Systems and methods for provisioning sensing resources for mobile sensor networks

• US 9,692,827 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2012
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Zafer, Murtaza, Agrawal, Dakshi, Bisdikian, Chatschik
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Quan-Zhen
• Assistant Examiner(s): DARAMOLA, ISRAEL O
• Application Number:
  US13/432,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20130260783A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,917 Days
• Field of Search: 34087003, 3405391, 340521, 34087016, 342451, 342418, 4554561, 455 7, 370345, 370316, 702104, 702 4, 709227, 709204, 714701, 714 41, 375150
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

An aspect of this invention is a method that includes a computing apparatus estimating geographic locations as a function of time for each of a plurality of sensor nodes. The method further includes estimating a quality of information as a function of time for sensed data to be sensed by the plurality of sensor nodes at the estimated geographic locations; and sending the estimated quality of information as a function of time to one or more applications or consumers of the sensed data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a computing apparatus, estimating geographic locations as a function of time for each of a plurality of sensor nodes;

estimating a quality of information as a function of time for sensed data to be sensed by the plurality of sensor nodes at the estimated geographic locations;

sending the estimated quality of information as a function of time to one or more applications or consumers of the sensed data; and

at least one of;

reserving one or more of the plurality of sensor nodes at one or more specified geographic locations;

or

reserving one or more of the plurality of sensor nodes at one or more specified times or time intervals.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the estimated geographic locations in a spatiotemporal metadata storage device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling one or more of the plurality of sensor nodes at the one or more specified geographic locations, so as to substantially achieve a desired level of quality of information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling one or more of the plurality of sensor nodes at one or more specified times or time intervals, so as to substantially achieve a desired level of quality of information.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the one or more applications or consumers with sensed data at an attained quality of information level based upon current sensor node availability and a desired level of quality of information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising directing one or more of the plurality of sensor nodes to a specified geographic area to attain a desired level of quality of information.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising increasing sensing activity for one or more of the plurality of sensor nodes to increase an achieved level of quality of information.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising decreasing sensing activity for one or more of the plurality of sensor nodes to reduce unnecessary energy consumption.

9. A computer-readable memory that contains computer program instructions, wherein the execution of the computer program instructions by at least one data processor results in performance of operations that comprise:

estimating geographic locations as a function of time for each of a plurality of sensor nodes;

estimating a quality of information as a function of time for sensed data to be sensed by the plurality of sensor nodes at the estimated geographic locations; and

sending the estimated quality of information as a function of time to one or more applications or consumers of the sensed data; and

at least one of;

reserving one or more of the plurality of sensor nodes at one or more specified geographic locations;

or

reserving one or more of the plurality of sensor nodes at one or more specified times or time intervals.

10. The computer-readable memory of claim 9 wherein the computer program instructions further comprise instructions for controlling one or more of the plurality of sensor nodes at the one or more specified geographic locations, so as to substantially achieve a desired level of quality of information.

11. The computer-readable memory of claim 9 wherein the computer program instructions further comprise instructions for controlling one or more of the plurality of sensor nodes at one or more specified times or time intervals, so as to substantially achieve a desired level of quality of information.

12. The computer-readable memory of claim 9 wherein the computer program instructions further comprise instructions for providing the one or more applications or consumers with sensed data at an attained quality of information level based upon current sensor node availability and a desired level of quality of information.

13. The computer-readable memory of claim 9 wherein the computer program instructions further comprise instructions for directing one or more of the plurality of sensor nodes to a specified geographic area to attain a desired level of quality of information.

14. The computer-readable memory of claim 9 wherein the computer program instructions further comprise instructions for increasing sensing activity for one or more of the plurality of sensor nodes to increase an achieved level of quality of information.

15. The computer-readable memory of claim 9 wherein the computer program instructions further comprise instructions for decreasing sensing activity for one or more of the plurality of sensor nodes to reduce unnecessary energy consumption.

16. A data processing system that comprises at least one data processor connected with at least one memory that stores computer program instructions for:

estimating geographic locations as a function of time for each of a plurality of sensor nodes;

estimating a quality of information as a function of time for sensed data to be sensed by the plurality of sensor nodes at the estimated geographic locations; and

sending the estimated quality of information as a function of time to one or more applications or consumers of the sensed data; and

at least one of;

reserving one or more of the plurality of sensor nodes at one or more specified geographic locations;

or

reserving one or more of the plurality of sensor nodes at one or more specified times or time intervals.

17. The data processing system of claim 16 wherein the computer program instructions further comprise instructions for controlling one or more of the plurality of sensor nodes at the one or more specified geographic locations, so as to substantially achieve a desired level of quality of information.

18. The data processing system of claim 16 wherein the computer program instructions further comprise instructions for controlling one or more of the plurality of sensor nodes at one or more specified times or time intervals, so as to substantially achieve a desired level of quality of information.

19. The data processing system of claim 16 wherein the computer program instructions further comprise instructions for providing the one or more applications or consumers with sensed data at an attained quality of information level based upon current sensor node availability.

20. The data processing system of claim 16 wherein the computer program instructions further comprise instructions for providing the one or more applications or consumers with sensed data at an attained quality of information level based upon a desired level of quality of information.

21. The data processing system of claim 16 wherein the computer program instructions further comprise instructions for at least one of:

directing one or more of the plurality of sensor nodes to a specified geographic area to substantially achieve a desired level of quality of information;

or

increasing sensing activity for one or more of the plurality of sensor nodes to substantially achieve the desired level of quality of information.

22. The data processing system of claim 16 wherein the computer program instructions further comprise instructions for decreasing sensing activity for one or more of the plurality of sensor nodes to reduce unnecessary energy consumption.