Constrained device and supporting operating system

• US 10,289,426 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2015
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Rasband, Paul B., Lipsio, Jr., Vincent J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Choudhury, Zahid
• Application Number:
  US14/603,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20150248299A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00 Surgical instruments, devices or methods, e.g. tourniquets A61B18/00 takes precedence; contraceptive devices, pessaries, or applicators therefor A61F6/00; eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/765 with exchange of information between interrogator and responder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/876 Combination of several spaced transponders or reflectors of known location for determining the position of a receiver G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0236 Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0295 Proximity-based methods, e.g. position inferred from reception of particular signals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/63 Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19608 Tracking movement of a target, e.g. by detecting an object predefined as a target, using target direction and or velocity to predict its new position
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19613 Recognition of a predetermined image pattern or behaviour pattern indicating theft or intrusion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19634 Electrical details of the system, e.g. component blocks for carrying out specific functions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19671 Addition of non-video data, i.e. metadata, to video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19697 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/007 Details of data content structure of message packets; data protocols
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/181 due to failing power supply
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/188 Data fusion; cooperative systems, e.g. voting among different detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/062 indicating emergency exits
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/066 guiding along a path, e.g. evacuation path lighting strip
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 : Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 : Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/672 : Short addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0805 : by checking availability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 : Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/106 : across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/59 : using proxies for addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 : Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1051 : Group master selection mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1093 : Some peer nodes performing special functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 : involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/004 : for fault attacks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/65 : Control of camera operation in relation to power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 : Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 : Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 : Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 : for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 : Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 : adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 : Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 : Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 : Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 : Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

A networked system for managing a physical intrusion detection/alarm includes an upper tier of server devices, comprising: processor devices and memory in communication with the processor devices, a middle tier of gateway devices that are in communication with upper tier servers, and a lower level tier of devices that comprise fully functional nodes with at least some of the functional nodes including an application layer that execute routines to provide node functions, and a device to manage the lower tier of devices, the device instantiating a program manager that executes a state machine to control the application layer in each of the at least some of the functional nodes.

Claims

1. A computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer readable hardware storage device, the computer program product for managing constrained devices on a network, the computer program product comprising instructions to cause a processor to:

schedule executable functions to execute on a constrained device, the executable functions selected from either a first set of executable functions that are built into a loaded image in the constrained device or a second set of executable functions that are downloaded during operation of the constrained device, with the instructions to schedule configured to;

access a management structure comprising a linked list of pointers to function locations of executable functions that are not currently executing on the constrained device;

identify a particular function in the linked list of functions, as ready to execute;

determine a priority value of the particular identified function relative to a current executing function, and when the particular, identified function in the linked list is of a higher priority than the current executing function;

preempt the execution of the current executing function without saving register values of the current executing function in random access memory; and

execute the particular, identified function having the higher priority.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the computer program product is part of a real-time operating system for execution on the constrained device that is a constrained sensor device.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising instructions to:

determine that the current executing function is of equal priority as the particular, identified function; and

cause the particular, identified function to execute when the current executing function has pended execution waiting for data.

4. The computer program product of claim 3 further comprising instructions to:

manage a single stack of a processor for all functions and tasks.

5. The computer program product of claim 4 wherein when the particular, identified function is ready to execute, stack functions of remaining functions remain in place on the single stack of the processor as the particular, identified function pushes its data on top of the currently executing function'"'"'s location in the stack.

6. The computer program product of claim 5 wherein when the particular, identified function completes executing and returns, all its stack usage is popped off of the stack, and the current executing function resumes executing.

7. A method comprises:

managing by a processor device a set of executable functions that are built into a loaded image or downloaded during operation of a constrained device;

scheduling by the processor device an executable function to execute on the constrained device;

accessing by the processor a management structure comprising a linked list of pointers to function locations of executable functions that are not currently executing on the constrained device;

identifying by the processor device a particular function in the linked list of functions as ready to execute;

determining a priority value of the particular identified function relative to a currently executing function, and when the particular, identified function in the linked list is of a higher priority than the currently executing function;

preempting execution of currently executing function, by the processor device, without saving register values of the currently executing function in random access memory (RAM); and

executing the particular, identified function having the higher priority.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein managing by the processor device is performed by a real-time operating system.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprises;

determining that the current executing function is of equal priority as the particular, identified function; and

cause the particular, identified function to execute when the current function has pended execution waiting for data.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein managing further comprises:

managing by the processor device a single stack for all functions and tasks for a real-time operating system for the constrained device.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein when the particular identified function is ready to execute, stack functions of remaining functions remain in place on a single stack of the processor device as the particular identified function pushes its data on top of the currently executing function'"'"'s stack.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein when the particular, identified function completes executing and returns, all its stack usage is popped off of the staek, and the currently executing function resumes executing.

13. A constrained sensor device comprises;

a processing device;

a sensor element for sensing a physical condition, the sensor element sending data for processing to the processing device, with the processing device applying one or more user-defined independent executable functions to the data;

a network interface;

a storage device storing a computer program product comprising instructions to cause the processing device to;

schedule executable functions to execute on a constrained device, the executable functions selected from either a first set of executable functions that are built into a loaded image or a second set of executable functions that are downloaded during operation of the constrained device, according to availability and priority of an executable function relative to other functions in the first set of executable functions and the second set of executable functions, with the instructions to schedule configured to;

access a management structure comprising a linked list of pointers to function locations of executable functions that are not currently executing on the constrained device;

identify a particular function in the linked list of functions, as ready to execute;

determine a priority value of the particular identified function relative to a currently executing function, and when the particular, identified function in the linked list is of a higher priority than the currently executing function;

preempt the execution of the currently executing function, without saving register values of the currently executing function in random access memory; and

execute the particular, identified function having the higher priority.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the computer program product is part of a real-time operating system for execution on the constrained sensor device.

15. The device of claim 13, further comprising instructions to

determine that the current executing function is of equal priority as the particular, identified function;

and

cause the particular, identified function to execute when the current function has pended execution waiting for data.

16. The device of claim 14 further comprising instructions to;

manage a single stack of a processor for all functions and tasks.

17. The device of claim 13 wherein when the particular identified function is ready to execute, stack functions of remaining functions remain in place on a single stack of the processing device as the particular, identified function pushes its data on top of the currently executing function'"'"'s location in the stack.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein when the particular, identified function completes executing and returns, all its stack usage is popped off of the stack, and the currently executing function resumes executing.