False alarm mitigation using a sensor network

• US 7,250,855 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2004
• Issued: 07/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Mo, Brian S., Suenbuel, Asuman, Odenwald, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Blount; Eric M.
• Application Number:
  US11/023,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20060152355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 340/511
• US Class Current: 340/511
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/12 responsive to undesired emission of substances, e.g. pollution alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/188 Data fusion; cooperative systems, e.g. voting among different detectors

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for processing, at a sensor node within a sensor network, a set of sensor readings to determine whether an event has occurred, the set of sensor readings including one or more sensor readings for corresponding environmental conditions. The processing includes determining whether a sensor reading exceeds its corresponding threshold value for an environmental condition, and if so, comparing the set of sensor readings with a history log file to determine whether a false alarm event has occurred. The history log file includes one or more sets of historic sensor readings for corresponding environmental conditions, each set being associated with an environmental situation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

selecting one of a plurality of sets of threshold values based on an identified environmental situation for a sensor node within a sensor network, the selected set including threshold values for corresponding environmental conditions; and

processing a set of sensor readings to determine whether an event has occurred given the identified environmental situation for the sensor node, the set of sensor readings comprising one or more sensor readings for corresponding environmental conditions, the processing comprising determining whether a sensor reading exceeds a corresponding threshold value for an environmental condition, and if so, comparing the set of sensor readings with a history log file to determine whether a false alarm event has occurred,

wherein the selecting and the processing are performed by the sensor node.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving sensed data from a plurality of sensors; and

processing the sensed data to generate the set of sensor readings.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein one or more of the plurality of sensors are located on one or more remote sensor nodes within the sensor network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying an environmental situation for the sensor node.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein identifying the environmental situation comprises:

comparing the set of sensor readings with one or more sets of ideal values, each set including ideal values for corresponding environmental conditions given an environmental situation; and

identifying the environmental situation for the sensor node based on the comparison.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the history log file comprises one or more sets of historic sensor readings for corresponding environmental conditions, each set being associated with an environmental situation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating an alert if the determination is made that a false alarm event has not occurred; and

sending the alert to a remote computing system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the alert comprises a sensor node identifier and the set of sensor readings.

10. The computer program product of claim 1, being further operable to cause a machine to:

receive sensed data from a plurality of sensors; and

process the sensed data to generate the set of sensor readings.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, being further operable to cause a machine to:

receive sensed data from one or more sensor located on one or more remote sensor nodes within the sensor network.

9. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in an information carrier, the computer program product being operable to cause a machine at a sensor node within a sensor network to:

select one of a plurality of sets of threshold values based on an identified environmental situation for a sensor node within a sensor network, the selected set including threshold values for corresponding environmental conditions; and

process a set of sensor readings to determine whether an event has occurred given the identified environmental situation for the sensor node, the set of sensor readings comprising one or more sensor readings for corresponding environmental conditions, the product being operable to cause the machine to process by;

determining whether a sensor reading exceeds its corresponding threshold value for an environmental condition, and if so, comparing the set of sensor readings with a history log file to determine whether a false alarm event has occurred.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, being further operable to cause a machine at the sensor node to:

identify an environmental situation for the sensor node.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, being further operable to cause a machine to:

compare the set of sensor readings with one or more sets of ideal values, each set including ideal values for corresponding environmental conditions given an environmental situation; and

identify the environmental situation for the sensor node based on the comparison.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the history log file comprises one or more sets of historic sensor readings for corresponding environmental conditions, each set being associated with an environmental situation.

15. The computer program product of claim 9, being further operable to cause a machine to:

generate an alert if the determination is made that a false alarm event has not occurred; and

send the alert to a remote computing system.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the alert comprises a sensor node identifier and the set of sensor readings.

17. A system including a sensor node, the system comprising:

memory in which a plurality of data sets are stored, the plurality of data sets comprising one or more sets of historic sensor readings and one or more sets of threshold values, each data set being associated with an environmental situation; and

a processor to execute a program configured to;

identify an environmental situation for the sensor node;

select one of a plurality of sets of threshold values based on the identified environmental situation, the selected set including threshold values for corresponding environmental conditions; and

determine whether a set of sensor readings fails to satisfy the selected set of threshold values associated with the identified environmental situation, and if so, compare the set of sensor readings with one or more sets of historic sensor readings to determine whether a false alarm event has occurred.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the program is further configured to:

receive sensed data from a plurality of sensors; and

process the sensed data to generate the set of sensor readings.