Wireless parameter-sensing node and network thereof

• US 9,848,458 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2014
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oceus Networks Inc.
• Original Assignee: Oceus Networks Inc.
• Inventors: Row, II, James Thomas, Uelk, Joseph Lawrence, Jafferi, Faraz H, Hill, Christopher Allen, Graffagnino, Vincent Charles, Devino, Stacy Louise, Tseng, Danny, Luong, Eric, Sin, David Harlow
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, ANDREW CHUNG CHEUNG
• Application Number:
  US14/556,469
• Publication Number:
  US 20160157113A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 370252, 370253, 370254, 370255, 709201, 709202, 709203, 709224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• 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: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A wireless parameter-sensing node in a network thereof, the parameter-sensing node includes: sensors to sample values of parameters, respectively; a memory; a collection engine configured to: selectively collect data representing at least some of the sampled values, respectively; and store the collected data in the memory; an omega engine configured to: retrieve selected portions of the collected data from the memory; and send the selected portions to a remote host; wherein at least one of the collection, the storage, the retrieval and the sending are performable according to one or more reconfigurable collection-control criteria, one or more reconfigurable storage-control criteria, one or more reconfigurable retrieval-control criteria and one or more reconfigurable reporting-control criteria, respectively, stored in the memory. The parameter-sensing node and the remote host relate, e.g., as a taskee-client and a taskor-server, respectively.

Claims

1. A wireless parameter-sensing node in a network thereof, the parameter-sensing node comprising:

sensors to sample values of parameters, respectively;

a memory;

a collection engine configured to;

selectively collect data representing at least some of the sampled values, respectively; and

store the collected data in the memory;

an omega engine configured to;

receive, from a remote host, a data-transfer assignment to send at least some of the collected data;

retrieve, in response to the data-transfer assignment from the remote host, selected portions of the collected data from the memory; and

send, in response to the data-transfer assignment from the remote host, the selected portions to the remote host;

wherein

at least one of the collection, the storage, the retrieval and the sending are performable according to one or more reconfigurable collection-control criteria, one or more reconfigurable storage-control criteria, one or more reconfigurable retrieval-control criteria and one or more reconfigurable reporting-control criteria, respectively, stored in the memory;

the collection engine is further configured to store by;

overwriting previously-stored data in the memory with parameter-corresponding new data, respectively, as needed;

the one or more storage-control criteria include at least one of;

a depth-chart defining how much data can be accumulated in the memory for each of the parameters, respectively, and

one or more overwrite rules defining how data for the parameters are to be overwritten in the memory, respectively; and

the collection engine is further configured to;

accumulate and overwrite according to the depth chart and the one or more overwrite rules, respectively.

2. The wireless parameter-sensing node of claim 1, wherein the reconfigurable collection-control criteria include at least one of:

a subject list of which ones amongst the parameters will data representative thereof be collected by the collection engine; and

a frequencies-of-collection list of collection frequencies at which the data are to be collected, respectively, by the collection engine; and

the collection engine is further configured to;

cull data according to the subject list and the frequencies-of-collection list.

3. The wireless parameter-sensing node of claim 2, wherein:

the subject list organizes selected ones of the parameters into groups, respectively;

the frequencies-of-collection list indicates the collection frequencies at which data for the groups are to be collected, respectively;

the collection engine, relative to a given one of the groups, is further configured to;

cull data for the selected parameters in the group according to the corresponding collection frequency indicated in the frequencies-of-collection list so as to produce resulting sets of data for which the data included therein are sampled at substantially the same times, respectively.

4. The wireless parameter-sensing node of claim 3, wherein:

the collection engine is further configured to store by;

accumulating multiple instances of a given one of the sets of data in the memory, the sets being sampled at substantially different times, respectively;

the reconfigurable retrieval-control criteria include;

a withdrawal rule defining which portions of data are to be withdrawn from the memory; and

the omega engine is further configured to retrieve the selected portions of the collected data by;

withdrawing one or more of the instances of a given one of the sets of data in the memory according to the withdrawal rule.

5. The wireless parameter-sensing node of claim 1, wherein:

the reconfigurable reporting-control criteria include at least one of;

a frequency-of-initiation setting;

one or more packaging criteria; and

a recipient setting defining which one amongst a plurality of remote hosts will receive the selected portions of the collected data; and

the omega engine is further configured to;

initiate a wireless communication session with the remote host according to the frequency-of-initiation setting;

selectively package the collected data according to the one or more packaging criteria; and

transmit the packaged data according to the recipient setting.

6. The wireless parameter-sensing node of claim 1, wherein the omega engine is further configured to:

receive, from the remote host, refreshed versions of at least one of the collection-control criteria, the storage-control criteria, the retrieval-control criteria and the reporting-control criteria, respectively, and

update at least one of the collection-control criteria, the storage-control criteria, the retrieval-control criteria and the reporting-control criteria stored in the memory according to the refreshed versions corresponding thereto, respectively.

7. The wireless parameter-sensing node of claim 1, wherein:

the remote host is a taskor server; and

the omega engine is a corresponding taskee client.

8. The wireless parameter-sensing node of claim 7, wherein the omega engine, as the taskee client, is further configured to:

query the taskor server for an unspecified one amongst a plurality of tasks, a consequent selection of a given one from amongst the plurality tasks being performable by the taskor server;

receive an indication of the given task from the taskor server;

facilitate execution of the given task on the first host; and

report execution-results of the given task to the taskor server;

wherein one of the plurality tasks selectable by the taskor server for the taskee client is the data-transfer assignment.

9. The wireless parameter-sensing node of claim 1, wherein:

the reconfigurable collection-control criteria include;

alarm criteria;

the reporting criteria include;

emergent criteria;

the collection engine is configured to;

analyze the collected data in terms of the alarm criteria, respectively; and

notify the omega engine when one or more of the alarm criteria are satisfied; and

the omega engine is further configured to;

compare the satisfied alarm criteria against the emergent criteria, respectively; and

send an alert to the remote host based on the results of the comparison.

10. The wireless parameter-sensing node of claim 9, wherein the omega engine is further configured to:

receive at least one of refreshed alarm criteria and refreshed emergent criteria; and

update at least one of the alarm criteria and update the emergent criteria stored in the memory according to the refreshed alarm criteria and the refreshed emergent criteria, respectively.

11. The wireless parameter-sensing node of claim 1, wherein:

the remote host is one of a base station and a network-in-a-box in a mobile telephony network; and

the parameter-sensing node is a mobile device connected wirelessly to the remote host.

12. A client-server computer architecture comprising:

a first host; and

a taskor server executable on the first host and configured to;

receive a query from a taskee client for an unspecified one amongst a plurality of tasks;

make a selection of a given one from amongst the plurality of tasks;

indicate the selected task to the taskee client; and

receive a report including execution results for the selected task from the taskee client.

13. The client-server computer architecture of claim 12, wherein:

the taskee client is executable on a second host remote from the first host.

14. The client-server computer architecture of claim 13, wherein:

the first host is a one of a base station and a network in a box device in a mobile telephony network; and

the second host is a mobile device connected wirelessly to the remote host.

15. A client-server computer architecture comprising:

a first host; and

a taskee client executable on the first host and configured to;

query a taskor server for an unspecified one amongst a plurality of tasks, a consequent selection of a given one from amongst the plurality tasks being performable by the taskor server;

receive an indication of the given task from the taskor server;

facilitate execution of the given task on the first host; and

report execution-results of the given task to the taskor server.

16. The client-server computer architecture of claim 15, wherein:

the taskor server is executable on a second host remote from the first host.

17. The client-server computer architecture of claim 16, wherein:

the second host is one of a base station and a network-in-a-box in a mobile telephony network; and

the first host is a mobile device connected wirelessly to the remote host.

18. A method of operating at least one wireless parameter-sensing node in a network thereof, the at least one node including sensors to sample values of parameters, respectively, and a memory, the method comprising:

selectively collecting data representing at least some of the sampled values, respectively; and

storing the collected data in the memory;

receiving, from a remote host, a data-transfer assignment to send at least some of the collected data;

retrieving, in response to the data-transfer assignment from the remote host, selected portions of the collected data from the memory;

sending, in response to the data-transfer assignment from the remote host, the selected portions to the remote host;

retrieving, from the memory, at least one of the following;

one or more reconfigurable storage-control criteria;

one or more reconfigurable retrieval-control criteria; and

one or more reconfigurable reporting-control criteria, respectively; and

performing at least one of the collection, the storage, the retrieval and the sending according to the one or more reconfigurable collection-control criteria, one or more reconfigurable storage-control criteria, one or more reconfigurable retrieval-control criteria and one or more reconfigurable reporting-control criteria, respectively, wherein;

the storing includes;

overwriting previously-stored data in the memory with parameter-corresponding new data, respectively, as needed;

the one or more storage-control criteria include at least one of;

a depth-chart defining how much data can be accumulated in the memory for the parameters, respectively; and

one or more overwrite rules defining how data for the parameters are to be overwritten in the memory, respectively; and

the accumulating and the overwriting are performable according to the depth chart and the one or more overwrite rules, respectively.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the reconfigurable collection-control criteria include at least one of:

a subject list of which ones amongst the parameters will data representative thereof be collected by the collection engine; and

a frequencies-of-collection list of collection frequencies at which the data are to be collected, respectively, by the collection engine; and

the selectively collecting includes;

culling data according to the subject list and the frequencies-of-collection list.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the subject list organizes selected ones of the parameters into groups, respectively;

the frequencies-of-collection list indicates the collection frequencies at which data for the groups are to be collected, respectively;

the selectively collecting, relative to a given one of the groups, further includes;

performing the culling of the selected parameters in the group according to the corresponding collection frequency indicated in the frequencies-of-collection list so as to produce resulting sets of data for which the data included therein are sampled at substantially the same times, respectively.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein:

the storing includes;

accumulating multiple instances of a given one of the sets of data in the memory, the sets being sampled at substantially different times, respectively;

the reconfigurable retrieval-control criteria include;

a withdrawal rule defining which portions of data are to be withdrawn from the memory; and

the retrieving of the selected portions includes;

withdrawing one or more of the instances of a given one of the sets of data in the memory according to the withdrawal rule.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the reconfigurable reporting-control criteria include at least one of;

a frequency-of-initiation setting;

one or more packaging criteria; and

a recipient setting defining which one amongst a plurality of remote hosts will receive the selected portions of the collected data; and

the method further comprises;

initiating a wireless communication session with the remote host according to the frequency-of-initiation setting;

selectively packaging the collected data according to the one or more packaging criteria; and

transmitting the packaged data according to the recipient setting.

23. The method of claim 18, the method further comprising:

receiving, from the remote host, refreshed versions of at least one of the collection-control criteria, the storage-control criteria, the retrieval-control criteria and the reporting-control criteria, respectively, and

updating at least one of the collection-control criteria, the storage-control criteria, the retrieval-control criteria and the reporting-control criteria stored in the memory according to the refreshed versions corresponding thereto, respectively.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the remote host is a taskor server; and

the method further comprises;

operating the parameter-sensing node as a corresponding taskee client.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the operating as the taskee client further comprises:

querying the taskor server for an unspecified one amongst a plurality of tasks, a consequent selection of a given one from amongst the plurality tasks being performable by the taskor server;

receiving an indication of the given task from the taskor server;

facilitating execution of the given task on the parameter-sensing node; and

wherein one of the plurality tasks selectable by the taskor server for the taskee client is the data-transfer assignment.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the reconfigurable collection-control criteria include;

alarm criteria;

the reporting criteria include;

emergent criteria; and

the method further comprises;

analyzing the collected data in terms of the alarm criteria, respectively;

notifying the omega engine when one or more of the alarm criteria are satisfied; and

comparing the satisfied alarm criteria against the emergent criteria, respectively; and

sending an alert to the remote host based on the results of the comparison.

27. The method of claim 26, the method further comprising:

receiving at least one of refreshed alarm criteria and refreshed emergent criteria; and

updating at least one of the alarm criteria and updating the emergent criteria stored in the memory according to the refreshed alarm criteria and the refreshed emergent criteria, respectively.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the remote host is one of a base station and a network-in-a-box in a mobile telephony network; and

the method further comprises;

operating the parameter-sensing node as a corresponding mobile device connected wirelessly to the remote host.