Sensor web management system for internet of things sensor devices with physically imprinted unique frequency keys

• US 10,516,589 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2016
• Issued: 12/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Innes, Timothy, MacDougall, Alexander, Bradley, Nigel, Patel, Bhumit, Carl, Christopher, Spivey, David, Khallil, Wasib
• Primary Examiner(s): Schell, Joseph O
• Application Number:
  US15/252,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20180060153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/30 Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/713 using frequency hopping
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7143 Arrangements for generation of hop patterns
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0631 using root cause analysis; using analysis of correlation between notifications, alarms or events based on decision criteria, e.g. hierarchy, tree or time analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0654 using network fault recovery ring fault isolation or reconfiguration in loop networks without recovery actions by a network management system H04L12/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/22 using time-division multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/26 combined with the use of different frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for a sensor web for Internet of Things (“IoT”) devices. According to one aspect disclosed herein, a system can monitor a health status of an IoT sensor device of a plurality of IoT sensor devices. The system can determine that the health status of the IoT sensor device indicates a sensor malfunction experienced by the IoT sensor device, and in response, can generate and send an alert to a forensic analytics module. The alert can identify the sensor malfunction. In response to the alert, the forensic analytics module can determine a last known location of the IoT sensor device. The system can obtain a set of satellite images of the last known location of the IoT sensor device, and can utilize the set of satellite images of the last known location to determine a cause of the sensor malfunction.

Claims

1. A sensor web management system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory comprising a monitoring module, a forensic analytics module, and computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

monitoring, by the monitoring module, a health status of an Internet of Things (“

IoT”

) sensor device of a plurality of IoT sensor devices managed by the sensor web management system, wherein the IoT sensor device of the plurality of IoT sensor devices is associated with a unique frequency key used by the IoT sensor device during a data transmission such that each packet transmitted by the IoT sensor device during the data transmission is transmitted using a particular frequency defined in the unique frequency key on a packet-by-packet basis, and wherein the unique frequency key is physically imprinted on the IoT sensor device so that the particular frequency defined in the unique frequency key on the packet-by-packet basis does not need to be communicated via a network,

determining, by the monitoring module, that the health status of the IoT sensor device indicates a sensor malfunction experienced by the IoT sensor device,

generating, by the monitoring module, an alert directed to the forensic analytics module, wherein the alert identifies the sensor malfunction associated with the IoT sensor device,

sending, by the monitoring module, the alert to the forensic analytics module,

in response to the alert, determining, by the forensic analytics module, a last known location of the IoT sensor device,

obtaining, by the forensic analytics module, a set of satellite images of the last known location of the IoT sensor device, and

utilizing, by the forensic analytics module, the set of satellite images of the last known location of the IoT sensor device to determine, at least in part, a cause of the sensor malfunction.

2. The sensor web management system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise reporting the cause of the sensor malfunction.

3. The sensor web management system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise generating a recommendation comprising a course of action to mitigate a further sensor malfunction due to the cause.

4. The sensor web management system of claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise providing the recommendation to an entity capable of implementing the course of action to mitigate the further sensor malfunction due to the cause.

5. The sensor web management system of claim 1, wherein the sensor malfunction comprises a data stream malfunction.

6. The sensor web management system of claim 1, wherein the sensor malfunction comprises a lost signal malfunction.

7. The sensor web management system of claim 1, wherein the sensor malfunction comprises a location shift malfunction.

8. The sensor web management system of claim 1, wherein the sensor malfunction comprises a location unavailable malfunction.

9. The sensor web management system of claim 1, wherein utilizing, by the forensic analytics module, the set of satellite images of the last known location of the IoT sensor device to determine the cause of the sensor malfunction comprises comparing the set of satellite images to an archive of satellite images of the last known location of the IoT sensor device to determine whether the cause of the sensor malfunction is identifiable via a change within the set of satellite images from the archive of satellite images.

10. The sensor web management system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise recording a time associated with the change.

11. The sensor web management system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise compiling a list of surveillance systems located within an area served by the IoT sensor device.

12. The sensor web management system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise notifying law enforcement of the change.

13. The sensor web management system of claim 1, wherein utilizing, by the forensic analytics module, the set of satellite images of the last known location of the IoT sensor device to determine the cause of the sensor malfunction comprises determining the cause of the sensor malfunction to be a natural cause, a local cyber-attack, or a remote cyber-attack.

14. A method comprising:

monitoring, by a monitoring module of a sensor web management system, a health status of an Internet of Things (“

IoT”

) sensor device of a plurality of IoT sensor devices managed by the sensor web management system, wherein the IoT sensor device of the plurality of IoT sensor devices is associated with a unique frequency key used by the IoT sensor device during a data transmission such that each packet transmitted by the IoT sensor device during the data transmission is transmitted using a particular frequency defined in the unique frequency key on a packet-by-packet basis, wherein the unique frequency key is physically imprinted on the IoT sensor device, during manufacture, so that the particular frequency defined in the unique frequency key on the packet-by-packet basis does not need to be communicated via a network;

determining, by the monitoring module, that the health status of the IoT sensor device indicates a sensor malfunction experienced by the IoT sensor device;

generating, by the monitoring module, an alert directed to a forensic analytics module of the sensor web management system, wherein the alert identifies the sensor malfunction associated with the IoT sensor device;

sending, by the monitoring module, the alert to the forensic analytics module;

in response to the alert, determining, by the forensic analytics module, a last known location of the IoT sensor device;

obtaining, by the forensic analytics module, a set of satellite images of the last known location of the IoT sensor device, and

utilizing, by the forensic analytics module, the set of satellite images of the last known location of the IoT sensor device to determine, at least in part, a cause of the sensor malfunction.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

reporting the cause of the sensor malfunction;

generating a recommendation comprising a course of action to mitigate a further sensor malfunction due to the cause; and

providing the recommendation to an entity capable of implementing the course of action to mitigate the further sensor malfunction due to the cause.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein utilizing, by the forensic analytics module, the set of satellite images of the last known location of the IoT sensor device to determine the cause of the sensor malfunction comprises comparing the set of satellite images to an archive of satellite images of the last known location of the IoT sensor device to determine whether the cause of the sensor malfunction is identifiable via a change within the set of satellite images from the archive of satellite images;

and further comprising;

recording a time associated with the change; and

compiling a list of surveillance systems located within an area served by the IoT sensor device.

17. A computer-readable storage medium comprising a monitoring module, a forensic analytics module, and instructions that, when executed by a processor of a sensor web management system, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

monitoring, by the monitoring module, a health status of an Internet of Things (“

IoT”

) sensor device of a plurality of IoT sensor devices managed by the sensor web management system, wherein the IoT sensor device of the plurality of IoT sensor devices is associated with a unique frequency key used by the IoT sensor device during a data transmission such that each packet transmitted by the IoT sensor device during the data transmission is transmitted using a particular frequency defined in the unique frequency key on a packet-by-packet basis, and wherein the unique frequency key is physically imprinted on the IoT sensor device, during manufacture, so that the particular frequency defined in the unique frequency key on the packet-by-packet basis does not need to be communicated via a network;

determining, by the monitoring module, that the health status of the IoT sensor device indicates a sensor malfunction experienced by the IoT sensor device;

generating, by the monitoring module, an alert directed to the forensic analytics module, wherein the alert identifies the sensor malfunction associated with the IoT sensor device;

sending, by the monitoring module, the alert to the forensic analytics module;

in response to the alert, determining, by the forensic analytics module, a last known location of the IoT sensor device;

obtaining, by the forensic analytics module, a set of satellite images of the last known location of the IoT sensor device, and

utilizing, by the forensic analytics module, the set of satellite images of the last known location of the IoT sensor device to determine, at least in part, a cause of the sensor malfunction.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

reporting the cause of the sensor malfunction;

generating a recommendation comprising a course of action to mitigate a further sensor malfunction due to the cause; and

providing the recommendation to an entity capable of implementing the course of action to mitigate the further sensor malfunction due to the cause.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein utilizing, by the forensic analytics module, the set of satellite images of the last known location of the IoT sensor device to determine the cause of the sensor malfunction comprises comparing the set of satellite images to an archive of satellite images of the last known location of the IoT sensor device to determine whether the cause of the sensor malfunction is identifiable via a change within the set of satellite images from the archive of satellite images;

and wherein the operations further comprise;

recording a time associated with the change; and

compiling a list of surveillance systems located within an area served by the IoT sensor device.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein utilizing the set of satellite images of the last known location of the IoT sensor device to determine the cause of the sensor malfunction comprises determining the cause of the sensor malfunction to be a natural cause, a local cyber-attack, or a remote cyber-attack.