Aggregation and retrieval of mote network data

• US 8,271,449 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Jung, Edward K. Y., Tegreene, Clarence T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Allen, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US12/286,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20090119267A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,449 Days
• Field of Search: 707/661
• US Class Current: 707/661
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

Methods, devices, and systems that aggregate and retrieve network sensor data. In one approach, an exemplary method includes receiving a plurality of instances of correlated sensor data from a plurality of remote data storages, each instance of sensor data respectively correlating to an occurrence. In another approach, an exemplary method includes receiving from an input-selector an input selection corresponding to a target-occurrence having at least one representative feature, and searching stored sensor data for sensor data correlating to the target-occurrence.

Claims

1. An occurrence-data archival system, comprising:

a computing device operable to communicate with an archival data storage and with remote data storage devices; and

instructions that cause the computing device to perform a process, including;

receiving one or more mote data sets from at least one of the remote data storage devices, each respective mote data set of the one or more mote data sets representing a respective feature sensed by a given mote, the respective feature having a correlation to a reference as determined by the given mote, at least one instance of mote data of the received one or more mote data sets including an associated tentative occurrence-identifier having been assigned by the given mote, wherein the receiving includes;

receiving at least a portion of multiple instances of mote data that were sensed by the given mote before or after the mote data that includes the associated tentative occurrence-identifier responsive to the assignment by the given mote of the associated tentative occurrence-identifier; and

storing the received one or more mote data sets in the archival data storage.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the reference of a first data set comprises a first occurrence.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the reference of a second data set comprises a second occurrence.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first occurrence and the second occurrence are at least substantially the same.

5. A method implemented in a computing device, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of mote data sets from one or more remote data storage devices, each respective mote data set representing a respective feature sensed by one or more motes associated with at least one remote data storage device of the one or more remote data storage devices, the respective feature having a correlation to a reference as determined by at least a portion of the one or more motes, at least one instance of the received plurality of mote data sets including an associated tentative occurrence-identifier having been assigned by at least one mote of the one or more motes, wherein the receiving includes;

receiving at least a portion of multiple instances of mote data that were sensed by the at least one mote before or after the at least one instance of the received plurality of mote data sets that includes the associated tentative occurrence-identifier responsive to the assignment of the associated tentative occurrence-identifier by the at least one mote;

storing the received plurality of mote data sets in a local data storage device; and

applying an information security measure to the stored plurality of mote data sets.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the reference of a first data set comprises a first occurrence.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the reference comprises a temporal reference related to the first occurrence.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the reference of a second data set comprises a second occurrence.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the reference of the second data set comprises a temporal reference related to the second occurrence.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the reference of a first data set comprises a first occurrence;

wherein the reference of a second data set comprises a second occurrence; and

wherein the first occurrence and the second occurrence are at least substantially the same.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the applying an information security measure to the stored plurality of mote data sets includes:

protecting the stored plurality of mote data sets with the information security measure.

12. A machine-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a target-occurrence having at least one representative feature;

searching one or more instances of mote data for mote data correlating to the target-occurrence, each instance of mote data corresponding to at least one occurrence;

assigning an associated tentative occurrence-identifier to at least one instance of the one or more instances of mote data if the at least one instance correlates with the target-occurrence;

providing (i) the at least one instance of the one or more instances of mote data that correlates with the target-occurrence and (ii) the associated tentative occurrence-identifier to an occurrence-data archival system; and

providing to the occurrence-data archival system at least a portion of multiple instances of mote data that are sensed before or after the at least one instance of the one or more instances of mote data that correlates with the target-occurrence responsive to the assigning of the associated tentative occurrence-identifier,

wherein the receiving, the searching, the assigning, the providing (i) the at least one instance of the one or more instances of mote data, and the providing to the occurrence-data archival system at least a portion of multiple instances of mote data are performed by at least one machine that comprises one or more motes.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the searching one or more instances of mote data for mote data correlating to the target-occurrence includes:

correlating to the at least one representative feature of the target-occurrence.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the searching one or more instances of mote data for mote data correlating to the target-occurrence includes:

searching one or more instances of mote data, wherein at least one instance of mote data corresponds to an occurrence that includes a real world event.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the searching one or more instances of mote data for mote data correlating to the target-occurrence includes:

searching one or more instances of mote data, wherein at least one instance of mote data corresponds to an occurrence that includes a real world incident.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the searching one or more instances of mote data for mote data correlating to the target-occurrence includes:

searching one or more instances of mote data, wherein at least one instance of mote data corresponds to an occurrence that includes a change in a data sequence.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the searching one or more instances of mote data for mote data correlating to the target-occurrence includes:

searching one or more instances of mote data, wherein at least one instance of mote data corresponds to an occurrence that includes a change in a time domain.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the searching one or more instances of mote data for mote data correlating to the target-occurrence includes:

searching a first instance of mote data correlating to a respective first occurrence and a second instance of mote data correlating to a respective second occurrence.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the searching one or more instances of mote data for mote data correlating to the target-occurrence includes:

searching a first instance of mote data correlating to a first matter and a second instance of mote data correlating to a second matter.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiving a target-occurrence having at least one representative feature includes:

receiving a target-occurrence having at least one frequency characteristic.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiving a target-occurrence having at least one representative feature includes:

receiving a target-occurrence having at least one acoustic frequency characteristic.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiving a target-occurrence having at least one representative feature includes:

receiving a target-occurrence having at least one acoustic signature of a known event.

23. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiving a target-occurrence having at least one representative feature includes:

receiving a target-occurrence having at least one light frequency characteristic.

24. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiving a target-occurrence having at least one representative feature includes:

receiving a target-occurrence having at least one amplitude characteristic.

25. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiving a target-occurrence having at least one representative feature includes:

receiving a target-occurrence having a frequency characteristic and an amplitude characteristic.

26. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiving a target-occurrence having at least one representative feature includes:

receiving a target-occurrence having at least one magnetic characteristic.

27. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiving a target-occurrence having at least one representative feature includes:

receiving a target-occurrence having at least one repetitive sequence.

28. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiving a target-occurrence having at least one representative feature includes:

receiving a target-occurrence having at least one chronological sequence.

29. An occurrence-data archival system, comprising:

a computing device operable to communicate with a local data storage and one or more remote data storages; and

instructions that cause the computing device to perform a process including;

receiving a plurality of instances of correlated mote data from the one or more remote data storages, each instance of mote data having been correlated to an occurrence by one or more motes, at least one instance of the received mote data including an associated tentative occurrence-identifier having been assigned by at least one mote, wherein the receiving includes;

receiving at least a portion of multiple instances of mote data that were sensed by the at least one mote before or after the received mote data that includes the associated tentative occurrence-identifier responsive to the assignment by the at least one mote of the associated tentative occurrence-identifier; and

storing the received plurality of instances of correlated mote data in the local data storage.

30. The system of claim 29, further including a local data storage device.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the local data storage device is operable as an archival data storage.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the correlated to an occurrence includes correlated to at least one representative feature of the occurrence.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the at least one representative feature includes a sequence.

34. The system of claim 29, wherein the occurrence includes a real world event.

35. The system of claim 29, wherein the occurrence includes a real world incident.

36. The system of claim 29, wherein the plurality of instances of correlated mote data include a first instance of mote data correlated to a respective first occurrence and a second instance of mote data correlated to a respective second occurrence.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the first instance of mote data of the respective first occurrence relates to a first matter and the second instance of mote data of the respective second occurrence relates to a second matter.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the first and second matters are substantially similar.

39. The system of claim 29, wherein each instance of mote data of at least a portion of the plurality of instances of correlated mote data includes a respective sequence.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein at least one respective sequence includes a chronological sequence.

41. The system of claim 29, wherein each instance of mote data of at least a portion of the plurality of instances of correlated mote data was acquired by at least one mote of a plurality of distributed motes.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein each mote is part of a network of motes.

43. The system of claim 29, wherein at least one instance of the mote data of the plurality of instances of correlated mote data was acquired by a mote operable to sense at least one parameter.

44. The system of claim 29, further including an information security measure operable to protect the plurality of instances of correlated mote data stored in the local data storage.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein the information security measure protects by providing at least one item selected from a group comprising:

information confidentiality, information integrity, and access control.

46. The system of claim 29, wherein the process further includes:

deleting at least a portion of stored data from the one or more remote data storages responsive to the receiving a plurality of instances of correlated mote data.

47. The system of claim 29, wherein the associated tentative occurrence-identifier was assigned by the at least one mote in accordance with a method including:

obtaining at least one representative feature of a target-occurrence;

obtaining one or more pattern recognition criteria corresponding to the at least one representative feature of the target-occurrence;

searching mote data for data correlating to the target-occurrence using the one or more pattern recognition criteria corresponding to the at least one representative feature of the target-occurrence; and

if mote data correlating to the at least one representative feature of the target-occurrence is found, associating a tentative occurrence-identifier with the correlating mote data to produce correlated mote data that includes the associated tentative occurrence-identifier having been assigned by the at least one mote.

48. At least one mote comprising:

at least one processor or logic circuit;

at least one sensor element to obtain one or more instances of mote data; and

one or more instructions to configure the at least one processor or logic circuit to implement a process including;

receiving a target-occurrence having at least one representative feature;

searching the one or more instances of mote data for mote data correlating to the target-occurrence, each instance of mote data corresponding to at least one occurrence;

assigning an associated tentative occurrence-identifier to at least one instance of the one or more instances of mote data if the at least one instance correlates with the target-occurrence;

providing (i) the at least one instance of the one or more instances of mote data that correlates with the target-occurrence and (ii) the associated tentative occurrence-identifier to an occurrence-data archival system; and

providing to the occurrence-data archival system at least a portion of multiple instances of mote data that are sensed before or after the at least one instance of the one or more instances of mote data that correlates with the target-occurrence responsive to assignment of the associated tentative occurrence-identifier.