Wireless Sensor Gateway Architecture for Heterogeneous Industrial Nodes
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The integration of heterogeneous industrial sensors in industrial environments is challenging due to the need for specific communication technologies and the continuous changes in ICT infrastructure, making it difficult to deploy and manage sensors effectively.
Innovation Solution
A sensor system comprising master and slave sensors connected via wireless communication technologies, with edge gateways and cloud instances for data processing and security, enabling flexible communication, scalability, and heterogeneous sensor support, using LTE/5G networks and technologies like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, BLE, VLC, and infrared.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If specific communication technologies are used for each sensor type, then communication reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal communication protocol that enables different sensor types (temperature, humidity, pressure, etc.) to communicate through a single standardized interface. The system uses a common data format and communication method that works across all sensor populations, eliminating the need for multiple specialized communication technologies while maintaining reliable data transmission from diverse sensor types.
Solution Approach 2:
The master sensor acts as an intermediary device that receives data from multiple slave sensors using different communication technologies and translates it into a unified format. This intermediary layer handles the complexity of interfacing with various sensor types, allowing the central system to communicate through a single standardized protocol while supporting heterogeneous sensor populations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If product-specific communication gateways are used, then communication compatibility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functionality of multiple product-specific communication gateways into a single master sensor that can handle diverse sensor types. Instead of deploying separate gateway devices for each sensor population, the system consolidates compatibility functions into the master sensor, which automatically adapts to communicate with different slave sensor types using a unified protocol.
Solution Approach 2:
The master sensor is designed with universal communication capabilities that enable it to interface with multiple types of slave sensors without requiring separate gateways. The system achieves broad sensor compatibility through a single multi-functional master sensor that can adapt its communication method based on the slave sensor type while maintaining a consistent interface with the central system.
3Ease of manufacture
If master sensors manage multiple slave sensors, then integration effort is reduced, but communication distance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the sensor network into hierarchical levels with master sensors managing local groups of slave sensors. This segmentation allows the system to reduce communication distances by organizing sensors into smaller manageable clusters, where each master sensor handles only its local slave sensors. The hierarchical structure enables scalable deployment across large areas while maintaining short communication links at each level.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a sensor system (10), comprising: - one or more master sensors (20); - a plurality of slave sensors (30); and - one or more servers (40); wherein, the one or more master sensors are configured to wirelessly send data to the plurality of slave sensors; wherein, the plurality of slave sensors are configured to acquire environmental and/or industrial process data based on associated configurations of the plurality of slave sensors; wherein, the plurality of slave sensors are configured to wirelessly send the environmental and/or industrial process data to the one or more master sensors; and wherein, the one or more master sensors are configured to send the environmental and/or industrial process data to at least one of the one or more servers over a wireless network (50).