Sensor network system and data retrieval method for sensing data

• US 20060161645A1
• Filed: 08/26/2005
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Moriwaki, Norihiko, Odaka, Toshiyuki
• Application Number:
  US11/211,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20060161645A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

This invention enables to easily retrieve real-time information from a large number of sensors connected to a network. The sensor network system of this invention includes distributed data processing servers for collecting data from plural sensors at a predetermined frequency, a management server for maintaining a location of sensor data, user terminals for requesting data to the management server, and a first network for connecting with the management server, user terminals and plural distributed data processing servers. The management server includes a model table having model names previously set and information link pointers for indicating which distributed data processing server collects data corresponding to the model names, and a search engine for acquiring data requested by the user terminals from the distributed data processing servers corresponding to the information link pointers based on the model table and for responding to the user terminals with the data.

Claims

1. A sensor network system comprising:

distributed servers for storing data transmitted from a plurality of sensor nodes and

a management server connected with the distributed servers and user terminals through a first network, wherein

the management server has a model table having an information link pointer indicating model names previously set and corresponding data link pointers,

the distributed servers store data transmitted from the plurality of sensor nodes, and

the management server acquires data corresponding to information demanded from the user terminals among data stored in the distributed servers from the distributed servers based on the information link pointer and responds to the user terminals.

2. The sensor network system according to claim 1, wherein

the model table has:

a model list for specifying in which distributed server the information link pointer of the data corresponding to the model name is located, and

an interpretation list for converting the data from the sensor nodes into information understandable for users, and

the management server converts the data from the sensor nodes obtained from the information link pointer by the interpretation list.

3. The sensor network system according to claim 1, wherein the distributed servers store only data meeting previously set conditions from among the data received from the senor nodes.

4. The sensor network system according to claim 1, wherein the management server has a sensor information table for setting the distributed servers for collecting the data of the sensor nodes, and

the distributed servers collect data only from the sensor nodes set in the sensor information table.

5. The sensor network system according to claim 1, comprising:

a base station connected with a plurality of the sensor nodes, and

a second network connected with a plurality of base stations and prescribed distributed servers, wherein,

the distributed servers collect data from the sensor nodes through the base stations.

6. The sensor network system according to claim 1, wherein

the management server has a search engine responding to information required by users through the user terminals,

the search engine accepts a key word related with the data demanded by the user terminal, responds with the user terminal by sending the model name corresponding to the key word, acquires data from an information link pointer corresponding to a model name chosen by the user terminal from among the model names and respond to the user terminal.

7. The sensor network system according to claim 1, wherein

the management server further has a search engine for responding to the user terminal by sending the information requested by the user terminal,

the search engine presents a model name for each element common to the model name to the user terminal,

the search engine further acquires data from the information link pointer corresponding to the model name chosen by the user terminal and responds to the user terminal.

8. The sensor network system according to claim 1, wherein

the data transmitted from the plurality of sensor nodes change chronologically, and

the plurality of distributed servers store successively the chronologically changing data.

9. A data retrieval method for sensing data for retrieving, from user terminals, data transmitted from a plurality of sensor nodes, the data retrieval method comprising:

a step for storing in distributed servers the data sent from the plurality of sensor nodes,

a step for setting information link pointers for indicating model names previously set and link pointers of data corresponding to the model names,

a step for a management server connected through a network with the distributed servers and the user terminal to accept the reference requests for data acquired from the user terminals, and

a step for the management server to acquire data from the distributed servers set as the information link pointers based on the data reference request from among the data stored in the distributed servers and to respond to the user terminal.

10. The data retrieval method for sensing data according to claim 9, wherein

the step of responding the user terminal with the data comprises:

a step of converting the data acquired from the sensor nodes into information understandable for the user based on a previously set interpretation list, and

a step of responding to the user terminal with the converted data.

11. The data retrieval method for sensing data according to claim 9, wherein

the step of accepting the data reference request from the user terminal comprises:

a step of accepting key words related with the data requested from the user terminal,

a step of responding to the user terminal with the model names corresponding to the key words, and

a step of accepting model names chosen by the user terminal from among the model names as data reference requests.

12. The data retrieval method for sensing data according to claim 9, wherein

the step of accepting data reference requests from the user terminal comprises:

a step of presenting a model name for every element common to the model name to the user terminal, and

a step of acquiring data from the information link pointers corresponding to the model names chosen by the user terminal and responding to the user terminal.

13. The data retrieval method for sensing data according to claim 9, wherein

the step of collecting, in distributed servers, the data from the plurality of sensor nodes comprises:

a step of updating a latest data memory of the distribute servers with the collected data, and

a step of storing only data meeting previously set conditions in disk drives of the distributed servers.

14. A program for acquiring data from distributed servers for storing data transmitted from a plurality of sensor nodes based on data reference requests accepted from user terminals to execute:

a process of setting a location of data transmitted from the sensor nodes as an information link pointer indicating a previously set model name and a link pointer of data corresponding to the model name,

a process of accepting the data reference requests from the user terminals, and

a process of acquiring data of distributed servers corresponding to the information link pointer based on the data reference requests from the data stored in the distributed servers and responding to the user terminals.

15. The program according to claim 14, wherein the process of responding to the user terminals with the data comprises:

a process of converting the data from the senor nodes into information understandable for the users based on a previously set interpretation list, and

a process of responding to the user terminals with the converted data.

16. The program according to claim 14, wherein

the process of accepting the data reference requests from the user terminals comprises:

a process of accepting key words related with the data requested from the user terminals,

a process of responding to the user terminals with the model names corresponding to the key words, and

a process of accepting model names chosen by the user terminals from among the model names as data reference requests.

17. The program according to claim 14, wherein

the process of accepting the data reference requests from the user terminals comprises:

a process of presenting a model name for every element common to the model names to the user terminals, and

a process of acquiring data from information link pointers corresponding to the model names chosen by the user terminals and responding to the user terminals.