Methods and systems for operating a logical sensor network

• US 20050021724A1
• Filed: 06/18/2004
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hsiang-Tsung Kung, Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute and Hsiang-Tsung KUNG
• Inventors: Vlah, Dario, Kung, Hsiang-Tsung
• Granted Patent: US 9,626,862 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/16 in which transmission is by pulses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Methods and systems for operating a sensor network comprising a plurality of nodes and at least one resource, where a resource can be a sensing device (e.g., a camera or microphone) or other peripheral devices (e.g., a storage or recording system). In at least one embodiment of the present invention, at least one node in a network determines at least one resource available to it and the type of the resource or its capabilities. Based on the type or capabilities of the resource, the node associates with one or more logical node names and acquires instructions for performing at least one function.

Claims

1. A method of operating a network comprising a plurality of programmable network nodes and at least one resource, the method comprising:

determining by at least one programmable network node that at least one resource is available to it;

determining by the at least one programmable network node a type of the at least one available resource;

associating the at least one programmable network node with one or more logical node names based on the determined type, each logical node name associated with a type of resource; and

providing the at least one programmable network node with instructions for performing at least one function, the instructions provided determined based on the one or more logical node names.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructions are provided from another network node or an external input means.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructions are provided from local storage accessible by the programmable network node.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining if at least one resource is available to it, comprises:

broadcasting, by the at least one programmable network node, a request for a resource; and

,

receiving, by the at least one programmable network node, at least one response from the at least one resource, the response indicating that the at least one resource is available.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of the at least one available resource may be one or more of the following:

camera, microphone, temperature sensor, listening device, gas detector, light detector, audio/image/video recorder or player, storage device, or other peripheral device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing by the at least one programmable network node at least one of the instructions for performing at least one function based on the one or more logical node names associated with the at least one programmable network node.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein executing at least one of the instructions by the at least one programmable network node comprises:

receiving sensory input via the at least one available resource; and

providing the sensory input to one or more of the plurality of programmable network nodes in the network based on the one or more logical node names.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein performing at least one function comprises:

receiving sensory input from one or more of the plurality of programmable network nodes in the network based on the one or more logical node names.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing the sensory input to the at least one available resource.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein performing at least one function comprises:

receiving sensory input via the at least one available resource;

broadcasting to plurality of programmable network nodes in the network the availability of the sensory input; and

providing the sensory input to one or more of the plurality of programmable network nodes in the network that respond with a request to receive the sensory input.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one programmable network node associates as a user and further comprising:

providing the sensory input to the at least one programmable network node in the network that associates as a user.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

storing the sensory input, if no programmable network nodes in the network respond with a request to receive the sensory input.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

after the sensory input has been stored, receiving a request for the sensory input from at least one programmable network node in the network; and

providing the sensory input to the at least one programmable network node in the network that requested the stored sensory input.

14. A method of operating a network comprising a plurality of programmable network nodes and at least one resource, the method comprising:

determining by at least one programmable network node that at least one resource is available to it;

determining by the at least one programmable network node one or more capabilities of the at least one available resource;

associating the at least one programmable network node with one or more logical node names based on the one or more capabilities of the at least one available resource, each logical node name associated with a type of resource; and

controlling the at least one programmable network node to perform at least one function based on the one or more logical node names.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein controlling the at least one programmable network node to perform at least one function based on the one or more logical node names comprises:

controlling the at least one programmable network node to perform at least one function using one or more instructions accessible to, but not stored on, the programmable network node.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of determining that at least one resource is available to it, comprises:

broadcasting, by the at least one programmable network node, a request for a resource; and

,

receiving, by the at least one programmable network node, at least one response from the at least one resource, the response indicating that the at least one resource is available.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the type of the at least one available resource may be one or more of the following:

camera, microphone, temperature sensor, listening device, gas detector, light detector, audio/image/video recorder or player, storage device, or other peripheral device.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

executing by the at least one programmable network node at least one of the instructions for performing at least one function based on the one or more logical node names associated with the at least one programmable network node.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein executing at least one of the instructions by the at least one programmable network node comprises:

receiving sensory input via the at least one available resource; and

providing the sensory input to one or more of the plurality of programmable network nodes in the network based on the one or more logical node names.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein performing at least one function comprises:

receiving sensory input from one or more of the plurality of programmable network nodes in the network based on the one or more logical node names.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

providing the sensory input to the at least one available resource.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein performing at least one function comprises:

receiving sensory input via the at least one available resource;

broadcasting to plurality of programmable network nodes in the network the availability of the sensory input; and

providing the sensory input to one or more of the plurality of programmable network nodes in the network that respond with a request to receive the sensory input.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein at least one programmable network node associates as a user and further comprising:

providing the sensory input to the at least one programmable network node in the network that associates as a user.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

storing the sensory input, if no programmable network nodes in the network respond with a request to receive the sensory input.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

after the sensory input has been stored, receiving a request for the sensory input from at least one programmable network node in the network; and

providing the sensory input to the at least one programmable network node in the network that requested the stored sensory input.

26. A method of operating a network comprising a plurality of programmable network nodes and resources, the method comprising:

activating a first programmable network node;

broadcasting by a first programmable network node to the network that it is associated with a user;

associating a second programmable network node with a first resource;

making available to the second programmable network node a first set of instructions for allowing the second programmable network node to control the first resource;

receiving sensory input via the first resource; and

transmitting the sensory input to the user at the first programmable network node via the network.

27. A method of operating a network comprising a plurality of programmable network nodes and resources, the method comprising:

registering one or more programmable network nodes with at least one logical node name, each of the at least one logical node names associated with a type of resource;

requesting by a first programmable network node input from any programmable network node associated with a first logical node name;

receiving by a second programmable network node associated with the first logical node name sensory input from the resource associated with the second programmable network node; and

transmitting the sensory input to the first programmable network node.

28. A processor comprising a memory storing instructions for enabling the processor to:

determine that at least one resource is available to it;

determine a type of the at least one available resource;

associate the processor with one or more logical node names based on the determined type, each logical node name associated with a type of resource; and

acquire instructions for performing at least one function, the instructions provided determined based on the one or more logical node names.

29. The processor of claim 28, wherein the processor is capable of communicating via a network and the instructions are acquired from a network node or an external input means.

30. The processor of claim 28, wherein the memory also stores the instructions acquired by the processor.

31. The processor of claim 28, wherein the type of the at least one available resource may be one or more of the following:

camera, microphone, temperature sensor, listening device, gas detector, light detector, audio/image/video recorder or player, storage device, or other peripheral device.

32. The processor of claim 28, further comprising instructions which enable the processor to:

execute at least one of the instructions for performing at least one function based on the one or more logical node names associated with the processor.

33. The processor of claim 32, wherein the instructions which enable the processor to execute at least one of the instructions further enable the processor to:

receive sensory input via the at least one available resource; and

provide the sensory input to one or more of programmable network nodes in a network based on the one or more logical node names.

34. The processor of claim 32, wherein performing at least one function comprises:

receiving sensory input from one or more of the plurality of programmable network nodes in the network based on the one or more logical node names.

35. A programmable network node comprising:

a communications means for receiving input from at least one resource capable of communicating with the programmable network node;

a memory for storing one or more sets of instructions executable by a processing means; and

a processing means for executing instructions for;

determining by at least one programmable network node that at least one resource is available to it;

determining by the at least one programmable network node a type of the at least one available resource;

associating the at least one programmable network node with one or more logical node names based on the determined type, each logical node name associated with a type of resource; and

providing the at least one programmable network node with instructions for performing at least one function, the instructions provided determined based on the one or more logical node names.

36. The programmable network node of claim 35, wherein the resource is a sensing means, operatively connected to the programmable network node.

37. The programmable network node of claim 35, wherein the sensing device is a sensing means physically located within range of the programmable network node and capable of communicating with the programmable network node via wireless communications.

38. The programmable network node of claim 35, wherein at least one of the one or more sets of instructions stored in memory are received via the communications means after the type of the at least one resource is determined.

39. A programmable network node comprising:

a communications means for receiving input from at least one resource capable of communicating with the programmable network node;

a memory for storing one or more sets of instructions executable by a processing means; and

a processing means for executing instructions for;

determining by at least one programmable network node that at least one resource is available to it;

determining by the at least one programmable network node one or more capabilities of the at least one available resource;

associating the at least one programmable network node with one or more logical node names based on the one or more capabilities of the at least one available resource, each logical node name associated with a type, of resource; and

controlling the at least one programmable network node to perform at least one function based on the one or more logical node names.

40. The programmable network node of claim 39, wherein the resource is a sensing means, operatively connected to the programmable network node.

41. The programmable network node of claim 39, wherein the sensing device is a sensing means physically located within range of the programmable network node and capable of communicating with the programmable network node via wireless communications.

42. The programmable network node of claim 39, wherein at least one of the one or more sets of instructions stored in memory are received via the communications means after the type of the at least one resource is determined.

43. A networked sensing system comprising:

a plurality of programmable network nodes, geographically dispersed throughout a coverage area, each programmable network node capable of communicating with one or more of the other programmable network nodes,

each programmable network node comprising;

a communications means for receiving input from at least one resource or at least one other programmable network node;

a memory for storing at least one set of instructions executable by a processing means; and

a processing means for executing instructions stored in the memory for;

determining by at least one programmable network node that at least one resource is available to it;

determining by the at least one programmable network node a type of the at least one available resource;

associating the at least one programmable network node with one or more logical node names based on the determined type, each logical node name associated with a type of resource; and

providing the at least one programmable network node with instructions for performing at least one function, the instructions provided determined based on the one or more logical node names.