Sensor Web Management System for Internet of Things Sensor Devices With Physically Imprinted Unique Frequency Keys

• US 20200136947A1
• Filed: 12/20/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Innes, Timothy, MacDougall, Alexander, Bradley, Nigel, Patel, Bhumit, Carl, Christopher, Spivey, David, Khallil, Wasib
• Granted Patent: US 11,025,517 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/30 Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/713 using frequency hopping
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7143 Arrangements for generation of hop patterns
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0631 using root cause analysis; using analysis of correlation between notifications, alarms or events based on decision criteria, e.g. hierarchy, tree or time analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0654 using network fault recovery ring fault isolation or reconfiguration in loop networks without recovery actions by a network management system H04L12/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/22 using time-division multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/26 combined with the use of different frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for a sensor web for Internet of Things (“IoT”) devices. According to one aspect disclosed herein, a system can monitor a health status of an IoT sensor device of a plurality of IoT sensor devices. The system can determine that the health status of the IoT sensor device indicates a sensor malfunction experienced by the IoT sensor device, and in response, can generate and send an alert to a forensic analytics module. The alert can identify the sensor malfunction. In response to the alert, the forensic analytics module can determine a last known location of the IoT sensor device. The system can obtain a set of satellite images of the last known location of the IoT sensor device, and can utilize the set of satellite images of the last known location to determine a cause of the sensor malfunction.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an IoT sensor device that is associated with a unique frequency key to be used during a data transmission such that each packet transmitted by the IoT sensor device during the data transmission is transmitted using a particular frequency defined in the unique frequency key on a packet-by-packet basis, and wherein the unique frequency key is physically imprinted on the IoT sensor device; and

a sensor web management system comprising

a processor, and

a memory comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising monitoring a health status of the IoT sensor device.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of IoT sensor devices, wherein the IoT sensor device is one IoT sensor device of the plurality of IoT sensor devices;

and wherein monitoring the health status of the IoT sensor device comprises monitoring the health status of each IoT sensor device of the plurality of IoT sensor devices.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining that the health status of the IoT sensor device indicates a sensor malfunction experienced by the IoT sensor device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise generating an alert that identifies the sensor malfunction associated with the IoT sensor device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a last known location of the IoT sensor device;

obtaining a set of satellite images of the last known location of the IoT sensor device; and

utilizing the set of satellite images of the last known location of the IoT sensor device to determine, at least in part, a cause of the sensor malfunction.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise reporting the cause of the sensor malfunction.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise generating a recommendation comprising a course of action to mitigate a further sensor malfunction due to the cause.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise providing the recommendation to an entity capable of implementing the course of action to mitigate the further sensor malfunction due to the cause.

9. A method comprising:

monitoring, by a sensor web management system comprising a processor, a health status of an IoT sensor device managed by the sensor web management system, wherein the IoT sensor device is associated with a unique frequency key used by the IoT sensor device during a data transmission such that each packet transmitted by the IoT sensor device during the data transmission is transmitted using a particular frequency defined in the unique frequency key on a packet-by-packet basis, and wherein the unique frequency key is physically imprinted on the IoT sensor.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein monitoring, by the sensor web management system, the health status of the IoT sensor device comprises monitoring, by the sensor web management system, the health status of each IoT sensor device of a plurality of IoT sensor devices, wherein the plurality of IoT sensor devices comprises the IoT sensor device.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining, by the sensor web management system, that the health status of the IoT sensor device indicates a sensor malfunction experienced by the IoT sensor device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating, by the sensor web management system, an alert that identifies the sensor malfunction associated with the IoT sensor device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining, by the sensor web management system, a last known location of the IoT sensor device;

obtaining, by the sensor web management system, a set of satellite images of the last known location of the IoT sensor device; and

utilizing, by the sensor web management system, the set of satellite images of the last known location of the IoT sensor device to determine, at least in part, a cause of the sensor malfunction.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising reporting, by the sensor web management system, the cause of the sensor malfunction.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating, by the sensor web management system, a recommendation comprising a course of action to mitigate a further sensor malfunction due to the cause.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing, by the sensor web management system, the recommendation to an entity capable of implementing the course of action to mitigate the further sensor malfunction due to the cause.

17. A computer-readable storage medium comprising a monitoring module, a forensic analytics module, and instructions that, when executed by a processor of a sensor web management system, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

monitoring a health status of an IoT sensor device managed by the sensor web management system, wherein the IoT sensor device is associated with a unique frequency key used by the IoT sensor device during a data transmission such that each packet transmitted by the IoT sensor device during the data transmission is transmitted using a particular frequency defined in the unique frequency key on a packet-by-packet basis, and wherein the unique frequency key is physically imprinted on the IoT sensor device.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise determining that the health status of the IoT sensor device indicates a sensor malfunction experienced by the IoT sensor device.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating an alert that identifies the sensor malfunction associated with the IoT sensor device.

determining a last known location of the IoT sensor device;

obtaining a set of satellite images of the last known location of the IoT sensor device; and

utilizing the set of satellite images of the last known location of the IoT sensor device to determine, at least in part, a cause of the sensor malfunction.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise:

reporting the cause of the sensor malfunction; and

generating a recommendation comprising a course of action to mitigate a further sensor malfunction due to the cause.