IoT Resource Metadata for Digital Twin Sleep-State Synchronization

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Solution Overview

Problem

IoT devices often spend significant periods in a sleeping state, leading to inaccurate synchronization between their physical state and digital representation, and existing solutions like proxy servers lack knowledge of device sleep cycles and current physical state, hindering effective Digital Twin operation.

Innovation Solution

IoT devices publish extended information about their physical processes and transitions through annotations, metadata, or resource attributes, enabling Digital Twin systems to discover and account for delays and impacts on the physical world, thus improving synchronization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If IoT devices spend extended periods in sleeping state to conserve energy, then energy consumption is reduced, but synchronization accuracy between physical state and digital representation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoidsynchronization accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The device performs preliminary actions by publishing information about upcoming state changes and transitions before they occur in the physical entity. This allows the digital twin to anticipate and prepare for state changes, maintaining synchronization accuracy without requiring continuous communication during sleep periods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary information publication mechanism where the device publishes metadata, annotations, or resource attributes that mediate between the physical entity's state and the digital twin's representation. This intermediary layer enables accurate synchronization without direct continuous communication.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If IoT devices communicate frequently to maintain accurate Digital Twin synchronization, then synchronization accuracy is improved, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesynchronization accuracyVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of continuous communication, the device employs periodic action by publishing information about state changes and transitions at specific intervals or events. This periodic publication maintains synchronization accuracy while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous communication.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The device serves itself by publishing the information it needs for synchronization directly to the network. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for frequent polling or request-response cycles, reducing energy consumption while maintaining accurate digital twin representation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of operation

If proxy servers are used to manage sleeping devices, then device management capability is improved, but knowledge of device sleep cycles and current physical state is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice management capabilityVSAvoidknowledge of sleep cycles and physical state

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The device provides feedback to the network by publishing information about its state changes, transitions, and sleep cycles. This feedback mechanism ensures that the digital twin and network nodes have current knowledge of the device's physical state and operational patterns, preventing information loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The device publishes preliminary information about upcoming state changes and transitions before they occur. This allows proxy servers and digital twins to maintain accurate knowledge of device sleep cycles and physical state without requiring the device to be constantly active or requiring complex proxy server logic.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS12500960B2Computing device, network node, and methods thereof

Publication Date: 2025.12.16 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)

AI summary

A computing device is disclosed. The computing device comprises processing circuitry that is configured to expose (110) a resource that is hosted at the computing device, wherein the resource comprises a digital interface for a physical entity to which the resource corresponds, and expose (120) information about a relation between a state of the resource and a state of the physical entity to which the resource corresponds. Also disclosed is a network node, the network node comprising processing circuitry that is configured to discover a resource that is hosted at the computing device, and to discover information about a relation between a state of the resource and a state of the physical entity to which the resource corresponds. The processing circuitry is further configured to prepare an action relating to the physical entity corresponding to the resource on the basis of a current state of the resource and the information, and to initiate execution of the prepared action.