Sensor deployment mechanism at a monitored location
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high installation and maintenance costs of wireless sensor networks limit their penetration in the marketplace due to the need for redesign or redeployment with each change in sensor applications, and existing solutions lack scalability and flexibility.
Innovation Solution
A plug-and-play universal sensor interface allows sensor module units to be deployed separately from wireless nodes, enabling flexible and cost-effective customization of sensor networks by supporting various types of sensors without reconfiguring the infrastructure, thereby reducing downtime and maintenance costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If wireless sensor networks are deployed with traditional integration methods, then sensor applications can be implemented, but installation and maintenance costs increase due to redesign or redeployment requirements with each change in sensor applications
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into separate functional modules: sensor module units with specific sensing capabilities and wireless nodes for communication. This segmentation allows independent deployment and replacement of sensor modules without affecting the wireless infrastructure, enabling application changes without full redeployment and reducing installation and maintenance costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless nodes are designed with universal interfaces that can accommodate multiple types of sensor module units. This universality allows a single wireless node to support various sensor applications (environmental monitoring, industrial sensing, etc.) by simply changing the sensor module unit, eliminating the need for redesign or redeployment when applications change.
2Adaptability or versatility
If sensor networks are designed for specific applications, then functionality is achieved, but scalability is limited when sensor application objectives change
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor network is designed with dynamic reconfigurability through plug-and-play sensor module units that can be added, removed, or replaced without disrupting the overall network. This dynamic architecture allows the system to adapt to changing application objectives by simply swapping sensor modules rather than redesigning the entire network, maintaining scalability while reducing redeployment complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If wireless nodes are reconfigured for different sensor applications, then application flexibility is improved, but network stability decreases due to re-qualification and testing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The application-specific sensing functionality is extracted into separate sensor module units that can be independently qualified and tested. This extraction allows the wireless node infrastructure to remain stable and pre-qualified, while only the removable sensor modules need to be tested for their specific applications. When applications change, only the sensor module units are swapped, not the entire wireless node, thereby maintaining network stability while achieving application flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A universal sensor interface enables selective coupling of one or more sensor module units to a wireless node. Each sensor module unit can contain a suite of sensors selected for a particular sensor application at a monitored location. Reconfiguration of the wireless sensor network can occur seamlessly through the plug-and-play connectivity between the sensor module units and the wireless node.