IoT Gateway Mediator for Cloud Sensor Integration

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Solution Overview

Problem

The lack of standardization in IoT devices hinders interoperability between devices and cloud-based computing systems, requiring significant effort to integrate and maintain IoT applications, as data analytics systems struggle to process diverse data forms generated by various IoT devices.

Innovation Solution

A system that uses a dictionary-like computing server to connect IoT devices and applications at runtime, allowing control and actuation without needing to understand the device's command structures or data formats, by using unique identifiers (UIDs) to retrieve and package commands and parameters in XML/JSON format, enabling seamless integration and adaptation of new devices without modifying software.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If manufacturers use diverse sensor protocols and data formats for IoT devices, then device functionality and versatility are improved, but interoperability between devices and cloud-based computing systems deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice functionalityVSAvoidinteroperability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a gateway device that serves as an intermediary between diverse IoT sensors and cloud-based computing systems. The gateway translates various sensor protocols and data formats into a standardized format, enabling interoperability without constraining device versatility. This mediator approach allows manufacturers to maintain diverse device functionalities while ensuring reliable communication with cloud systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If cloud-based applications directly integrate with each IoT device protocol, then device control precision is improved, but application complexity and maintenance effort increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice control precisionVSAvoidapplication complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The gateway device acts as an intermediary that handles protocol translation and data standardization, allowing cloud applications to interact with a unified interface rather than multiple device-specific protocols. This maintains control precision while significantly reducing application complexity and maintenance burden.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The gateway provides universal functionality by supporting multiple sensor protocols and data formats through a single device. It offers a standardized interface to cloud systems while maintaining the ability to communicate with diverse IoT devices, thereby reducing application complexity without sacrificing control precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If a global standard for IoT devices is established, then interoperability is improved, but device manufacturer flexibility and innovation capability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveinteroperabilityVSAvoidmanufacturer flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the IoT architecture into three layers: diverse sensor devices at the edge, a standardized gateway layer for translation, and cloud-based computing systems. This segmentation allows manufacturers to innovate at the device level while the gateway layer ensures interoperability through standardization, preserving both flexibility and reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The gateway serves as an intermediary that preserves manufacturer flexibility by allowing diverse device protocols to coexist while ensuring interoperability through translation to a standardized format. This approach avoids imposing a rigid global standard that would constrain manufacturer innovation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Loss of information

If data analytics systems process diverse data forms from all IoT devices, then data processing completeness is improved, but system complexity and processing time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata processing completenessVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The gateway performs preliminary action by translating and standardizing data from diverse IoT devices before data reaches the cloud-based analytics system. This pre-processing ensures data completeness while reducing processing time, as the analytics system receives uniformly formatted data ready for analysis without needing to handle multiple protocol variations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS10091270B2Method and system for allowing cloud-based applications to automatically integrate network enabled sensors during runtime
Publication Date: 2018.10.02 SAFENET INT LLC
  • US10091270B2 patent drawing
  • US10091270B2 patent drawing
  • US10091270B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A method and system to enable interoperability between Internet enabled devices and online applications without traditionally agreeable on device standard formats between the manufacturer and applications ahead time. The application is able to connect, control, and actuate newly added devices at runtime.