Sensor network system and data retrieval method for sensing data

• US 8,671,136 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2007
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Moriwaki, Norihiko, Odaka, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thuha T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NAJEE-ULLAH, TARIQ S
• Application Number:
  US11/727,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20070198708A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,545 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A data retrieval method for sensing data for retrieving, from user terminals, data transmitted from a plurality of sensor nodes, the data retrieval method including: a step for storing in distributed servers the data sent from the plurality of sensor nodes, a step for setting information link pointers for indicating model names previously set and link pointers of data corresponding to the model names, a step for a management server connected through a network with the distributed servers and the user terminal to accept the reference requests for data acquired from the user terminals, and a step for the management server to acquire data from the distributed servers set as the information link pointers based on the data reference request from among the data stored in the distributed servers and to respond to the user terminal.

Claims

1. A data retrieval method for retrieving, at user terminals, data transmitted from a plurality of sensor nodes, the data retrieval method comprising operations of:

storing raw data transmitted from the plurality of sensor nodes, in distributed servers, wherein the raw data is before conversion into user-interpretable data, and wherein the raw data includes an attribute information concerning at least one of;

a place;

a temperature;

a name; and

, a number of persons,

using a management server connected through a network with the distributed servers and the user terminals, the management server containing correspondence information to correspond model names identifying a real-world event of a real-world model, with information link pointers pointing to at least one portion of the raw data which corresponds to the model names, respectively,

using the management server to accept data reference requests from the user terminals, wherein an operation to accept a data reference request from a user terminal includes;

accepting key words from the user terminal,

responding to the user terminal with candidate ones of the model names possibly corresponding to the key words, and

accepting at least one model name chosen by the user terminal from among the candidate ones of the model names, as the data reference request,

using the management server to acquire relevant raw data, from among the raw data stored in the distributed servers, based on the data reference request from the user terminal and the model names and information link pointers stored in the management server, and to respond with the data converted into the user-interpretable data which is in a form understandable to a user, to the user terminal, and

wherein the operation to respond to the user terminal with the data converted into the user-interpretable data includes;

converting the relevant data acquired into information understandable for a user, based on a previously set conversion technique which is pre-stored in an attribute interpretation list, and

responding to the user terminal with the converted data, and

wherein as to the conversion technique pre-stored in the attribute interpretation list;

if the relevant raw data acquired includes the attribute information which is preset for interpretation as a subject place, the relevant data acquired is converted into information corresponding to the subject place, in a converted form which is understandable by a user,

if the relevant raw data acquired includes the attribute information which is preset for interpretation as a subject temperature, the relevant data acquired is converted into information corresponding to the subject temperature, in a converted form which is understandable by a user,

if the relevant raw data acquired includes the attribute information which is preset for interpretation as a subject name, the relevant data acquired is converted into information corresponding to the subject name, in a converted form which is understandable by a user, and

if the relevant raw data acquired includes the attribute information which is preset for interpretation as a subject number of persons, the relevant data acquired is converted into information corresponding to the subject number of persons, in a converted form which is understandable by a user.

2. The data retrieval method for sensing data according to claim 1, wherein

the operation of accepting data reference requests from the user terminal comprises:

presenting a model name for every element common to the model name to the user terminal, and

accepting the model names chosen by the user terminal as the data reference requests.

3. The data retrieval method for sensing data according to claim 1, wherein

the operation of storing the raw data transmitted from the plurality of sensor nodes, in distributed servers, comprises:

updating a latest data memory of the distributed servers with the raw data, and

storing only raw data meeting previously set conditions in disk drives of the distributed servers.

8. The data retrieval method for sensing data according to claim 1, wherein the model names are more specifically combined-attribute model names which each include plural attributes defining an event with respect to an object.

4. A non-transitory computer-readable storage embodying a program for acquiring data from distributed servers for storing data transmitted from a plurality of sensor nodes, based on data reference requests accepted from user terminals, the program effecting processes of:

storing raw data transmitted from the plurality of sensor nodes, in distributed servers, wherein the raw data is before conversion into user-interpretable data, and wherein the raw data includes an attribute information concerning at least one of;

a place;

a temperature;

a name; and

, a number of persons,

using a management server connected through a network with the distributed servers and the user terminals, the management server containing correspondence information to correspond model names identifying a real-world event of a real-world model, with information link pointers pointing to at least one portion of the raw data which corresponds to the model names, respectively,

using the management server to accept data reference requests from the user terminals, wherein an operation to accept a data reference request from a user terminal includes;

accepting key words from the user terminal,

responding to the user terminal with candidate ones of the model names possibly corresponding to the key words, and

accepting at least one model name chosen by the user terminal from among the candidate ones of the model names, as the data reference request,

using the management server to acquire relevant raw data, from among the raw data stored in the distributed servers, based on the data reference request from the user terminal and the model names and information link pointers stored in the management server, and to respond with the data converted into the user-interpretable data which is in a form understandable to a user, to the user terminal, and

wherein the operation to respond to the user terminal with the data converted into the user-interpretable data includes;

converting the relevant data acquired into information understandable for a user, based on a previously set conversion technique which is pre-stored in an attribute interpretation list, and

responding to the user terminal with the converted data, and

wherein as to the conversion technique pre-stored in the attribute interpretation list;

if the relevant raw data acquired includes the attribute information which is preset for interpretation as a subject place, the relevant data acquired is converted into information corresponding to the subject place, in a converted form which is understandable by a user,

if the relevant raw data acquired includes the attribute information which is preset for interpretation as a subject temperature, the relevant data acquired is converted into information corresponding to the subject temperature, in a converted form which is understandable by a user,

if the relevant raw data acquired includes the attribute information which is preset for interpretation as a subject name, the relevant data acquired is converted into information corresponding to the subject name, in a converted form which is understandable by a user, and

if the relevant raw data acquired includes the attribute information which is preset for interpretation as a subject number of persons, the relevant data acquired is converted into information corresponding to the subject number of persons, in a converted form which is understandable by a user.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage according to claim 4, wherein

the process of accepting the data reference requests from the user terminals comprises:

a process of presenting a model name for every element common to the model names to the user terminals, and

a process of accepting the model names chosen by the user terminals as the data reference requests.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage according to claim 4, wherein the model names are more specifically combined-attribute model names which each include plural attributes defining an event with respect to an object.

6. A data retrieval method for retrieving, at user terminals, data transmitted from a plurality of sensor nodes, the data retrieval method comprising operations of:

storing raw data transmitted from the plurality of sensor nodes, in distributed servers, wherein the raw data is before conversion into user-interpretable data, and wherein the raw data includes an attribute information concerning at least one of;

a place;

a temperature;

a name; and

, a number of persons,

using a management server connected through a network with the distributed servers and the user terminals, the management server containing correspondence information to correspond key-word-based model names identifying a real-world event of a real-world model, with information link pointers pointing to at least one portion of the raw data which corresponds to the key-word-based model names, respectively,

using the management server to accept data reference requests from the user terminals, wherein an operation to accept a data reference request from a user terminal includes;

accepting key words from the user terminal,

responding to the user terminal with candidate ones of the key-word-based model names possibly corresponding to the key words, and

accepting at least one key-word-based model name chosen by the user terminal from among the candidate ones of the key-word-based model names, as the data reference request,

using the management server to acquire relevant raw data, from among the raw data stored in the distributed servers, based on the data reference request from the user terminal and the key-word-based model names and information link pointers stored in the management server, and to respond with the data converted into the user-interpretable data which is in a form understandable to a user, to the user terminal, and

wherein the operation to respond to the user terminal with the data converted into the user-interpretable data includes;

converting the relevant data acquired into information understandable for a user, based on a previously set conversion technique which is pre-stored in an attribute interpretation list, and

responding to the user terminal with the converted data, and

wherein as to the conversion technique pre-stored in the attribute interpretation list;

if the relevant raw data acquired includes the attribute information which is preset for interpretation as a subject place, the relevant data acquired is converted into information corresponding to the subject place, in a converted form which is understandable by a user,

if the relevant raw data acquired includes the attribute information which is preset for interpretation as a subject temperature, the relevant data acquired is converted into information corresponding to the subject temperature, in a converted form which is understandable by a user,

if the relevant raw data acquired includes the attribute information which is preset for interpretation as a subject name, the relevant data acquired is converted into information corresponding to the subject name, in a converted form which is understandable by a user, and

if the relevant raw data acquired includes the attribute information which is preset for interpretation as a subject number of persons, the relevant data acquired is converted into information corresponding to the subject number of persons, in a converted form which is understandable by a user.

10. The data retrieval method for sensing data according to claim 6, wherein the key-word-based model names are more specifically combined-attribute model names which each include plural attributes defining an event with respect to an object.

7. A data retrieval method for retrieving, at user terminals, data transmitted from a plurality of sensor nodes, the data retrieval method comprising operations of:

storing raw data transmitted from the plurality of sensor nodes, in distributed servers, wherein the raw data is before conversion into user-interpretable data, and wherein the raw data includes an attribute information concerning at least one of;

a place;

a temperature;

a name; and

, a number of persons,

using a management server connected through a network with the distributed servers and the user terminals, the management server containing correspondence information to correspond combined-attribute model names identifying a real-world event of a real-world model, with information link pointers pointing to at least one portion of the raw data which corresponds to the combined-attribute model names, respectively,

using the management server to accept data reference requests from the user terminals, wherein an operation to accept a data reference request from a user terminal includes;

accepting key words from the user terminal,

responding to the user terminal with candidate ones of the combined-attribute model names possibly corresponding to the key words, and

accepting at least one combined-attribute model name chosen by the user terminal from among the candidate ones of the combined-attribute model names, as the data reference request,

using the management server to acquire relevant raw data, from among the raw data stored in the distributed servers, based on the data reference request from the user terminal and the combined-attribute model names and information link pointers stored in the management server, and to respond with the data converted into the user-interpretable data which is in a form understandable to a user, to the user terminal, and

wherein the operation to respond to the user terminal with the data converted into the user-interpretable data includes;

converting the relevant data acquired into information understandable for a user, based on a previously set conversion technique which is pre-stored in an attribute interpretation list, and

responding to the user terminal with the converted data, and

wherein as to the conversion technique pre-stored in the attribute interpretation list;

if the relevant raw data acquired includes the attribute information which is preset for interpretation as a subject place, the relevant data acquired is converted into information corresponding to the subject place, in a converted form which is understandable by a user,

if the relevant raw data acquired includes the attribute information which is preset for interpretation as a subject temperature, the relevant data acquired is converted into information corresponding to the subject temperature, in a converted form which is understandable by a user,

if the relevant raw data acquired includes the attribute information which is preset for interpretation as a subject name, the relevant data acquired is converted into information corresponding to the subject name, in a converted form which is understandable by a user, and

if the relevant raw data acquired includes the attribute information which is preset for interpretation as a subject number of persons, the relevant data acquired is converted into information corresponding to the subject number of persons, in a converted form which is understandable by a user.

11. The data retrieval method for sensing data according to claim 7, wherein the combined-attribute model names each include plural attributes defining an event with respect to an object.