Underwater Sensor Kit Networking for Reliable Edge IoT Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial IoT deployments face challenges such as communication disruptions due to heavy machinery and dense structures, bandwidth strain from numerous sensors, and security vulnerabilities, which deter organizations from integrating IoT systems into their networks.
Innovation Solution
A self-configuring sensor kit network that includes edge devices and various sensors, capable of transmitting data via multiple communication protocols, including satellite and cellular, with built-in machine-learned models for data processing and encoding, to efficiently manage and secure data transmission from industrial settings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cellular or Wi-Fi communication protocols are used for IoT device communication, then network connectivity is provided, but communication reliability deteriorates due to interference from heavy machinery and dense structures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication path by introducing intermediate relay devices (such as mesh network nodes and repeaters) that break the direct line-of-sight requirement. These segmented communication hops allow signals to bypass obstructions like heavy machinery and dense structures, maintaining reliability without requiring direct unobstructed paths between all devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs intermediary devices including mesh network nodes, repeaters, and gateway devices that act as mediators to relay communications between IoT devices and the network. These intermediaries receive, process, and forward signals, enabling communication through obstructed environments where direct transmission would fail due to interference from heavy machinery and dense structures.
2Quantity of substance
If hundreds or thousands of sensors are deployed to capture multiple readings every second, then data collection capability is improved, but bandwidth strain increases on computing systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes redundant or non-critical data elements before transmission and processing. Edge computing devices filter sensor readings to extract only meaningful changes or anomalies, eliminating unnecessary data that would consume bandwidth and computing resources. This extraction approach maintains comprehensive monitoring capability while reducing the volume of data requiring network transmission and centralized processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary data processing, filtering, and aggregation at the edge devices closest to the sensors, before data reaches centralized computing systems. This preliminary action includes local anomaly detection, data compression, and selective transmission of only critical information, thereby reducing bandwidth strain on computing systems while maintaining the ability to handle hundreds or thousands of sensor readings simultaneously.
3Reliability
If IoT devices are connected to computer networks for data transmission, then monitoring capability is improved, but security vulnerabilities increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by deploying edge computing devices and processing capabilities directly at or near the industrial site, rather than relying solely on centralized cloud connectivity. This local processing reduces the attack surface by minimizing data transmission over external networks and allowing security policies to be applied differently at various levels of the system, with critical functions operating in more isolated, secure environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and isolates critical monitoring and control functions from the general-purpose network infrastructure. By separating time-sensitive and security-critical operations into dedicated edge computing environments with restricted network access, the system maintains monitoring capability while reducing exposure to network-based security threats and vulnerabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for monitoring an underwater industrial setting using a sensor kit having a plurality of sensors and an edge device can include receiving, by an edge processing system of the edge device, reporting packets from the plurality of sensors via a self-configuring sensor kit network. Each reporting packet can include routing data and one or more instances of sensor data. The method can further include performing one or more edge operations on the sensor data and generating one or more sensor kit packets based on the edge operations. The method can include transmitting the sensor kit packets to a backend system via a public network.