CONTROLLER SENSOR NETWORKS

• US 20080208367A1
• Filed: 02/26/2008
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Koehler, Michael, Hugger, Markus, Krasue, Dietmar
• Granted Patent: US 8,239,046 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/19
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 3/08 with provision for safeguarding the apparatus, e.g. against abnormal operation, against breakdown

Abstract

A control element for a sensor network having a set of different sensors. In operation, the control element transfers connections between the control element and the set of different sensors, where the transfer connections are compliant with respective sensor-specific protocols. A sensor controller element is provided for each sensor, and establishes transfer connections between the control element and new sensors in runtime. Information obtained in a sensor-specific protocol format from the sensors is converted into a common format in the sensor controller elements. The common format information is processed by a set of common control components of the control element. The control element provides a service based on the information in the common format to at least one consumer, and updates the service in accordance with the sensors present in the sensor network.

Claims

1. A computerised method for operating a control element for a sensor network including a set of different sensors, said method comprising the steps of:

controlling transfer connections between said control element and said set of different sensors, said transfer connections being compliant with respective sensor-specific protocols;

providing a sensor controller for each sensor of said set of different sensors in said control element;

establishing transfer connections between said control element and new sensors in runtime;

converting information obtained in a sensor-specific protocol format from said sensors into a common format in said sensor controllers;

processing said information in said common format by a set of common control components of said control element;

providing a service based on said information in said common format to at least one consumer; and

,

updating said service in accordance with the sensors present in said sensor network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a sensor controller for each said new sensors in said control element based at least on a sensor configuration repository.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

automatically testing a generated new sensor controller using a test case, and

in response to a negative testing results, prompting a manual check of the generated new sensor controller.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing meta data describing a respective sensor for at least one of said sensors, and providing a data structure containing said meta data and said information in said common format received from the respective sensor.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

negotiating with said at least one consumer at least one of the following;

quality of service, and quality of information; and

controlling transfer of sensor information in accordance with the negotiated quality.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing sensor configuration information of sensors connected to said control element to at least one further control element; and

providing a sensor controller to a further controller element in response to said further controller requesting said sensor controller.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

requesting, in response to a new sensor connected to said control element, whether said new sensor was previously connected to a further control element; and

requesting, in response to said new sensor having been previously connected to said further control element, a sensor controller and sensor configuration information from said further control element.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

updating a service directory to reflect the new sensor being connected to said control element.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing at least one of the following service types;

sensor information in said common format as a push service, and sensor information in said common format as a pull service.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

checking authentication of a service request received from said at least one consumer on at least one of the following levels;

service level and sensor level.

11. A control element for a sensor network including a set of different sensors, said control element comprising:

means for controlling transfer connections between said control element and said set of different sensors, said transfer connections being compliant with respective sensor-specific protocols;

means for providing a sensor controller for each sensor of said set of different sensors in said control element;

means for establishing transfer connections between said control element and new sensors in runtime;

means for converting information received in a sensor-specific protocol format from said sensors into a common format in said sensor controllers;

means for processing said information in said common format by a set of common control components of said control element;

wherein a service is provided based on said information in said common format to at least one consumer, and said service is updated in accordance with the sensors present in said sensor network.

12. A control element for a sensor network including a set of different sensors, said control element comprising:

sensor controllers for each sensor of said set of different sensors, said sensor controllers configured to;

control transfer connections between said control element and said sensors,

establish transfer connections to new sensors in runtime,

control said sensors, and

convert information received in a sensor-specific protocol format into a common format;

a set of common control components for processing said information in said common format; and

a service unit operably connected to at least one of said common control components for providing a service based on said information in said common format to at least one consumer and for updating said service in accordance with the sensors present in said sensor network.

13. The control element of claim 12, further comprising:

a sensor configuration repository and a sensor controller generator for generating sensor controllers for new sensors based at least on said sensor configuration repository.

14. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for operating a control element for a sensor network including a set of different sensors, said method steps comprising:

controlling transfer connections between said control element and said set of different sensors, said transfer connections being compliant with respective sensor-specific protocols;

providing a sensor controller for each sensor of said set of different sensors in said control element;

establishing transfer connections between said control element and new sensors in runtime;

converting information obtained in a sensor-specific protocol format from said sensors into a common format in said sensor controllers;

processing said information in said common format by a set of common control components of said control element;

providing a service based on said information in said common format to at least one consumer; and

,

updating said service in accordance with the sensors present in said sensor network.

15. The program storage device readable by a machine of claim 14, further comprising:

generating a sensor controller for each said new sensors in said control element based at least on a sensor configuration repository.

16. The program storage device readable by a machine of claim 15, further comprising:

automatically testing a generated new sensor controller using a test case, and

in response to a negative testing results, prompting a manual check of the generated new sensor controller.

17. The program storage device readable by a machine of claim 15, further comprising:

providing meta data describing a respective sensor for at least one of said sensors, and providing a data structure containing said meta data and said information in said common format received from the respective sensor.

18. The program storage device readable by a machine of claim 15, further comprising:

negotiating with said at least one consumer at least one of the following;

quality of service, and quality of information; and

controlling transfer of sensor information in accordance with the negotiated quality.

19. The program storage device readable by a machine of claim 15, further comprising:

providing sensor configuration information of sensors connected to said control element to at least one further control element; and

providing a sensor controller to a further controller element in response to said further controller requesting said sensor controller.

20. A method of deploying a computer program product for operating a control element for a sensor network including a set of different sensors, wherein, when executed, the computer program performs the steps of:

controlling transfer connections between said control element and said set of different sensors, said transfer connections being compliant with respective sensor-specific protocols;

providing a sensor controller for each sensor of said set of different sensors in said control element;

establishing transfer connections between said control element and new sensors in runtime;

converting information obtained in a sensor-specific protocol format from said sensors into a common format in said sensor controllers;

processing said information in said common format by a set of common control components of said control element;

providing a service based on said information in said common format to at least one consumer; and

,

updating said service in accordance with the sensors present in said sensor network.