Low-Availability Device Data Collection via Scheduled Queues
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Solution Overview
Problem
Low-availability devices, such as battery-powered or remotely located devices, pose challenges for data collection due to periodic unavailability and high cellular network costs, making standard management and data retrieval inefficient.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method that registers for availability notifications, determines a data-collection schedule, maintains a prioritized queue of required data items, and prepares requests in advance for high-priority items, ensuring efficient data collection when the device becomes available.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If standard data collection methods are used on low-availability devices, then data can be retrieved when devices are available, but battery power is drained and cellular network costs increase due to frequent connection attempts
Solution Approach 1:
The system prepares data collection requests in advance before the device becomes available, having requests ready queued so that when the device wakes up and connects to the network, data can be immediately collected without requiring the device to stay connected or attempt multiple connections
Solution Approach 2:
The low-availability device autonomously determines its own availability schedule and notifies the server of when it will be available, eliminating the need for the server to repeatedly attempt connections or for the device to continuously poll for collection opportunities
2Loss of information
If devices connect to cellular networks frequently for data collection, then data can be retrieved, but cellular network costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system operates on periodic cycles where devices wake up at predetermined intervals to check for and collect data, rather than maintaining continuous network connections or allowing frequent ad-hoc connections, thereby minimizing cellular network usage while ensuring data is collected at regular intervals
3Loss of time
If data collection requests are sent immediately when devices become available, then timely data retrieval is achieved, but high-priority data may be missed if devices go offline before becoming available
Solution Approach 1:
The server pre-preves data collection requests in advance of when the device becomes available, so that when the device wakes up and connects, the requests are already queued and ready to be executed immediately, eliminating delays while ensuring critical data requests are not lost even if the device goes offline temporarily
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a method includes registering as a listener for availability notifications from at least one low-availability device. The method further includes determining a data-collection schedule of the at least one low-availability device. In addition, the method includes maintaining a prioritized queue comprising required data items needed from the at least one low-availability device. Also, the method includes preparing, in advance of the at least one low-availability device becoming available, a request for at least one required data item. The at least one required data item includes a highest-priority data item in the prioritized queue. The method additionally includes, responsive to a notification that the at least one low-availability device is available, transmitting the request to the at least one low-availability device.