M2M Resource Management via Announced Attributes

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current M2M communication systems lack efficient methods for resource management, particularly in scenarios where M2M devices are offline for extended periods, leading to challenges in updating and deleting attributes without consuming excessive battery power and bandwidth.

Innovation Solution

The proposed solution involves creating and managing 'announced attributes' using UPDATE and DELETE operations, allowing M2M devices to efficiently announce and de-announce resources, thereby reducing the need for frequent device wake-ups and minimizing power consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If M2M devices wake up frequently to update and delete attributes, then resource management is maintained, but battery power is consumed excessively

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource managementVSAvoidbattery power
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by allowing M2M devices to announce their attributes and resources in advance while offline. The service capability layer stores these announcements, enabling other devices to retrieve attribute information without waking up the announcing device. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining resource management reliability through pre-announced attributes while eliminating the need for frequent wake-ups that would consume battery power.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If M2M devices maintain constant connectivity for attribute updates, then resource management is efficient, but bandwidth is consumed excessively

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource management efficiencyVSAvoidbandwidth
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the attribute announcement and retrieval functions from the requirement for constant device connectivity. By allowing attributes to be announced and stored by the service capability layer while devices remain offline, the system separates resource management efficiency from continuous connectivity requirements. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining productivity through stored attribute announcements while eliminating excessive bandwidth consumption associated with constant connectivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Use of energy by moving object

If M2M devices are offline for extended periods, then power consumption is reduced, but attribute updates and deletions become challenging

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidattribute management
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces the service capability layer as an intermediary between offline M2M devices and other devices needing attribute information. The intermediary stores and manages attribute announcements, allowing devices to remain offline while their attributes remain accessible. This resolves the contradiction by enabling extended offline periods with low power consumption while maintaining ease of attribute management through the intermediary's storage and retrieval capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3120499B1Resource and attribute management in machine to machine networks
Publication Date: 2021.12.22 ZTE CORP
  • EP3120499B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3120499B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3120499B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

In a machine to machine (M2M) system, resource management is performed by M2M devices by creating resources, announcing resources, retrieving information from an announced resource, deleting an announced resource, on behalf of the devices themselves, or on behalf of another device. In some embodiments, resource management protocols are further provided to include a child resource attribute that provides efficiency of protocol signaling by inheriting certain features if a parent resource from which the child resource attribute is derived.