Sensor Network System for Managing the Latest Data and History Data

• US 20110196955A1
• Filed: 04/19/2011
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Suzuki, Shoji, Odaka, Toshiyuki, Muro, Keiro, Ogushi, Minoru, Suzuki, Kei
• Granted Patent: US 8,224,616 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols

Abstract

In a sensor network system comprising a sensor terminal and a management server, the sensor terminal transmits observation data acquired using the sensor, the management server has a latest data storage manager which manages the latest observation data among observation data received from the sensor terminal, a history data storage manager which manages the history of the observation data from any time when data was received from the sensor terminal to the latest observation data, and a missing data manager which manages missing history data, and compensates the missing history data based on a predetermined rule, and when a request for such observation data is received, at least one of the latest observation data managed by the latest data storage manager, and history data wherein the missing data has been compensated and managed by the history data storage manager, is output according to the type of request.

Claims

1. A server which receives observation data from a terminal which alternates between an activated state and a sleeping state, transmits the observation data by wireless communications in the activated state and stops transmitting observation data in the sleeping state, comprising:

a latest data storage manager which manages a set of latest observation data of observation data received from the terminal;

a history data storage manager which manages history data of the observation data received from the terminal from a set of previous observation data received from the terminal to the set of latest observation data; and

a missing data manager which manages loss of the history data indicating missing observation data transmitted from the terminal and not received by the server,

wherein the missing data manager sends a retransmission request to the terminal to retransmit the missing observation data that was not received by the server based on a predetermined rule, and receives the missing observation data retransmitted by the terminal receiving the retransmission request, and

wherein, in case that a request for observation data is received from user terminal, at least one of the set of latest observation data managed by the latest data storage manager and the history data managed by the history data storage manager is output to the user terminal according to a type of the request for observation data received from the user terminal.

2. The server according to claim 1,

wherein the observation data contains a sequence number showing a sequence in which the observation data was acquired, and

wherein, in case that the sequence numbers of the observation data stored as history data are not continuous, the missing data manager determines that data is missing from the history data.

3. The server according to claim 2,

wherein, in case that data is missing from the stored history data, the missing data manager determines whether or not the difference between the sequence number of the oldest observation data among the missing observation data, and the sequence number of the latest observation data, exceeds a predetermined threshold, and

wherein, in case that it is determined that the difference of the sequence numbers exceeds the predetermined threshold, the missing data manager requests transmission of the missing observation data.

4. The server according to claim 1,

wherein, in case that the request for observation data is received, the missing data manager determines whether or not data is missing from the history data, and

wherein, in case that it is determined that some data is missing from the history data, the missing data manager requests transmission of the missing observation data to the terminal.

5. The server according to claim 1,

wherein the missing data manager determines whether or not data is missing from the history data at a predetermined timing, and

wherein, in case that it is determined that some data is missing from the history data, the missing data manager requests transmission of the missing observation data to the terminal.

6. The server according to claim 1,

wherein the missing data manager receives a heartbeat signal transmitted at a predetermined interval from the terminal, wherein the missing data manager determines whether or not data is missing from the history data based on the receive state of the heartbeat signal, and

wherein, in case that it is determined that there is data missing from the history data, the missing data manager requests transmission of the missing observation data to the terminal.

7. The server according to claim 6,

wherein the missing data manager uses the observation data transmitted from the terminal as the heartbeat signal,

wherein, in case that the heartbeat signal is not received at a predetermined interval, the missing data manager determines that some data is missing from the history data, and wherein, in case that it is determined that some data is missing from the history data, after receiving the heartbeat signal, the missing data manager requests transmission of the missing observation data to the terminal.

8. The server according to claim 1,

wherein, in case that the observation data request is a requesting the expression of the latest observation data and the history data in graphical form, the server outputs the history data stored in the history data storage manager, and after outputting the history data, outputs the latest observation data stored in the latest data storage manager.

9. The server according to claim 1,

wherein the server displays the latest observation data together with information identifying the terminal in tabular form, on a connected display unit.

10. The server according to claim 1,

wherein the server displays the latest observation data on a map showing the position of the terminal, on a connected display unit.

11. A method of communication between a terminal and a server, the terminal alternating between an activated state and a sleeping state, transmitting the observation data by wireless communications in the activated state and stopping transmitting observation data in the sleeping state, comprising the steps of:

managing a set of latest observation data of observation data received from the terminal;

managing history data of the observation data received from the terminal from a set of previous observation data received from the terminal to the set of latest observation data;

managing loss of the history data indicating missing observation data transmitted from the terminal and not received by the server; and

sending a retransmission request to the terminal to retransmit the missing observation data that was not received by the server based on a predetermined rule;

receiving the missing observation data retransmitted by the terminal receiving the retransmission request, and

wherein, in case of receiving a request for observation data from user terminal, at least one of the set of latest observation data and the history data is output to the user terminal according to a type of the request for observation data received from the user terminal.

12. The method of communication according to claim 11,

wherein the terminal has a wireless communications circuit which performs communication, and

wherein in case that the observation data is transmitted, power supply to the wireless communications circuit is stopped regardless of whether or not an acknowledgement from the server has been received.

13. The method of communication according to claim 11,

wherein the observation data contains a sequence number showing a sequence in which the observation data was acquired, and

wherein, in case that the sequence numbers of the observation data stored as history data are not continuous, the server determines that data is missing from the history data.

14. The method of communication according to claim 13,

wherein, in case that data is missing from the stored history data, the server determines whether or not the difference between the sequence number of the oldest observation data among the missing observation data, and the sequence number of the latest observation data, exceeds a predetermined threshold, and

wherein, in case that it is determined that the difference of the sequence numbers exceeds the predetermined threshold, the server requests transmission of the missing observation data.

15. The method of communication according to claim 11,

wherein, in case that a request for observation data is received, the server determines whether or not data is missing from the history data, and

wherein, in case that it is determined that some data is missing from the history data, the server requests transmission of the missing observation data to the terminal.

16. The method of communication according to claim 11,

wherein the server determines whether or not data is missing from the history data at a predetermined timing, and

wherein, in case that it is determined that some data is missing from the history data, the server requests transmission of the missing observation data to the terminal.

17. The method of communication according to claim 11,

wherein the server receives a heartbeat signal transmitted at a predetermined interval from the terminal,

wherein the server determines whether or not data is missing from the history data based on the receive state of the heartbeat signal, and

wherein, in case that it is determined that there is data missing from the history data, the server requests transmission of the missing observation data to the terminal.

18. The method of communication according to claim 17,

wherein the terminal transmits the observation data at a predetermined interval, wherein the server uses the observation data transmitted from the terminal as the heartbeat signal,

wherein, in case that the heartbeat signal is not received at the predetermined interval, the server determines that some data is missing from the history data, and

wherein, in case that it is determined that some data is missing from the history data, after receiving the heartbeat signal, the server requests transmission of the missing observation data to the terminal.

19. The method of communication according to claim 11,

wherein the observation data stored in the memory of the terminal is associated with a timestamp showing the time at which this observation data was acquired, and a time synchronization flag showing whether or not the value of the timestamp is synchronized with the timing managed by the server, and

wherein the terminal prohibits transmission of observation data associated with a time synchronization flag showing that the value of the timestamp is not synchronized with the timing managed by the server.

20. The method of communication according to claim 19,

wherein, in case that it acquires timing information showing the time managed by the server, the terminal executes a timing synchronization processing which synchronizes the timing held by the terminal with the timing information,

wherein the terminal computes the difference between a timing showing the timing information and a timing held at a time when the terminal acquired the timing information before the timing synchronization processing was executed,

wherein the terminal adds the computed difference to the timestamp associated with the observation data stored in the memory, and

wherein the terminal makes the timing synchronization flag associated with the timestamp to which the difference was added, a value showing that the value of the timestamp is synchronized with the timing managed by the server.