METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING MACHINE-TO-MACHINE SENSOR DATA

• US 20150067176A1
• Filed: 08/29/2013
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: DUBOIS, Jean F., MORAN, Patrick J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,516,141 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/102 Gateways arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways, H04L12/66
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 using security domains
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

An approach is described for registering a plurality of gateway devices to a sensor platform operated by a service provider, detecting at the gateway devices, one or more sensors from a personal area network of a subscriber, determining corresponding identifiers of the sensors, collecting data from the sensors over one or more coordinated personal area networks, and designating each of a plurality of agents to process the collected data for local analysis and acting on this analysis, wherein the agents are configured to communicate with other agents.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a plurality of sensors, one or more gateway devices, or a combination thereof, wherein at least one of the sensors outputs data in a format different from other ones of the sensors, and the one or more gateway devices are configured to communicate with the sensors to receive the data;

receiving the data in the various formats from the sensors and the gateway devices; and

converting one of more of the corresponding data formats to a common format that can be utilized by a plurality of applications.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

automatically detecting an indirect sensor;

installing an interfacing software in the indirect sensor; and

selectively registering the indirect sensor.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

automatically detecting the gateway devices;

installing the interfacing software in the gateway devices; and

registering the gateway devices.

4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising:

identifying the sensors, the gateway devices, and a user account;

associating the sensors, the gateway devices, or a combination thereof to the user account; and

communicating these associations to one of the gateway devices corresponding to the user account.

5. A method according to claim 4, further comprising:

receiving data in the various formats from the indirect sensor and the gateway devices; and

converting the various formats received from the indirect sensor and the gateway devices into the common format that can be utilized by the plurality of applications.

6. A method comprising:

detecting a plurality of sensors, wherein at least one of the sensors outputs data in a format different from other ones of the sensors;

receiving data from the sensors; and

forwarding the data to a sensor platform for conversion of one of more of the corresponding data formats to a common format that can be utilized by a plurality of applications.

7. A method according to claim 6, further comprising:

automatically detecting a direct sensors;

selectively registering the direct sensors;

installing an interfacing software into the direct sensors; and

collecting the data in various formats from the direct sensors.

8. A method according to claim 7, further comprising:

designating each of a plurality of agents to process the collected data for trend analysis, wherein the agents are configured to communicate with the other agents within a personal area network through a policy engine.

9. A method according to claim 8, further comprising:

determining one or more characteristics of the data, the agents, or a combination thereof; and

determining one or more access rules based on characteristics for communication among the agents to program the policy engine.

10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, from the agents, respective access settings associated with the agents for the policy engine; and

creating an interface to facilitate communication among the agents based on the access settings.

11. A method according to claim 10, further comprising:

sending the data in a variety of formats from the direct sensors to the sensor platform for the common data format conversion; and

sending the data in a variety of formats from the direct sensor, converting the data to a common data format, forwarding the common data to a direct actuator and notifying the sensor platform of this activity and further forwarding the data for conversion by the sensor platform.

12. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

detect a plurality of sensors, one or more gateway devices, or a combination thereof, wherein at least one of the sensors outputs data in a format different from other ones of the sensors, and the one or more gateway devices are configured to communicate with the sensors to receive the data,

receive the data in the various formats from the sensors and the gateway devices, and

convert one of more of the corresponding data formats to a common format that can be utilized by a plurality of applications.

13. A apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

automatically detect an indirect sensor;

install an interfacing software in the indirect sensor; and

selectively register the indirect sensor.

14. A apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

automatically detect the gateway devices;

install the interfacing software in the gateway devices; and

register the gateway devices.

15. A apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

identify the sensors, the gateway devices, and a user account;

associate the sensors, the gateway devices, or a combination thereof to the user account; and

communicate these associations to one of the gateway devices corresponding to the user account.

16. A apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

receive data in the various formats from the indirect sensor and the gateway devices;

convert the various formats received from the indirect sensor and the gateway devices into the common format that can be utilized by the plurality of applications.

17. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

detect a plurality of sensors, wherein at least one of the sensors outputs data in a format different from other ones of the sensors,

receive data from the sensors, and

forward the data to a sensor platform for conversion of one of more of the corresponding data formats to a common format that can be utilized by a plurality of applications.

collect the data in a portion of the system and forward the data to the sensor platform at another time.

18. A apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

automatically detect a direct sensors;

selectively register the direct sensors;

install an interfacing software into the direct sensors; and

collect the data in various formats from the direct sensors.

19. A apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

designate each of a plurality of agents to process the collected data for trend analysis, wherein the agents are configured to communicate with the other agents within a personal area network through a policy engine.

20. A apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine one or more characteristics of the data, the agents, or a combination thereof; and

determine one or more access rules based on characteristics for communication among the agents to program the policy engine.

21. A apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

receive, from the agents, respective access settings associated with the agents for the policy engine; and

create an interface to facilitate communication among the agents based on the access setting; and

facilitate a means of tracking and recording the creation and removal of these interfaces.

22. A apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

send the data in a variety of formats from the direct sensors to the direct actuator and to the sensor platform for the common data format conversion.