IoT Sensor Measurement Exchange Network for Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
IoT devices with low-quality sensors face challenges in achieving accurate and reliable data due to cost constraints, leading to increased complexity and power consumption when using compensation techniques like averaging or cloud services, which are not suitable for low-power and isolated applications.
Innovation Solution
A system where sensor devices exchange measurements over a communication channel to determine a parameter value based on the best available measurement in terms of accuracy, precision, and reliability, using a selection engine to compute measures of quality and apply policies for selecting and formatting data, allowing for autonomous determination of parameter values without the need for complex protocols or cloud connectivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If compensation techniques like averaging or cloud services are used to improve measurement quality, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary measurement exchange network that connects multiple sensor devices, allowing them to share and compare measurements. This intermediary system enables quality compensation without requiring complex processing within individual devices, as the network facilitates data exchange and selection of high-quality measurements externally.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines measurements from multiple sensor devices to achieve improved measurement quality. By merging data from multiple sources and selecting the highest quality measurements, the system compensates for low-quality individual sensors without requiring each device to be complex or connected to cloud services.
2Measurement precision
If compensation techniques like averaging or cloud services are used to improve measurement quality, then measurement precision is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement exchange network acts as an intermediary that handles the complex tasks of measurement comparison and selection, allowing individual sensor devices to operate with simple logic. Devices can enter low-power states while the network manages data exchange, reducing overall power consumption compared to having each device continuously process and average measurements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic measurement exchanges rather than continuous processing. Sensor devices can operate in periodic cycles, exchanging measurements at intervals rather than continuously, which significantly reduces power consumption while still achieving quality compensation through selective use of high-quality measurements from the network.
3Measurement precision
If cloud services are used for compensation, then measurement quality is improved, but device complexity and connectivity requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces cloud services with a local measurement exchange network that acts as an intermediary between sensor devices. This local network eliminates the need for complex cloud connectivity infrastructure while providing the same measurement quality compensation function through peer-to-peer or hub-based data exchange within the sensor network.
Solution Approach 2:
The measurement exchange network provides multiple functions including measurement sharing, quality assessment, and selection, all within a single decentralized system. This universal approach replaces the need for separate cloud service connections, device-specific compensation algorithms, and external processing systems, simplifying connectivity requirements while maintaining measurement quality.
Data Source
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AI summary
Measurement exchange networks and protocols to exchange measurements of a parameter amongst devices, select the best measurement(s), accuracy/precision-wise, and determine a process variable for a control system based on the selected best measurement(s). A device may select a peer-provided best measurement to output as the process variable in place of a local measurement, and/or compute the process variable from multiple best measurements. Metadata may be used to select a measurement(s) and/or to increase reliability/trust of exchanged data. Thus, each device of an exchange group/network may obtain the highest measurement accuracy of all available collocated sensors with little or no additional processing or cloud connectivity. A best measurement(s) may be selected based on measurement quality specifications extracted from metadata, measurement qualities computed from measurements of respective sensors, locations/proximities of the sensors, a policy(ies), and/or device IDs.