Sensor discovery and configuration

• US 20080196083A1
• Filed: 02/08/2007
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Panabaker, Ruston, Fuller, Andrew, Parks, Greg
• Granted Patent: US 8,635,307 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A system for policy-based applications may be developed by using non-device specific policies that are executed on a policy engine. During installation, available sensor devices are identified by metadata that describes the devices within a taxonomy of sensor devices, and a separate device policy may be installed and executed by each sensor device. The policy engine, in conjunction with the sensor devices operating a device policy, may be execute a wide range of applications. In many applications, a sensor device may detect that a first policy engine is not available and send communications to a second policy engine that may be accessed through the Internet.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

metadata comprising a classification;

a data interface;

a first device policy, said device policy defining at least one condition for transmitting data;

a logic processor adapted to receive a new device policy and to communicate with a first policy engine, said first policy engine being accessed through the Internet; and

a sensor.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

a second device policy; and

wherein said logic processor being further adapted to communicate with a second policy engine.

3. The device of claim 2, said logic processor further adapted to:

detect that said second policy engine is available.

4. The device of claim 3, said logic processor further adapted to:

transmit a communication to said first policy engine when said second policy engine is not available.

5. The device of claim 2, said second policy engine being available over a local area network.

6. The device of claim 1, said logic processor further adapted to:

monitor said sensor to detect a first condition and transmit a communication to said first policy engine based on said condition.

7. The device of claim 1, said logic processor further adapted to:

receive a request from said first policy engine; and

send a response to said request, said response comprising data from said sensor.

8. The device of claim 1, said first device policy comprising a format for said data.

9. The device of claim 1, said sensor being adapted to return data comprising at least one of a group composed of binary data, analog data, numerical data, text data, audio data, and video data.

10. The device of claim 1 further comprising a display.

11. The device of claim 1, said display being adapted to display data comprising at least one of a group composed of binary data, analog data, numerical data, text data, audio data, and video data.

12. A policy server comprising:

an interface to a network;

a discoverer adapted to discover a device through said network, said device having classification metadata and at least one policy;

a policy generator adapted to;

define rules for relating a first classification of devices to a second classification of devices;

define a first application policy and a second application policy, each of said application policies comprising at least a portion of said rules;

a policy engine adapted to execute said first application policy; and

a policy distributor adapted to push said second application policy to a remote policy engine.

13. The policy server of claim 12, said discoverer adapted to periodically query for new devices through said network.

14. The policy server of claim 12, said classification metadata being obtained by querying a database.

15. The policy server of claim 14, said database being accessed through the Internet.

16. The policy server of claim 12, said policy generator being further adapted to:

define a device policy; and

push said device policy to a device attached to said network.

17. The policy server of claim 12, said policy generator having a first set of rules adapted to a first specific classification and a second set of rules adapted to a second specific classification, said policy generator further adapted to:

detect that a first device is within said second specific classification of devices; and

apply said second set of rules to determine said first application policy and said second application policy.

18. The policy server of claim 12, said remote policy engine being accessed through the Internet.

19. The policy server of claim 18, said policy generator being further adapted to generate a device policy, said device policy comprising:

detecting if said policy server is available; and

sending a communication to said remote policy server based on said detecting.

20. A method comprising:

discovering a device connected to a network;

determining metadata for said device, said metadata comprising a device classification;

defining a device policy for said device;

defining a first application policy for said device;

defining a second application policy for said device;

pushing said second application policy to a remote policy engine;

receiving an input from said device over said network; and

executing said first application policy using said input.