Forming a Convex Polygon of Mobile Sensors

• US 20140114625A1
• Filed: 11/20/2012
• Published: 04/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ferre, Wilfredo, Kanevsky, Dimitri, Sainath, Tara N., Yvon, Marc P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,902,792 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/10 Complex mathematical operations function generation by table look-up G06F1/03; evaluation of elementary functions by calculation G06F7/544
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/11 for solving equations , e.g. nonlinear equations, general mathematical optimization problems optimization specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04

Abstract

Forming a convex polygon of a plurality of mobile sensors in an area is provided. Sensor output data received from the plurality of mobile sensors in the area is analyzed using an optimization problem. It is determined whether the plurality of mobile sensors forms the convex polygon in the area. In response to determining that the plurality of mobile sensors does form the convex polygon in the area, an objective function and a set of constraints corresponding to the optimization problem are generated. Then, a sparse solution of the optimization problem is calculated using the objective function and the set of constraints to determine vector weight values for each of the plurality of mobile sensors.

Claims

1. A computer system for forming a convex polygon of a plurality of mobile sensors in an area, the computer system comprising:

a bus system;

a storage device connected to the bus system, wherein the storage device stores computer readable program code; and

a processor unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processor unit executes the computer readable program code to;

analyze sensor output data received from the plurality of mobile sensors in the area using an optimization problem;

determine whether the plurality of mobile sensors forms the convex polygon in the area;

generate an objective function and a set of constraints corresponding to the optimization problem in response to determining that the plurality of mobile sensors does form the convex polygon in the area; and

calculate a sparse solution of the optimization problem using the objective function and the set of constraints to determine vector weight values for each of the plurality of mobile sensors.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor unit further executes the computer readable program code to:

determine whether there are mobile sensors in the plurality of mobile sensors with a vector weight value below a vector weight threshold value; and

remove those mobile sensors in the plurality of mobile sensors that have a vector weight value below the vector weight threshold value from the convex polygon in response to determining that there are mobile sensors in the plurality of mobile sensors with a vector weight value below the vector weight threshold value.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the processor unit further executes the computer readable program code to:

reset the vector weight threshold value in response to determining that there are no mobile sensors in the plurality of mobile sensors with a vector weight value below the vector weight threshold value.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor unit further executes the computer readable program code to:

add new mobile sensors in a neighborhood of the convex polygon that have a vector weight value above the vector weight threshold value to the convex polygon.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor unit further executes the computer readable program code to:

generate the convex polygon using a set of mobile sensors in the plurality of mobile sensors.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor unit further executes the computer readable program code to:

associate labels with the sensor output data received from the plurality of mobile sensors that form the convex polygon over the area, wherein the labels describe a type of data being measured by the plurality of mobile sensors.

7. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the processor unit further executes the computer readable program code to:

match the labels associated with the sensor output data received from the plurality of mobile sensors that form the convex polygon with prototype data, wherein the prototype data describes a current status of the area.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the processor unit further executes the computer readable program code to:

analyze the sensor output data received from the plurality of mobile sensors that form the convex polygon based on the prototype data corresponding to the matching labels to determine the current status of the area associated with the convex polygon.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the processor unit further executes the computer readable program code to:

determine an action to perform based on the current status of the area associated with the convex polygon.

10. The computer system of claim 1, wherein at least one of a size and a shape of the convex polygon changes over a period of time.

11. A computer program product stored on a computer readable storage device having computer readable program code encoded thereon that is executable by a computer for forming a convex polygon of a plurality of mobile sensors in an area, the computer program product comprising:

computer readable program code for analyzing sensor output data received from the plurality of mobile sensors in the area using an optimization problem;

computer readable program code for determining whether the plurality of mobile sensors forms the convex polygon in the area;

computer readable program code for generating an objective function and a set of constraints corresponding to the optimization problem in response to determining that the plurality of mobile sensors does form the convex polygon in the area; and

computer readable program code for calculating a sparse solution of the optimization problem using the objective function and the set of constraints to determine vector weight values for each of the plurality of mobile sensors.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising:

computer readable program code for determining whether there are mobile sensors in the plurality of mobile sensors with a vector weight value below a vector weight threshold value; and

computer readable program code for removing those mobile sensors in the plurality of mobile sensors that have a vector weight value below the vector weight threshold value from the convex polygon in response to determining that there are mobile sensors in the plurality of mobile sensors with a vector weight value below the vector weight threshold value.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising:

computer readable program code for resetting the vector weight threshold value in response to determining that there are no mobile sensors in the plurality of mobile sensors with a vector weight value below the vector weight threshold value.

14. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising:

computer readable program code for adding new mobile sensors in a neighborhood of the convex polygon that have a vector weight value above the vector weight threshold value to the convex polygon.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising:

computer readable program code for generating the convex polygon using a set of mobile sensors in the plurality of mobile sensors.

16. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising:

computer readable program code for associating labels with the sensor output data received from the plurality of mobile sensors that form the convex polygon over the area, wherein the labels describe a type of data being measured by the plurality of mobile sensors.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 further comprising:

computer readable program code for matching the labels associated with the sensor output data received from the plurality of mobile sensors that form the convex polygon with prototype data, wherein the prototype data describes a current status of the area.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

computer readable program code for analyzing the sensor output data received from the plurality of mobile sensors that form the convex polygon based on the prototype data corresponding to the matching labels to determine the current status of the area associated with the convex polygon.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising:

computer readable program code for determining an action to perform based on the current status of the area associated with the convex polygon.

20. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein at least one of a size and a shape of the convex polygon changes over a period of time.