processed in parallel, thus maintaining processing effectiveness despite the large number of sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a mobile spatial dimension by using autonomous drone gateways that move through three-dimensional space to collect sensor data. Instead of fixed gateways handling all sensors, the drones traverse different locations, adding the dimension of mobility and spatial coverage. This allows efficient data collection from distributed sensors without requiring all data to be transmitted simultaneously through limited bandwidth channels.
2Loss of time
If real-time data collection is implemented, then data freshness is improved, but bandwidth consumption and data integrity issues worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The drone gateways perform preliminary data collection and local processing before transmitting data to central servers. The drones gather sensor data, perform initial filtering and validation, and prepare data for transmission in advance, reducing the need for continuous real-time transmission and minimizing bandwidth consumption while maintaining data integrity through preliminary quality control.
Solution Approach 2:
The autonomous drone gateways serve as intermediary devices between sensor networks and central processing servers. They collect data from multiple sensors, perform local processing and validation, and then transmit processed data to the server. This intermediary role filters out unnecessary data transmissions, reducing bandwidth consumption while maintaining data integrity through local validation and error checking.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple sensor protocols are supported, then system versatility is improved, but device complexity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The drone gateway is designed with universal multi-functionality to support multiple sensor protocols including Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Wi-Fi, and LoRa. The gateway can simultaneously communicate with sensors using different protocols, eliminating the need for separate dedicated gateways for each protocol type. This multi-protocol capability is achieved through integrated communication modules that can operate across multiple standards.
Solution Approach 2:
The drone gateway acts as an intermediary that translates and adapts between different sensor protocols and the central server communication interface. Rather than requiring the central server to handle multiple protocols directly, the gateway mediates protocol conversions, simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining versatility in supporting diverse sensor types and communication standards.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method are provided for collecting data via an autonomous drone. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving sensor data collected by at least one sensor via the autonomous drone. The data collected also includes geo-location of the at least one sensor. This sensor data is then stored in a database and analyzed. A request is sent to the drone for additional data collection when the sensor data is determined to be incomplete after analysis.