Emergent Information Pattern Driven Sensor Networks

• US 20090045946A1
• Filed: 08/13/2007
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Miller, Landon C. G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,076,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range

Abstract

Emergent information is created and utilized by an array of sensors. Each sensor is programmed with a trigger rule, which describes a local condition that must be met for the sensor to trigger an event signal, and a relationship rule, which describes a hierarchy of communication control among sensors in the array of sensors. When a predetermined percentage or weighting of the sensors trigger event signals, emergent information that describes conditions at the array location is generated.

Claims

1. A method for utilizing emergent information from an array of sensors, the method comprising:

deploying an array of sensors to an array location;

programming each sensor in the array of sensors with a trigger rule, wherein the trigger rule describes a local condition that must be met for the sensor to trigger an event signal;

programming each sensor in the array of sensors with a relationship rule, wherein the relationship rule describes a hierarchy of communication control among sensors in the array of sensors;

activating the array of sensors; and

in response to conditions at the array location causing a predetermined percentage of sensors, from the array of sensors, to trigger event signals, generating emergent information about the array location, wherein the emergent information describes conditions at the array location, and wherein the emergent information exists only when the predetermined percentage of sensors trigger event signals.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the array location is on a water coastline, and wherein the array of sensors comprises a weather sensor, a thermal sensor, a video camera, a radar system, and an audio sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the array location is a well, and wherein the array of sensors comprises a pressure sensor and a heat sensor coupled to a downhole drill bit.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the relationship rule defines how each sensor, in the array of sensors, communicates with other sensors in the array of sensors.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the relationship rule defines which sensor, in the array of sensors, communicates with a remote controller for the array of sensors.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating, from a remote controller, the trigger rule and the relationship rule in each sensor in the array of sensors.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each sensor in the array of sensors comprises multiple different trigger rules to be used in a creation of different emergent information.

8-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method for utilizing emergent information from an array of sensors, the method comprising:

deploying an array of sensors to an array location;

programming each sensor in the array of sensors with a trigger rule, wherein the trigger rule describes a local condition that must be met for the sensor to trigger an event signal;

programming each sensor in the array of sensors with a relationship rule, wherein the relationship rule describes a hierarchy of communication control among sensors in the array of sensors, and wherein the relationship rule defines how each sensor, in the array of sensors, communicates with other sensors in the array of sensors, and wherein the relationship rule defines which sensor, in the array of sensors, communicates with a remote controller for the array of sensors;

activating the array of sensors, wherein each sensor in the array of sensors comprises multiple different trigger rules to be used in a creation of different emergent information;

in response to conditions at the array location causing a predetermined percentage of sensors, from the array of sensors, to trigger event signals, generating emergent information about the array location, wherein the emergent information describes conditions at the array location, and wherein the emergent information exists only when the predetermined percentage of sensors trigger event signals, wherein the array location is on a water coastline, and wherein the array of sensors comprises a weather sensor, a thermal sensor, a video camera, a radar system, and an audio sensor; and

updating, from a remote controller, the trigger rule and the relationship rule in each sensor in the array of sensors.