SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SUPPORTING LOGICAL SENSOR NETWORK

• US 20110113339A1
• Filed: 09/07/2010
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Lee, Jun Wook, Lee, Ki Sung, Hwang, Jae Gak
• Granted Patent: US 8,612,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/736
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/002 Specific input/output arrangements not covered by G06F3/01 - G06F3/16 other optical apparatus G02B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

Provided are a system and method for supporting a logical sensor network (LSN) separate from an actual physical sensor network (PSN) to readily obtain sensing data required by a user or application program in an environment consisting of various types of PSNs. The system includes a metadata database (DB) for storing metadata of a plurality of available PSNs each having a plurality of sensor nodes, a LSN generation module for generating a LSN including one or more PSNs among the PSNs registered in the metadata DB or one or more sensor nodes in the PSNs, and storing metadata of the generated LSN in the metadata DB, a LSN update module for updating the metadata of the LSN including the PSNs or the sensor nodes in the PSNs when a state of the PSNs or the sensor nodes is changed, and a query processing module for, when a query about the LSN is received from an application program, collecting sensing data from the PSNs or the sensor nodes included in the LSN, generating query result data for the LSN using the collected data, and providing the query result data to the application program.

Claims

1. A system for supporting a logical sensor network (LSN), comprising:

a metadata database (DB) for storing metadata of a plurality of available physical sensor networks (PSNs) each having a plurality of sensor nodes;

a LSN generation module for generating a LSN including one or more PSNs among the PSNs stored in the metadata DB or one or more sensor nodes in the PSNs, and storing metadata of the generated LSN in the metadata DB;

a LSN update module for updating the metadata of the LSN including the PSNs or the sensor nodes in the PSNs when a state of the PSNs or the sensor nodes is changed; and

a query processing module for, when a query about the LSN is received from an application program, collecting sensing data from the PSNs or the sensor nodes included in the LSN, generating query result data for the LSN using the collected data, and providing the query result data to the application program.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a graphical user interface (GUI) tool for providing an input/output (I/O) interface to enable an administrator to readily manage the LSN.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the GUI tool shows the administrator a list of the PSNs stored in the metadata DB and enables the administrator to select one or more PSNs to be included in the LSN from among the one or more PSNs or one or more sensor nodes in the PSNs.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the LSN generation module determines whether or not a LSN can be generated by examining whether the selected PSNs or sensor nodes support a sensing type in common.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the LSN generation module generates the LSN using the selected PSNs or sensor nodes when the selected PSNs or sensor nodes support a sensing type in common, and stores metadata of the generated LSN in the metadata DB.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the metadata of the LSN includes a LSN identification (ID), information on a supported sensing type, and IDs of the PSNs or sensor nodes included in the LSN.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the LSN update module retrieves LSNs including a PSN to which a new sensor node is added or LSNs related to a location of the added sensor node from the metadata DB, examines whether the added sensor node supports a sensing type supported by each of the retrieved LSNs, and adds the sensor node to the corresponding LSN when the added sensor node supports the sensing type supported by the LSN.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein when a sensor node in the PSNs is removed, the LSN update module retrieves a LSN including the sensor node from the metadata DB and deletes information on the sensor node from metadata of the retrieved LSN.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein when a state of a sensor node in the PSNs is changed, the LSN update module retrieves a LSN including the sensor node from the metadata DB and changes state information on the sensor node in metadata of the retrieved LSN.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein when a query about a specific LSN is received from the application program, the query processing module retrieves information on a PSN or a sensor node included in the specific LSN from the metadata DB, obtains and collects sensing data from the retrieved PSN or sensor node, and generates a result of the query using the collected data.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the query processing module obtains and collects sensing data from the retrieved PSN or sensor node in consideration of at least one of an operation mode and a processing capability of the retrieved PSN or sensor node.

12. A method of supporting a logical sensor network (LSN), comprising:

generating a new LSN including one or more physical sensor networks (PSNs) or one or more sensor nodes in the PSN, and storing metadata of the generated LSN in a metadata database (DB);

when a state of the PSNs or the sensor nodes in the PSNs is changed, retrieving the metadata of the LSN including the PSNs or the sensor nodes from the metadata DB, and updating the metadata; and

when a query about the LSN is received from an application program, collecting sensing data from the PSNs or the sensor nodes included in the LSN, generating query result data for the LSN using the collected data, and providing the query result data to the application program.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein generating the new LSN and storing the metadata of the generated LSN includes:

showing an administrator a list of available PSNs stored in the metadata DB, and enabling the administrator to select one or more PSNs to be included in the new LSN or one or more sensor nodes in the PSNs; and

determining whether or not the LSN can be generated by examining whether the selected PSNs or sensor nodes support a sensing type in common.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein generating the new LSN and storing the metadata of the generated LSN includes:

displaying a map in which locations of a plurality of sensor nodes in PSNs stored in the metadata DB are indicated on a screen;

when an area in which the LSN will be generated is selected by an administrator, obtaining information on all sensor nodes included in the selected area from the metadata DB; and

examining whether all the sensor nodes support a sensing type in common on the basis of the obtained information and determining whether or not the LSN can be generated.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein generating the new LSN and storing the metadata of the generated LSN includes:

receiving an area query requesting information on all sensor nodes included in an area in which the LSN will be generated from an administrator;

obtaining information on all the sensor nodes included in the area from the metadata DB in response to the area query received from the administrator;

and

determining whether or not the LSN can be generated by examining whether all the sensor nodes support a sensing type in common on the basis of the obtained information.

16. The method of any one of claims 13, further comprising enabling the administrator to select a sensing type when the PSNs or the sensor nodes support a plurality of sensing types in common.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the change in a state of the PSNs or the sensor nodes in the PSNs includes addition of a sensor node, removal of a sensor node, state change of a sensor node, termination of a connection to the PSNs, and resumption of a connection to the PSNs.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein when a sensor node is added to a PSN, retrieving and updating the metadata includes n:

retrieving all LSNs including the PSN to which the sensor node is added from the metadata DB; and

examining whether the added sensor node supports a sensing type supported by each of the LSNs, and adding the added sensor node to the corresponding LSN when the added sensor node supports the sensing type.