SENSOR NODE INCLUDING GENERAL-PURPOSE INTERFACE PORT AND PLUG AND PLAY FUNCTION, SENSOR BOARD INCLUDING GENERAL-PURPOSE INTERFACE PORT AND SENSOR DEVICE DRIVER, GENERAL-PURPOSE INTERFACE PORT, AND OPERATION METHOD OF SENSOR NODE, SENSOR BOARD, AND GENERAL-PURPOSE INTERFACE PORT

• US 20110276738A1
• Filed: 04/29/2011
• Published: 11/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: EUN, Seong Bae, SON, Kyo Hoon, KANG, Ho Yong, KIM, Nae Soo, JEONG, Hoon, PYO, Cheol Sig, KIM, Se Han
• Application Number:
  US13/097,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20110276738A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/102 where the programme performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver G06F13/105 takes precedence; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881

Abstract

Provided is a general-purpose interface port that may interface with a sensor board including multiple types of sensor device drivers and download a sensor device driver from the sensor board, and a sensor node that may recognize a type of sensor included in the sensor board using the downloaded sensor device driver, the sensor node including a micro control unit that may process sensing data received from the sensor board, thereby providing a plug and play function between a micro control unit of a sensor node and a sensing unit including a sensor board in a Ubiquitous Sensor Network (USN) or a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN).

Claims

1. A sensor node comprising a general-purpose interface port and a plug and play function, the sensor node comprising:

the general-purpose interface port to interface with a sensor board, and to download a sensor device driver from the interfaced sensor board; and

a micro control unit, to control the sensor board, and to process sensing data generated by a sensor included in the sensor board, the micro control unit using the downloaded sensor device driver to control the sensor board and using the downloaded sensor to process sensing data.

2. The sensor node of claim 1, wherein the general-purpose interface port downloads a sensor device driver associated with at least one of a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C), an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), an interrupt, and a frequency.

3. The sensor node of claim 1, further comprising:

a power supply unit to supply a power to the sensor board interfaced with the general-purpose interface port.

4. The sensor node of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensing unit to generate multiple types of sensing data based on a sensor included in the sensor board, the sensing unit comprising the sensor board.

5. A sensor board comprising a general-purpose interface port and a sensor device driver, the sensor board comprising:

an authentication module to provide the sensor device drivers to a sensor node connected with the general-purpose interface port, the authentication module comprising sensor device drivers associated with processing of multiple types of sensing data; and

a sensor to generate multiple types of sensing data, and to provide the generated sensing data to the sensor node using the general-purpose interface port.

6. The sensor board of claim 5, the sensor generates sensing data in a form of at least one of an SPI, an I2C, an ADC, an interrupt, and a frequency.

7. A general-purpose interface port, comprising:

a sensor output connection port to interface between a sensor node and a sensor board, the sensor output connection port comprising n pins, and n being a natural number; and

a download port to download, to the sensor node, a sensor device driver stored in the sensor board, the download port comprising m pins, and m being a natural number.

8. The general-purpose interface port of claim 7, further comprising:

a power supply port to receive a power supply from the sensor node, the power supply port comprising k pins, and k being a natural number.

9. The general-purpose interface port of claim 7, further comprising:

an extension port to physically connect the sensor node and the sensor board, the extension port comprising v pins, and v being a natural number.

10. A method of operating a sensor node, comprising:

downloading a sensor device driver from a sensor board interfaced with a general-purpose interface port;

controlling the sensor board using the downloaded sensor device driver;

processing sensing data generated by a sensor included in the sensor board.

11. The sensor node operation method of claim 10, wherein the downloading of the sensor device driver comprises downloading a sensor device driver associated with at least one of a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C), an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), an interrupt, and a frequency.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

supplying a power to the sensor board interacted with the general-purpose interface port.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

generating multiple types of sensing data based on a sensor included in the sensor board.

14. A method of operating a sensor board, comprising:

storing a sensor device drivers associated with processing of multiple types of sensing data;

providing the sensor device drivers to a sensor node interacted with a general-purpose interface port;

generating multiple types of the sensing data; and

providing the generated sensing data to the sensor node using the general-purpose interface port.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the generating of multiple types of the sensing data comprises generating sensing data in a form of at least one of a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C), an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), an interrupt, and a frequency.

16. A method of operating a general-purpose interface port, comprising:

interfacing between a sensor node and a sensor board using a sensor output connection port comprising n pins, n being a natural number; and

downloading, to the sensor node, a sensor device driver stored in the sensor board using a download port comprising m pins, m being a natural number.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a power supply from the sensor node using a power supply port comprising k pins, k being a natural number.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

providing a physical connection of the sensor node and the sensor board using an extension port comprising v pins, v being a natural number.