Sensor or networks with server and information processing system, method and program

• US 7,536,255 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2002
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Ota, Shunji, Oyagi, Masayuki, Otsuki, Yoshiyuki, Yamato, Masaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peche; Jorge O
• Application Number:
  US10/492,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20040249563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,416 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/200, 701/207, 700213-215, 700/221, 700/225, 700/226, 700/229, 340/572, 340/517, 340/568.1, 340/568.2, 340/673, 340/3.1, 340/505, 340/5.92, 235/375, 235/385, 709/208, 709/224, 709/220, 709/223
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/1133 Sensor actuator, asi, bus, network
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25017 ASI actuator sensor interface, bus, network
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2612 Data acquisition interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/02 Automatically-operated arrangements

Abstract

An information processing device (central apparatus (2)) in a sensor network system is arranged so as to include an input-output processing section (101); an information converting section (103) and a resource specification information recognizing section (104) for dividing target information which is requested with the information request signal into a combination of information elements which appropriately compose the target information; a data acquiring section (107) for acquiring data of sensing results; and an input-output processing section (101) for outputting information based on the data acquired by said data acquiring section.

Claims

1. An information processing device in a sensor network system including a plurality of sensors and the information processing device collecting data of sensing results obtained by the plurality of sensors, the information processing device comprising:

a signal receiving section configured to receive an information request signal indicating target information which is information requested from the information processing device;

an information converting section configured to divide the target information into a combination of information elements which appropriately compose the target information in accordance with correspondence between the target information and the combination of information elements, each of the information elements being acquirable from one of the sensing results of the sensors, the correspondence being pre-set as a target information/information element conversion table; and

a resource specification information recognizing section configured to recognize resource specification information corresponding to the respective information elements converted by the information converting section in accordance with a resource specification information table indicating correspondence between the respective information elements and the resource specification information which specifies resources that can be information sources of the respective information elements;

the resource specification information table including (i) data processing information which indicates a process required in processing data obtained from a resource and (ii) communication information which indicates a communication for accessing the resource, the data processing information and the communication information being added to the resource specification information;

the information processing device further comprising;

a data acquiring section configured to acquire data of sensing results obtained by one or more of the plurality of sensors that are selected in accordance with the resource specification information by using the communication information;

a data processing section configured to process the data acquired by the data acquiring section in accordance with the data processing information; and

an output section configured to output information based on the data processed by said data processing section.

2. The information processing device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a first communication processing section for communicating data with another sensor network system capable of data communications with said sensor network system,

said data acquiring section further acquiring via said first communication processing section, data of a sensing result obtained by a sensor in the other sensor network system in accordance with the resource specification information.

3. The information processing device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

second communication processing section for communicating data with a server capable of data communications with said sensor network system and capable of providing data of the information elements,

said data acquiring section further acquiring via said second communication processing section, the data of the information elements from the server in accordance with the resource specification information.

4. The information processing device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the resource specification information specifies the one or more of the plurality of sensors by designating a type and position of each of the one or more of the plurality of sensors.

5. The information processing device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a target information recognizing section for specifying in accordance with the information request signal, the target information among a set of target information pre-set in a target information table.

6. A sensor network system comprising:

the information processing device as set forth in claim 1; and

the plurality of sensors.

7. An information processing program for causing the information processing device as set forth in claim 1 to operate, wherein:

said program causes a computer to function as the sections.

8. A computer-readable storage medium containing the information processing program as set forth in claim 7.

9. An information processing device in a sensor network system including a plurality of sensors and the information processing device collecting data of sensing results obtained by the plurality of sensors, the information processing device comprising:

a sensing result receiving section configured to receive data of a sensing result obtained by one of the plurality of sensors;

a sensing result converting section configured to convert the data of said sensing result obtained by the one of the plurality of sensors into target information which is preliminarily associated with said sensing result as required information in response to said sensing result;

an information converting section configured to divide the target information into a combination of information elements which appropriately compose the target information in accordance with the correspondence between the target information and the combination of information elements, each of the information elements being acquirable from one of the sensing results of the sensors, the correspondence being pre-set as a target information/information element conversion table; and

a resource specification information recognizing section configured to recognize resource specification information corresponding to the respective information elements converted by the information converting section in accordance with a resource specification information table indicating correspondence between the respective information elements and the resource specification information which specifies resources that can be information sources of the respective information elements;

the resource specification information table including (i) data processing information which indicates a process required in processing data obtained from a resource and (ii) communication information which indicates a communication for accessing the resource, the data processing information and the communication information being added to the resource specification information;

the information processing device further comprising;

a data acquiring section configured to acquire data of the information elements, in accordance with the resource specification information by using the communication information;

a data processing section configured to process the data acquired by the data acquiring section in accordance with the data processing information; and

an output section configured to output information based on the data processed by said data processing section.

10. The information processing device as set forth in claim 9, wherein:

said data acquiring section acquires data of sensing results obtained by one or more of the plurality of sensors that are selected in accordance with the resource specification information.

11. The information processing device as set forth in claim 9, further comprising:

a first communication processing section for communicating data with another sensor network system capable of data communications with said sensor network system,

said data acquiring section acquiring via said first communication processing section, data of a sensing result obtained by a sensor in the other sensor network system in accordance with the resource specification information.

12. The information processing device as set forth in claim 9, further comprising:

a second communication processing section for communicating data with a server capable of data communications with said sensor network system and capable of providing the data of the information elements,

said data acquiring section acquiring via said second communication processing section, the data of the information elements from the server in accordance with the resource specification information.

13. The information processing device as set forth in claim 9, wherein:

said sensing result converting section converts the data of said sensing result into the target information in accordance with correspondence between (A) said sensing result and the one of the plurality of sensors that obtained said sensing result and (B) the target information, the correspondence being pre-set as a target information table.

14. A sensor network system comprising:

the information processing device as set forth in claim 9; and

the plurality of sensors.

15. An information processing program for causing the information processing device as set forth in claim 9 to operate, wherein:

said program causes a computer to function as the sections.

16. A computer-readable storage medium containing the information processing program as set forth in claim 15.

17. An information processing method in a sensor network system including a plurality of sensors and a information processing device collecting data of sensing results obtained by the plurality of sensors, the information processing method comprising the steps of:

(i) receiving an information request signal indicating target information which is information requested from the information processing device;

(ii) dividing the target information signal into a combination of information elements which appropriately compose the target information in accordance with correspondence between the target information and the combination of information elements, each of the information elements being acquirable from one of the sensing results of the sensors, the correspondence being pre-set as a target information/information element conversion table, said step (ii) being carried out by an information converting section of the information processing device;

(iii) recognizing resource specification information corresponding to the respective information elements converted by the information converting section in accordance with a resource specification information table indicating correspondence between the respective information elements and the resource specification information which specifies resources that can be information sources of the respective information elements, wherein the resource specification information table includes (a) data processing information which indicates a process required in processing data obtained from a resource and (b) communication information which indicates a communication for accessing the resource, the data processing information and the communication information being added to the resource specification information, said step (iii) being carried out by a resource specification information recognizing section;

(iv) acquiring data of sensing results obtained by one or more of the plurality of sensors that are selected in accordance with the resource specification information by using the communication information, said step (iv) being carried out by a data acquiring section of the information processing device;

(v) processing the data acquired by the data acquiring section in accordance with the data processing information; and

(vi) outputting information based on the data processed by said data processing section, said step (vi) being carried out by an output section of the information processing device.

18. An information processing method in a sensor network system including a plurality of sensors and an information processing device collecting data of sensing results obtained by the plurality of sensors, the information processing method comprising the steps of:

(i) receiving data of a sensing result obtained by one of the plurality of sensors;

(ii) converting the data of said sensing result obtained by the one of the plurality of sensors into target information which is preliminarily associated with said sensing result as required information in response to said sensing result, said step (ii) being carried out by a sensing result converting section of the information processing device;

(iii) dividing the target information into a combination of information elements which appropriately compose the target information in accordance with the correspondence between the target information and the combination of information elements, each of the information elements being acquirable from one of the sensing results sensors, the correspondence being pre-set as a target information/information element conversion table, said step (iii) being carried out by an information converting section of the information processing device;

(iv) recognizing resource specification information corresponding to the respective information elements converted by the information converting section in accordance with a resource specification information table indicating correspondence between the respective information elements and the resource specification information which specifies resources that can be information sources of the respective information elements, wherein the resource specification information table includes (a) data processing information which indicates a process required in processing data obtained from a resource and (b) communication information which indicates a communication for accessing the resource, the data processing information and the communication information being added to the resource specification information, said step (iv) being carried out by a resource specification information recognizing section;

(v) acquiring data of the information elements in accordance with the resource specification information by using the communication information, said step (v) being carried out by a data acquiring section of the information processing device;

(vi) processing the data acquired by the data acquiring section in accordance with the data processing information; and

(vii) outputting information based on the data processed by said data processing section, said step (vii) being carried out by an output section of the information processing device.