Providing Sensor-Application Services

• US 20120109851A1
• Filed: 10/29/2010
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: SANDERS, Jeffery A.
• Application Number:
  US12/916,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20120109851A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving at a sensor-application-service provider sensor data from sensors associated with persons. The method includes, based on a service information model at the sensor-application-service provider, determining whether the sensor data are valid and, for the sensor data that are valid applying to the sensor data one or more terms of one or more service agreements between the sensor-application-service provider and the persons associated with the sensor data, determining one or more amounts to bill or compensate the persons associated with the sensor data or others for processing of the sensor data at the sensor-application-service provider to provide a sensor-application service, and providing the sensor-application service to the persons associated with the sensor data or to others.

Claims

1. A method comprising, by one or more computer systems:

receiving at a sensor-application-service provider a plurality of sensor data from a plurality of sensors associated with a plurality of persons, the sensor data having been aggregated together downstream from the sensor-application-service provider based on the association of the sensors with the persons and routed to the application provider based on an association of the persons with the sensor-application-service provider;

based on a service information model at the sensor-application-service provider;

determining whether the sensor data are valid;

for the sensor data that are valid;

applying to the sensor data one or more terms of one or more service agreements between the sensor-application-service provider and the persons associated with the sensor data;

determining one or more amounts to bill or compensate the persons associated with the sensor data or others for processing of the sensor data at the sensor-application-service provider to provide a sensor-application service; and

providing the sensor-application service to the persons associated with the sensor data or to others.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more software processes at a property sensor-coordinating entity, community sensor-coordinating entity, or an intelligent endpoint controller participate, at least in part, in the provision of the sensor-application service.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the service agreement was brokered with the sensor-application-service provider by a sensor community on behalf of the persons associated with the sensor data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor-application service is provided by the sensor-application-service provider to the persons associated with the sensor data through property-based sensor-coordination entities associated with properties of the persons.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the sensors are mobile sources.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the sensors are fixed sources.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more secondary services are executed at the sensor-application-service provider to provide the sensor-application service, the secondary services comprising one or more virtual-process entities that each perform one or more of a broker function, validation function, police function, or accounting function.

8. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying logic operable when executed to:

receive at a sensor-application-service provider a plurality of sensor data from a plurality of sensors associated with a plurality of persons, the sensor data having been aggregated together downstream from the sensor-application-service provider based on the association of the sensors with the persons and routed to the application provider based on an association of the persons with the sensor-application-service provider;

based on a service information model at the sensor-application-service provider;

determine whether the sensor data are valid;

for the sensor data that are valid;

apply to the sensor data one or more terms of one or more service agreements between the sensor-application-service provider and the persons associated with the sensor data;

determine one or more amounts to bill or compensate the persons associated with the sensor data or others for processing of the sensor data at the sensor-application-service provider to provide a sensor-application service; and

provide the sensor-application service to the persons associated with the sensor data or to others.

9. The media of claim 8, wherein one or more software processes at a property sensor-coordinating entity, community sensor-coordinating entity, or an intelligent endpoint controller participate, at least in part, in the provision of the sensor-application service.

10. The media of claim 8, wherein the service agreement was brokered with the sensor-application-service provider by a sensor community on behalf of the persons associated with the sensor data.

11. The media of claim 8, wherein the sensor-application service is provided by the sensor-application-service provider to the persons associated with the sensor data through property-based sensor-coordination entities associated with properties of the persons.

12. The media of claim 8, wherein one or more of the sensors are mobile sources.

13. The media of claim 8, wherein one or more of the sensors are fixed sources.

14. The media of claim 8, wherein one or more secondary services are executed at the sensor-application-service provider to provide the sensor-application service, the secondary services comprising one or more virtual-process entities that each perform one or more of a broker function, validation function, police function, or accounting function.

15. An apparatus comprising:

one or more communication interfaces;

one or more memory devices containing one or more instructions for execution by one or more processing devices; and

the processing devices, operable when executing the instructions to;

receive at a sensor-application-service provider a plurality of sensor data from a plurality of sensors associated with a plurality of persons, the sensor data having been aggregated together downstream from the sensor-application-service provider based on the association of the sensors with the persons and routed to the application provider based on an association of the persons with the sensor-application-service provider;

based on a service information model at the sensor-application-service provider;

determine whether the sensor data are valid;

for the sensor data that are valid;

apply to the sensor data one or more terms of one or more service agreements between the sensor-application-service provider and the persons associated with the sensor data;

determine one or more amounts to bill or compensate the persons associated with the sensor data or others for processing of the sensor data at the sensor-application-service provider to provide a sensor-application service; and

provide the sensor-application service to the persons associated with the sensor data or to others.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein one or more software processes at a property sensor-coordinating entity, community sensor-coordinating entity, or an intelligent endpoint controller participate, at least in part, in the provision of the sensor-application service.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the service agreement was brokered with the sensor-application-service provider by a sensor community on behalf of the persons associated with the sensor data.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the sensor-application service is provided by the sensor-application-service provider to the persons associated with the sensor data through property-based sensor-coordination entities associated with properties of the persons.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein one or more of the sensors are mobile sources.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein one or more of the sensors are fixed sources.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein one or more secondary services are executed at the sensor-application-service provider to provide the sensor-application service, the secondary services comprising one or more virtual-process entities that each perform one or more of a broker function, validation function, police function, or accounting function.

22. A system comprising:

means for receiving at a sensor-application-service provider a plurality of sensor data from a plurality of sensors associated with a plurality of persons, the sensor data having been aggregated together downstream from the sensor-application-service provider based on the association of the sensors with the persons and routed to the application provider based on an association of the persons with the sensor-application-service provider;

means for, based on a service information model at the sensor-application-service provider;

determining whether the sensor data are valid;

for the sensor data that are valid;

applying to the sensor data one or more terms of one or more service agreements between the sensor-application-service provider and the persons associated with the sensor data;

determining one or more amounts to bill or compensate the persons associated with the sensor data or others for processing of the sensor data at the sensor-application-service provider to provide a sensor-application service; and

providing the sensor-application service to the persons associated with the sensor data or to others.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein one or more software processes at a property sensor-coordinating entity, community sensor-coordinating entity, or an intelligent endpoint controller participate, at least in part, in the provision of the sensor-application service.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the service agreement was brokered with the sensor-application-service provider by a sensor community on behalf of the persons associated with the sensor data.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the sensor-application service is provided to the persons associated with the sensor data through property-based sensor-coordination entities associated with properties of the persons.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein one or more of the sensors are mobile sources.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein one or more of the sensors are fixed sources.

28. The system of claim 22, wherein one or more secondary services are executed at the sensor-application-service provider to provide the sensor-application service, the secondary services comprising one or more virtual-process entities that each perform one or more of a broker function, validation function, police function, or accounting function.