Configuring sensor network behavior using tag identifiers

• US 7,817,047 B1
• Filed: 08/12/2006
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Brignone, Cyril, Mesarina, Malena, Recker, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins; Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labbees; Edny
• Application Number:
  US11/503,695
• Time in Patent Office: 1,529 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721-5729, 340/573.4, 235375-385
• US Class Current: 340/573.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

Systems and methods for configuring behaviors of sensors and actuators in a sensor network include receiving behavior ID tag information uniquely identifying a behavior, and configuring behavior in the sensor network according to the identified behavior. Behavior configuration may be effected by programming the sensors and actuators directly, or by programming a computing node connected to the sensors and actuators.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving behavior tag information corresponding to a behavior identifier (ID) tag, the behavior ID tag identifying a behavior associated with at least one sensor or actuator in a sensor network;

receiving data tag information corresponding to at least one data ID tag, the data tag information identifying a data value of at least one parameter of the identified behavior; and

configuring a behavior of the at least one sensor or actuator in the sensor network according to the behavior identified by the behavior ID tag and the data value of the at least one parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step for receiving behavior tag information comprises:

reading a radio-frequency identifier (RFID) behavior ID tag at a RFID tag reader.

3. The method of claim 1, the step of receiving data tag information comprises:

reading, at a RFID tag reader, a radio-frequency identifier (RFID) data ID tag which identifies the data value used to configure the behavior.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step for receiving behavior tag information comprises:

reading the behavior ID tag at a tag reader; and

retrieving, from memory of the behavior ID tag, a behavior script corresponding to the behavior identified by the behavior ID tag.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step for configuring the behavior comprises programming the at least one sensor or actuator.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving a behavior object corresponding to the identified behavior;

retrieving a data object corresponding to the identified data; and

sending the behavior object and the data object to the at least one sensor actuator to program the at least one sensor or actuator with the identified behavior as configured using the identified data value.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

retrieving a behavior executable corresponding to the identified behavior, the behavior executable comprising computer readable instructions for effecting behavior of the at least one sensor or actuator;

retrieving a data object corresponding to the identified data; and

executing the behavior executable and providing the behavior executable with access to the identified data value to implement behavior of the at least one sensor or actuator according to the identified behavior.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

retrieving a behavior script corresponding to the identified behavior, the behavior script comprising instructions that are interpretable by an interpreter at execution time for effecting behavior of the at least one sensor or actuator; and

interpreting the behavior script and identified data to implement behavior of the at least one sensor or actuator according to the identified behavior as configured with the identified data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor or actuator in the sensor network comprises a first sensor or actuator being configured with the behavior identified by the behavior ID tag to respond to data received by a second sensor or actuator as identified by the data tag information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the tag information is received at a computing node connected to the at least one sensor or actuator; and

programming the computing node to effect operation of the at least one sensor or actuator according to the behavior.

11. A computer readable storage medium tangibly embodying program instructions implementing a method, the method comprising:

receiving behavior tag information corresponding to a behavior identifier (ID) tag, the behavior ID tag identifying a behavior associated with at least one sensor or actuator in a sensor network;

receiving data tag information corresponding to at least one data ID tag, the data tag information identifying a data value of at least one parameter of the identified behavior; and

configuring a behavior of at least one sensor or actuator in the sensor network according to the behavior identified by the behavior ID tag and the data value of the at least one parameter.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the method step for configuring behavior comprises programming the at least one sensor or actuator.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the method step of receiving behavior tag information corresponding to a behavior ID tag comprises reading a radio-frequency identifier (RFID) behavior ID tag at a RFID tag reader.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions for retrieving a behavior object corresponding to the identified behavior from a behavior object repository and a data object corresponding to the identified data, and sending the behavior object and the data object to the at least one sensor actuator to program the at least one sensor or actuator with the identified behavior.

15. A system comprising:

at least one sensor or actuator each associated with a unique node tag identifier (ID);

at least one tag reader which reads a behavior ID tag comprising behavior tag information identifying a corresponding behavior and which reads a data ID tag comprising data tag information identifying a data value of at least one parameter of the identified behavior;

at least one computing node connected to the at least one tag reader to receive the behavior tag information and the data tag information read by the at least one tag reader; and

a behavior configuration function which configures a behavior of at least one of the at least one sensor or actuator based on the received behavior tag information and the received data tag information.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one tag reader comprises a radio-frequency identifier (RFID) tag reader, and each of the behavior ID tag and the data ID tag is an RFID tag.

17. The system of claim 15, the computing node further comprising:

means for retrieving a behavior object corresponding to the identified behavior; and

means for sending the behavior object to the at least one sensor actuator to program the at least one affected sensor or actuator to operate according to the behavior.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for retrieving a behavior executable corresponding to the behavior, the behavior executable comprising computer readable instructions for effecting behavior of the at least one sensor or actuator; and

a processor which executes the behavior executable to implement behavior of the at least one affected sensor or actuator according to the behavior.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for retrieving a behavior script corresponding to the behavior, the behavior script comprising instructions that are interpretable at execution time for effecting behavior of the at least one affected sensor or actuator; and

an interpreter which interprets the behavior script at execution time to implement behavior of the at least one affected sensor or actuator according to the behavior.