Distributed processing system having sensor based data collection and associated method

• US 20040103139A1
• Filed: 10/16/2003
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Niration Network Group LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: United Devices, Inc. (Altair Engineering Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hubbard, Edward A., Crafford, Chris
• Application Number:
  US10/687,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20040103139A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

A sensor-based network hosted on a distributed computing platform and associated method are disclosed. The distributed computing platform takes advantage of unused capabilities of internet, intranet, wireless or otherwise network connected client systems, such as personal computers, internet appliances, notebook computers, server systems, storage devices or any other connected computing device. One capability for many of these devices is the ability to provide the infrastructure support for sensors, such as power, communication services, recording, data logging services and other supporting services that would allow the sensor to gather data and provide and/or communicate that data in a useful and timely manner. Such sensors can interface to these devices using a variety of communication techniques, and these sensors can be a single set or multiple sets of sensor devices associated with each device. These sensors can take on a wide variety of forms and purposes, including but not limited to sensors for weather related measurements, atmospheric conditions, air/water/environmental conditions, seismic activity, location information (such as GPS data), biological conditions, health conditions, and chemical contamination measurements.

Claims

1. A distributed processing system having sensor based data collection comprising:

a server system coupled to a network, wherein the network is configurable for of coupling to distributed devices for processing workloads for the distributed processing system;

one or more remote distributed devices (RDDs) selected from within the distributed devices and accessible to the server system in response to an incentive provided by the server system, each of the RDDs having an input/output (I/O) port for coupling at least one environmental sensor (E-sensor) generating environmental data (E-data) corresponding to the RDDs, wherein the E-data includes sensor identification (ID) data identifying the E-sensor'"'"'s corresponding type;

a software agent operating within each of the RDDs for sending location data (L-data) corresponding to a location of the RDD, the E-data, and corresponding sensor ID data to the server system in response to a received read sensor request;

a sensor database coupled to the server system for storing L-data, E-data and corresponding sensor ID data; and

a software program executable by the server system for configuring one or more sensor based data collection systems in response to user requests using the L-data and corresponding sensor ID data in the sensor database.

2. The distributed processing system of claim 1, wherein L-data and E-data are communicated to a customer system subscribing to a sensor based data service hosted by the server system.

3. The distributed processing system of claim 1, wherein a time the read sensor request is sent and a time corresponding E-data, L-data and sensor ID data are received in the server system are stored by the server system.

4. The distributed processing system of claim 1, wherein selected ones of the RDDs are wireless RDDs capable of mobile communication with the server system.

5. The distributed processing system of claim 4, wherein a wireless RDD receives a request to move to a selected location to provide particular data collection for the server system.

6. The distributed processing system of claim 5, wherein the request to move the wireless RDD is in response to an emergency condition within or near the selected location.

7. The distributed processing system of claim 1, wherein an E-sensor and a location sensor (L-sensor) generating L data for an RDD are wireless sensors physically coupled and mobile and having a wireless connection to the RDD.

8. The distributed processing system of claim 2, wherein the customer system subscribing to the sensor based data service hosted by the server system may directly request E-data from selected RDDs using L-data and corresponding sensor ID data in the sensor database.

9. The distributed processing system of claim 1 further comprising a distributed device performance capabilities database coupled to the server system, wherein L-data and E-data of RDDs are stored with performance capabilities data for the RDDs.

10. The distributed processing system of claim 1, wherein the L-data is generated by an L-sensor coupled to each of the RDDs.

11. The distributed processing system of claim 10, wherein the L-sensor is a global positioning system (GPS) sensor.

12. The distributed processing system of claim 1, wherein L-data is determined from a mailing address of a facility housing a corresponding RDD.

13. The distributed processing system of claim 1, wherein L-data is determined from a network address of a corresponding RDD.

14. The distributed processing system of claim 1, wherein a first sensor based data collection system within the one or more sensor based data collection systems is dynamically reconfigured in response to a user analyzing previously received L-data and E-data for the first sensor based data collection system.

15. The distributed processing system of claim 1, wherein a user sends a sensor request to a particular RDD to add a first E-sensor in response to analyzing previously received L-data and E-data for a first sensor based data collection system within the one or more sensor based data collection systems.

16. The distributed processing system of claim 1, wherein the E-sensor is selected from a class of sensors for quantifying any parameter that may be related to people, property or physical conditions in an area in proximity to and including an RDD.

17. The distributed processing system of claim 1, wherein the E-sensor is selected from a set of sensors consisting of biometrics detection sensors, early warning network sensors, network intrusion sensors, radio frequency (RD) identification transmitters and receivers, and system security sensors used to allow access to other services supplied by the RDD or to monitor general activity at the RDD.

18. A method of forming a distributed processing system having sensor based data collection comprising:

coupling a server system to a network connecting a plurality of remote distributed devices (RDDs) capable of processing workloads for a distributed processing system, wherein each of the RDDs has at least one input/output (I/O) port for coupling a plurality of sensors;

providing an incentive for the RDDs to couple at least one environmental sensor (E-sensor) generating E-data corresponding to the RDDs and to provide location data (L-data) corresponding to an identifiable location of the RDD, wherein the E-data includes sensor ID data identifying the type of the E-sensor;

executing a software agent in the RDDs, the software agent capable of sending the L-data, E-data and corresponding sensor ID data to the server system in response to a read sensor request;

receiving the L-data and sensor ID data from the RDDs and storing the L-data and sensor ID data in a sensor database coupled to the server system; and

configuring the distributed processing system having sensor based data collection by requesting and collecting E-data from selected RDDs, wherein the RDDs are selected using the L-data and corresponding sensor ID data in the sensor database.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein L-data and E-data are communicated to a customer system subscribing to sensor based data service hosted by the server system.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein a time the read sensor request is sent and a time corresponding E-data, L-data and sensor ID data are received in the server system are stored by the server system.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the L-data is generated by a L-sensor coupled to each of the RDDs.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the L-sensor is a global positioning system (GPS) sensor.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the L-data is determined from an address of a facility housing a corresponding RDD.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein L-data is determined from a network address of a corresponding RDD.

25. A server system coupled to a network, wherein the network is configurable for of coupling to one or more remote distributed devices (RDDs), each of the RDDs having at least one input/output (I/O) port for coupling a location sensor (L-sensor) for generating location data (L-data) corresponding to a location of the RDD and at least one environmental sensor (E-sensor) generating environmental data (E-data) corresponding to the RDDs, wherein the E-data includes sensor ID data identifying the E-sensor'"'"'s corresponding type comprising:

a sensor database coupled to the server system for storing L-data, E-data and corresponding sensor ID data; and

a software program executable by the server system for configuring one or more sensor based data collection systems in response to user requests using the L-data and corresponding sensor ID data in the sensor database.

26. A software agent executable within a remote distributed device (RDD) coupled to a server system through a network comprising a program of instructions for implementing the steps of:

receiving a read sensor command from the server system;

reading environmental data (E-data) from one or more environmental sensors (E-sensors) coupled to the RDD in response to the read sensor command, wherein the E-data includes sensor identification (ID) data identifying the E-sensor'"'"'s corresponding type comprising;

reading location data (L-data) corresponding to a location of the RDD in response to the read sensor command; and

sending E-data, corresponding sensor ID data and L-data to the server system.

27. The software agent of claim 26 further comprising an instruction to receive an incentive from the server system to couple one or more E-sensors to the RDD and to provide the L-data.

28. A computer program executable within a server system coupled to a network, wherein the network is configurable for coupling to a plurality of remote distributed devices (RDD) for processing workloads for the distributed processing system comprising a program of instructions for implementing the steps of:

providing an incentive for the RDDs to couple at least one environmental sensor (E-sensor) generating E-data corresponding to the RDDs and to provide location data (L-data) corresponding to an identifiable location of the RDD, wherein the E-data includes sensor ID data identifying the type of the E-sensor;

sending a read sensor request to the selected ones of the RDDs, wherein the selected ones of the RDDs send E-data, sensor ID data and L data in response to the read command;

storing the E-data, sensor ID data, and L-data in a sensor database accessible by the server system;

receiving a request from a client system to configure a remote sensor based data collection system having a desired geographical area of coverage;

reading L-data and corresponding sensor ID data from the sensor database and selecting one or more candidate RDDs having a desired type of E-sensor and locations corresponding to the desired geographical area of coverage;

sending the read sensor request to each of the one or more candidate RDDs at a sample time;

receiving E-data, corresponding sensor ID data, and L-Data from the one or more candidate RDDs, wherein a receive data time is stored corresponding to when the E-data, corresponding sensor ID data, and L-Data are received; and

sending the E-data, corresponding sensor ID data, L-Data, and the corresponding sample time and receive data time to the client system sending the request to configure the remote sensor based data collection system.