Sensor Network Control Element for Protocol Conversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current sensor network applications are inflexible and costly due to the lack of standardization in sensor interoperability, requiring custom development for each type of sensor and actuator, which is unsustainable for large and heterogeneous networks.
Innovation Solution
A control element that manages a set of different sensors by establishing transfer connections compliant with specific protocols, converting sensor data into a common format, processing information, and providing services to consumers, while allowing for dynamic sensor integration and quality of service negotiation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If custom applications are developed for each sensor network, then the application can be tailored to specific sensor hardware and software, but the development cost increases and flexibility decreases in large heterogeneous networks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a standardized interface layer (middleware) that acts as an intermediary between diverse sensors and the application. This interface layer handles protocol conversion and data normalization, allowing custom applications to work with heterogeneous sensors without requiring custom development for each sensor type. The intermediary absorbs the complexity of sensor diversity while presenting a uniform interface to the application.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal interface specification that enables a single application to interact with multiple types of sensors through a common protocol. This universal interface allows the same application code to work across different sensor manufacturers, models, and protocols, eliminating the need for separate custom applications for each sensor type while maintaining adaptability to specific sensor capabilities.
2Device complexity
If standardized interfaces are implemented for sensor interoperability, then development cost decreases and flexibility increases, but sensor-specific protocols and capabilities may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the sensor interface into multiple layers: a standardized upper layer for common operations and a lower layer for sensor-specific protocols. This segmentation allows the standardized interface to handle general sensor interactions while preserving sensor-specific capabilities through protocol-specific implementations at the lower layer. Each sensor type can maintain its unique protocol while still complying with the standardized interface requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different parts of the interface implementation to have different characteristics. The core interface maintains strict standardization for interoperability, while sensor-specific extensions and optimizations can be applied locally where needed. This enables the system to be highly adaptive to specific sensor capabilities in localized areas while maintaining overall standardization.
3Adaptability or versatility
If middleware is used to cross-link sensors, then sensor interoperability improves, but the system complexity increases and performance may deteriorate due to additional processing layers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complexity of protocol conversion and data normalization from the application layer and places it in a dedicated interface layer. This extraction allows the main application logic to remain simple while the interface layer handles the complex tasks of translating between different sensor protocols and the standardized interface format. The complex functionality is isolated to a specific layer that can be independently optimized and maintained.
4Measurement precision
If protocol conversion is performed at the sensor level, then data accuracy is maintained, but processing time increases and real-time performance may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs protocol conversion and data normalization in advance, during data acquisition, rather than when the data is needed by the application. The interface layer pre-processes sensor data into the standardized format immediately upon receipt, so that when the application requests data, it is already in the required format. This preliminary action eliminates delays that would occur if conversion were performed on-demand, maintaining real-time performance while ensuring data accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
A control element for a sensor network having a set of different sensors. In operation, the control element transfers connections between the control element and the set of different sensors, where the transfer connections are compliant with respective sensor-specific protocols. A sensor controller element is provided for each sensor, and establishes transfer connections between the control element and new sensors in runtime. Information obtained in a sensor-specific protocol format from the sensors is converted into a common format in the sensor controller elements. The common format information is processed by a set of common control components of the control element. The control element provides a service based on the information in the common format to at least one consumer, and updates the service in accordance with the sensors present in the sensor network.