Virtual BMC for IoT Gateway Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is no standard for vendors to define and share the capabilities of sensors and actuators in IoT devices, making it difficult for generic software to access and control IoT systems effectively.
Innovation Solution
A virtual Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) is deployed in a cloud network server, allowing generic software to access and control IoT devices using the Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) standard, enabling communication between IoT gateway devices, software, and cloud network servers, even if IoT devices are offline, through push notifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If vendors use different standards to define and share capabilities of sensors and actuators, then device functionality is enhanced, but compatibility with generic software is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gateway device as an intermediary layer between diverse IoT devices and generic software applications. The gateway translates device-specific protocols and data formats into standardized representations that generic software can understand, enabling compatibility without requiring changes to either the devices or the software. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by maintaining device functionality while providing universal software access.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway device is designed with universal functionality to support multiple device types, protocols, and communication methods. It provides a unified interface that can accommodate various sensor and actuator capabilities while presenting a consistent API to generic software. This multi-functionality allows the system to handle diverse device functionalities through a single standardized access point.
2Ease of operation
If a standardized interface is implemented for accessing IoT devices, then software compatibility is improved, but implementation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the system into distinct functional layers: the gateway device handles protocol translation and device management, while generic software operates at a higher abstraction level using standardized interfaces. This segmentation isolates the complexity of device diversity to the gateway layer, allowing generic software to remain simple while still achieving broad compatibility. The standardized interface is implemented only where needed at the gateway boundary.
3Reliability
If push technology is used to send information to offline IoT devices, then system reliability is improved, but communication overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway device maintains a registration database of all connected IoT devices and their communication characteristics in advance. When software needs to communicate with a device, the gateway proactively checks the device status and routing information beforehand, preparing the communication path in advance. This preliminary action ensures reliable delivery to offline devices while optimizing communication routes to minimize overhead and energy consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for using general software to control an internet of things (IOT) system with a virtual baseboard management controller (BMC). The system includes a cloud network server provided on a cloud network. When the cloud network server receive a gateway registration request from an IOT gateway device communicatively connected to multiple IOT devices, the cloud network server provides a virtual BMC, and registers the IOT gateway device to the virtual BMC. The virtual BMC may then allow an IOT software to register to the virtual BMC, thus enabling the IOT software to access the IOT gateway device and the IOT devices via the virtual BMC. The virtual BMC may send information to the IOT gateway device registered to the virtual BMC by a push technology. The IOT gateway device and the IOT software may respectively communicate with the virtual BMC using Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) messages.