ALERT SYSTEM FOR INTERNET OF THINGS (IOT) DEVICES

• US 20180247515A1
• Filed: 09/25/2015
• Published: 08/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Brady, John, Nolan, Keith, Nolan, Michael, Kelly, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 10,621,849 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/00 Automatic systems in which deviations of an electric quantity from one or more predetermined values are detected at the output of the system and fed back to a device within the system to restore the detected quantity to its predetermined value or values, i.e. retroactive systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/007 Details of data content structure of message packets; data protocols
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/10 Monitoring of the annunciator circuits
• 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 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information

Abstract

A method and apparatus for monitoring operational parameters in an IoT device is provided. An exemplary method includes performing a statistical analysis of a system metric. A determination is made as to whether an alert limit has been breached. If so, a message is constructed and dispatched to a server.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring an operational parameter, comprising an Internet of Things (IoT) device, wherein the IoT device comprises:

a processor;

a communications device configured to transmit data to a central server; and

a storage device, wherein the storage device comprises code to direct the processor to;

monitor an operational parameter for the IoT device;

compare the operational parameter to an alert limit; and

,

if the operational parameter breaches the alert limit;

construct an alert message; and

transmit the alert message to a server.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the alert message comprises:

a value for the operational parameter; and

a timestamp indicating a time the operational parameter passed the alert limit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the IoT device comprises a local power supply;

the alert limit comprises a reserve capacity in the local power supply; and

the code directs the processor to transmit the alert message if the reserve capacity of the local power supply falls below the alert limit.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the IoT device comprises a memory;

the alert limit comprises an amount of memory in use; and

the code directs the processor to transmit the alert message if the amount of memory in use exceeds the alert limit.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the alert limit comprises a loading of the processor; and

the code directs the processor to transmit the alert message if the loading on the processor exceeds the alert limit.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the IoT device comprises a sensor interface that is coupled to a sensor;

the alert limit comprises a measurement of a functionality of the sensor; and

the code directs the processor to transmit the alert message if the measurement of the functionality of the sensor passes the alert limit.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the IoT device comprises an actuator interface that is coupled to an actuator;

the alert limit comprises a measurement of a functionality of the actuator; and

the code directs the processor to transmit the alert message if the measurement of the functionality of the actuator passes the alert limit.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the IoT device is in a mesh network with a plurality of other IoT devices.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communications device comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiver.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communications device comprises a wireless wide area network (WWAN) transceiver.

11. A method for monitoring an Internet of Things (IoT) device, comprising:

performing a statistical analysis of a system metric;

determining if an alert limit is breached, and, if so;

constructing an alert message; and

dispatching the alert message to a server.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising performing a windowed analysis of the system metric.

13. The method of claim 11, comprising issuing a system command to read the system metric.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising storing the system metric in a datastore local to the IoT device.

15. The method of any of claim 11, comprising obtaining a rule set that comprises the system metric.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising issuing a request response command to access the rule set.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein determining if an alert condition is met comprises correlating two system metrics.

18. The method of any of claim 11, wherein determining if the alert limit is breached comprises a second order telemetry process comprising:

obtaining a maximum value of the system metric in excess of the alert limit;

converting the maximum value to a percentage of the alert limit; and

applying a configurable weighting to this percentage.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising checking for an update to a rule set after an iteration.

20. The method of any of claim 11, wherein constructing the alert message comprises:

inserting a time of occurrence for the breach of the alert limit into the alert message; and

inserting a value of the system metric at the time of occurrence into the alert message.

21. The method of any of claim 11, comprising performing a windowed analysis comprising:

testing for a breach of the alert limit; and

calculating a weighted score.

22. A non-transitory, machine readable medium comprising code to direct a processor to:

monitor an internet of things (IoT) device for a system metric;

detect that an alert limit has been violated; and

construct an alert message.

23. The non-transitory, machine readable medium of claim 22, comprising code to direct the processor to obtain a rule set comprising the alert limit.

24. The non-transitory, machine readable medium of claim 22, comprising code to direct the processor to transmit the alert message.

25. The non-transitory, machine readable medium of claim 22, comprising code to direct the processor to store a value of the system metric in a datastore local to the IoT device.