Aggregation framework using low-power alert sensor

• US 9,325,792 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2012
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hallman, Kimberly Denise Auyang, Tan, Desney, Snyder, Ira, Glaskowsky, Peter, Myrberg, Mats, Hall, Michael, Koenig, Michael, Wilson, Andrew, Shirakyan, Greg, Dyor, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Abbaszadeh, Jaweed A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hicks, Austin
• Application Number:
  US13/671,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20140129866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 713/340
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/32 Means for saving power
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

An aggregation framework system and method that automatic configures, aggregates, disaggregates, manages, and optimizes components of a consolidated system of devices, modules, and sensors. Embodiments of the system and method include a low-power alert sensor, a data aggregator module, and an interpreter module. The low-power alert sensor is a sensor that is continuously on and continuously monitoring its environment. The low-power alert sensor acts as a watchdog and triggers other sensors to awaken them from a power-conservation state when there is a change or event that occurs in an environment. The data aggregator module manages the set of sensors within the system and aggregates sensor data obtained from the sensors. The interpreter module then translates the physical data collected by sensors into logical information. Together the data aggregator module and the interpreter module present a unified logical view of the capabilities of the sensors under their control.

Claims

1. A method for aggregating data, comprising:

receiving an alert from a low-power alert sensor, the alert specifies that an incoming sensor is detected by the low-power alert sensor to be joining a sensor array, wherein sensors in the sensor array comprise a plurality of different types of sensors;

responsive to the alert from the low-power alert sensor, updating a record of capabilities of the sensors in the sensor array, the record of the capabilities of the sensors in the sensor array updated to reflect an addition of capabilities of the incoming sensor, the capabilities of the incoming sensor being described by the incoming sensor and specifying a sensing function performed by the incoming sensor;

detecting a change in an environment based upon an output from the low-power alert sensor, the change detected while the sensors in the sensor array in the environment are in a power-conservation state;

selecting a sensor in the sensor array to awaken from the power-conservation state based on;

the change in the environment detected by the low-power alert sensor; and

the record of the capabilities of the sensors in the sensor array;

responsive to selecting the sensor, awakening the sensor in the sensor array;

receiving sensor data about the environment from the sensor in the sensor array woken from the power-conservation state; and

aggregating the sensor data into aggregated data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

interpreting the aggregated data;

determining a course of action based on an interpretation of the aggregated data; and

implementing the course of action.

3. The method of claim 2, the course of action comprising awakening an additional sensor in the sensor array from the power-conservation state to obtain additional sensor data about the environment.

4. The method of claim 2, the course of action comprising causing the sensor in the sensor array woken from the power-conservation state to transition back into the power-conservation state based on the sensor not being used.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a report comprising the aggregated data to a remote service.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving additional data from a remote service; and

interpreting the additional data from the remote service along with the aggregated data to determine the course of action.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising synthesizing the aggregated data into an event that would be desirable to occur based on the interpretation of the aggregated data.

8. The method claim 1, the low-power alert sensor being continuously on, continuously connected, and continuously monitoring the environment for changes thereby allowing the sensors in the sensor array to be placed in the power-conservation state.

9. The method of claim 1, the low-power alert sensor comprising at least two differing types of sensors capable of sensing different properties of the environment.

10. The method of claim 1, the low-power alert sensor being powered by at least one of electromagnetic fields, a mechanical energy source, or an acoustic energy source in the environment.

11. The method of claim 1, updating the record of the capabilities of the sensors in the sensor array responsive to the alert from the low-power alert sensor further comprising:

responsive to the alert from the low-power alert sensor, querying the incoming sensor for registration information about the incoming sensor;

responsive to querying the incoming sensor, receiving the registration information from the incoming sensor, the registration information including information describing the capabilities of the incoming sensor, the information describing the capabilities of the incoming sensor specifies the sensing function performed by the incoming sensor; and

updating the record of the capabilities of the sensors in the sensor array to reflect the addition of the capabilities of the incoming sensor.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a differing alert from the low-power alert sensor, the differing alert specifies that an outgoing sensor in the sensor array is detected by the low-power alert sensor to be withdrawing from the sensor array; and

responsive to the differing alert from the low-power alert sensor, updating the record of the capabilities of the sensors in the sensor array to reflect a loss of capabilities of the outgoing sensor.

13. An aggregation framework system, comprising:

a sensor array comprising sensors capable of sensing properties in an environment, the sensors in the sensor array comprise a plurality of different types of sensors;

a low-power alert sensor that detects an incoming sensor joining the sensor array, the low-power alert sensor generates an alert that specifies the incoming sensor is detected to be joining the sensor array;

a registration module that registers the incoming sensor responsive to the alert from the low-power alert sensor, the registration module updates a record of capabilities of the sensors in the sensor array to reflect an addition of capabilities of the incoming sensor, the capabilities of the incoming sensor being described by the incoming sensor and specifying a sensing function performed by the incoming sensor;

the low-power alert sensor further detects a change in the environment while the sensors in the sensor array are in a power-conservation state; and

a data aggregator module that;

receives an output from the low-power alert sensor indicative of the change;

selects a sensor in the sensor array to awaken from the power-conservation state based on;

the change in the environment detected by the low-power alert sensor; and

the record of the capabilities of the sensors in the sensor array;

responsive to selection of the sensor, awakens the sensor in the sensor array;

receives data from the sensor in the sensor array woken from the power-conservation state; and

aggregates the data into aggregated data.

14. The aggregation framework system of claim 13, the registration module queries the incoming sensor to obtain registration information, the registration information comprising information about inherent capabilities, calibration data, power consumption, and security of the incoming sensor, wherein the information about the inherent capabilities specifies the sensing function performed by the incoming sensor.

15. The aggregation framework system of claim 13, further comprising an interpreter module that determines a course of action based on an interpretation of the aggregated data and causes the course of action to be implemented.

16. The aggregation framework system of claim 13, the data aggregator module collects data from the different types of sensors via an application programming interface.

17. A low-power alert sensor, comprising:

a microcontroller configured to execute commands that, when executed by the microcontroller, cause the microcontroller to perform acts comprising;

monitoring an environment while sensors in a sensor array in the environment are in a power-conservation state, the sensors in the sensor array are registered to be controlled by an aggregation framework system;

detecting an incoming sensor joining the sensor array to be controlled by the aggregation framework system;

transmitting an alert that specifies that the incoming sensor is joining the sensor array to be controlled by the aggregation framework system;

detecting a change in the environment; and

transmitting an output indicative of the change in the environment, the output causes a sensor in the sensor array to be awakened from the power-conservation state based on;

the change in the environment; and

collective inherent capabilities of the sensors in the sensor array registered to be controlled by the aggregation framework system.

18. The low-power alert sensor of claim 17, wherein the commands, when executed by the microcontroller, further cause the microcontroller to perform acts comprising:

detecting an outgoing sensor that is withdrawing from the sensor array, the outgoing sensor no longer being controlled by the aggregation framework system responsive to withdrawal; and

transmitting an alert that specifies that the outgoing sensor is withdrawing from the sensor array.

19. The low-power alert sensor of claim 17 being powered by a mechanical energy source in the environment.

20. The low-power alert sensor of claim 17 being power by an acoustic energy source in the environment.