Apparatus and method for visualizing environmental conditions in a data center using wireless sensor networks

• US 8,160,838 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2009
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vigilent Corporation
• Original Assignee: Synapsense Corporation (Panduit Corporation)
• Inventors: Ramin, Yann, Pandey, Raju
• Primary Examiner(s): WACHSMAN, HAL D
• Application Number:
  US12/387,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20100280796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 702/188, 702/1, 702/127, 702/130, 702/132
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/0209 characterised by their connecting means, e.g. flanges
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20836 Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control

Abstract

Various embodiments provide an apparatus and method for visualizing environmental conditions in a data center using wireless sensor networks. An example embodiment includes: establishing communication with a plurality of networked environmental sensors deployed at particular points in one of a plurality of pre-defined layers for a facility; periodically obtaining measured environmental data values from each of the plurality of networked environmental sensors using a wireless sensor network; using the measured environmental data values at the particular points to extrapolate computed environmental data values at intermediate points in the facility; and using the measured environmental data values and the computed environmental data values to generate a visualization of environmental conditions in the facility.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing communication with a plurality of networked environmental sensors deployed at sensor points in one of a plurality of pre-defined layers for a facility, each of the plurality of networked environmental sensors being a node in a wireless sensor network and configured to dynamically join the wireless sensor network, automatically discover neighbor nodes, and self-configure communication paths for routing messages between nodes of the wireless sensor-network;

periodically obtaining measured environmental data values from each of the plurality of networked environmental sensors at the sensor points and routing the measured environmental data values in messages between nodes of the wireless sensor network;

using the measured environmental data values at the sensor points to interpolate computed environmental data values at intermediate points in the facility, the intermediate points being between the sensor points;

associating the measured environmental data values and the computed environmental data values with particular visual representations; and

using the particular visual representations, the measured environmental data values and the computed environmental data values to generate a visualization of environmental conditions in the facility.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the measured environmental data values are from the group:

humidity values, temperature values, pressure values, power values, electrical current values, airflow values, air quality values, and air particle count values.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 including routing the measured environmental data values in messages between nodes of the wireless sensor network to a gateway.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plurality of pre-defined layers define a plurality of horizontal planes at differentiated vertical positions in the facility.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein interpolating computed environmental data values at intermediate points in the facility includes performing a linear interpolation.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein generating a visualization of environmental conditions in the facility includes generating a colored map of the facility.

7. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having machine executable instruction embedded thereon, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

establish communication with a plurality of networked environmental sensors deployed at sensor points in one of a plurality of pre-defined layers for a facility, each of the plurality of networked environmental sensors being a node in a wireless sensor network and configured to dynamically join the wireless sensor network, automatically discover neighbor nodes, and self-configure communication paths for routing messages between nodes of the wireless sensor network;

periodically obtain measured environmental data values from each of the plurality of networked environmental sensors at the sensor points and route the measured environmental data values in messages between nodes of the wireless sensor network;

use the measured environmental data values at the sensor points to interpolate computed environmental data values at intermediate points in the facility, the intermediate points being between the sensor points;

associate the measured environmental data values and the computed environmental data values with particular visual representations; and

use the particular visual representations, the measured environmental data values and the computed environmental data values to generate a visualization of environmental conditions in the facility.

8. The article of manufacture as claimed in claim 7 wherein the measured environmental data values are from the group:

humidity values, temperature values, pressure values, power values, electrical current values, airflow values, air quality values, and air particle count values.

9. The article of manufacture as claimed in claim 7 being further configured to route the measured environmental data values in messages between nodes of the wireless sensor network to a gateway.

10. The article of manufacture as claimed in claim 7 wherein the plurality of pre-defined layers define a plurality of horizontal planes at differentiated vertical positions in the facility.

11. The article of manufacture as claimed in claim 7 wherein interpolating computed environmental data values at intermediate points in the facility being further configured to perform a linear interpolation.

12. The article of manufacture as claimed in claim 7 wherein generating a visualization of environmental conditions in the facility being further configured to generate a colored map of the facility.

13. A system comprising:

a wireless sensor network;

a visualization generator in data communication via the wireless sensor network; and

a plurality of networked sensing devices deployed at sensor points in one of a plurality of pre-defined layers for a facility, each of the plurality of networked sensing devices being a node in the wireless sensor network and configured to dynamically join the wireless sensor network, automatically discover neighbor nodes, and self-configure communication paths for routing messages between nodes of the wireless sensor network, the plurality of networked sensing devices in data communication with the visualization generator via the wireless sensor network, each of the plurality of networked sensing devices being configured to periodically communicate to the visualization generator a measured environmental data value at the sensor point by routing the measured environmental data value in a message between nodes of the the wireless sensor network;

the visualization generator being configured to use the measured environmental data values at the sensor points to interpolate computed environmental data values at intermediate points in the facility, the intermediate points being between the sensor points, to associate the measured environmental data values and the computed environmental data values with particular visual representations, and to use the particular visual representations, the measured environmental data values and the computed environmental data values to generate a visualization of environmental conditions in the facility.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the measured environmental data values are from the group:

humidity values, temperature values, pressure values, power values, electrical current values, airflow values, air quality values, and air particle count values.

15. The system as claimed in claim 13 being further configured to route the measured environmental data values in messages between nodes of the wireless sensor network to a gateway.

16. The system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the plurality of pre-defined layers define a plurality of horizontal planes at differentiated vertical positions in the facility.

17. The system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the visualization generator being further configured to perform a linear interpolation.

18. The system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the visualization generator being further configured to generate a colored map of the facility.