Internet of things platforms, apparatuses, and methods

• US 9,497,572 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2014
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Afero, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Afero, Inc.
• Inventors: Myles, Phillip, Britt, Joe, Matsumura, Shin, Forood, Houman, Zimmerman, Scott, Zawicki, Sean, Kutami, Daisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Tecklu, Isaac T
• Application Number:
  US14/550,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20160147506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

An Internet of Things system and method are described. For example, one embodiment of a system comprises: an IoT hub comprising a WAN interface to couple the IoT hub to an IoT service over the WAN, and a local communication interface to communicatively couple the IoT hub to a plurality of different types of IoT devices; and at least one IoT device having a memory for storing program code and a microcontroller for executing the program code, wherein the program code includes library program code comprising basic building blocks usable by a developer to implement any IoT device by creating application program code which utilizes the library program code, wherein at least one of the basic building blocks comprises a communication stack to enable communication with the IoT hub, the library program code provided to the developer in a software development kit (SDK) with the microcontroller.

Claims

1. An Internet of Things (IoT) system comprising:

an IoT hub comprising a WAN interface to couple the IoT hub to an IoT service over the WAN, and a local communication interface to communicatively couple the IoT hub to a plurality of different types of IoT devices; and

at least one IoT device having a memory for storing program code and a microcontroller for executing the program code, wherein the program code includes library program code comprising basic building blocks usable by a developer to implement any IoT device by creating application program code which utilizes the library program code, wherein at least one of the basic building blocks comprises a communication stack to enable communication with the IoT hub, the library program code provided to the developer in a software development kit (SDK) with the microcontroller.

2. The system as in claim 1 wherein the IoT device comprises a sensor to collect local data in accordance with the application program code and/or an output control device to perform an output control function in accordance with the application program code.

3. The system as in claim 1 wherein the application program code executable by the microcontroller to cause the IoT device to perform one or more application-specific functions, at least one of the functions including collecting local data or performing a local control function.

4. The system as in claim 1 wherein the IoT device further comprises a low power communication interface for establishing a local communication channel with the IoT hub in accordance with the library program code.

5. The system as in claim 3 wherein the local communication interface comprises a Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) radio for establishing a Bluetooth LE communication channel with the IoT hub.

6. The system as in claim 1 wherein the WAN comprises the Internet.

7. The system as in claim 1 wherein the SDK includes the IoT hub and provides the developer with access to the IoT service.

8. A method comprising:

providing an IoT hub comprising a WAN interface to couple the IoT hub to an IoT service over the WAN, and a local communication interface to communicatively couple the IoT hub to a plurality of different types of IoT devices; and

providing at least one IoT device having a memory for storing program code and a microcontroller for executing the program code;

providing the program code including library program code comprising basic building blocks usable by a developer to implement any IoT device by creating application program code which utilizes the library program code, wherein at least one of the basic building blocks comprises a communication stack to enable communication with the IoT hub, the library program code provided to the developer in a software development kit (SDK) with the microcontroller.

9. The method as in claim 8 wherein the IoT device comprises a sensor to collect local data in accordance with the application program code and/or an output control device to perform an output control function in accordance with the application program code.

10. The method as in claim 8 wherein the application program code executable by the microcontroller to cause the IoT device to perform one or more application-specific functions, at least one of the functions including collecting local data or performing a local control function.

11. The method as in claim 8 wherein the IoT device further comprises a low power communication interface for establishing a local communication channel with the IoT hub in accordance with the library program code.

12. The method as in claim 10 wherein the local communication interface comprises a Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) radio for establishing a Bluetooth LE communication channel with the IoT hub.

13. The method as in claim 8 wherein the WAN comprises the Internet.

14. The method as in claim 8 wherein the SDK includes the IoT hub and provides the developer with access to the IoT service.