Modular platform enabling heterogeneous devices, sensors and actuators to integrate automatically into heterogeneous networks
DCFirst Claim
1. A system, comprising:
- a hardware platform, wherein the hardware platform is adapted to be communicably connected to an active object, wherein the active object is selected from the group consisting of a device comprising a sensor, a device comprising an actuator, and a device comprising both a sensor and an actuator;
a middleware module, wherein at least a portion of the middleware module resides in and/or is executed on the hardware platform; and
at least one software service generated by the middleware module, wherein each of the at least one software service represents the active object,wherein the active object is a device comprising an actuator and wherein the middleware module is configured to;
receive commands from one or more applications written in a high level language via each of the at least one software service;
convert the commands into low-level commands that can be understood by the active object, andtransmit the low-level commands to the active object via the hardware platform, wherein the low-level commands are capable of controlling the active objectwherein the active object is a device comprising a sensor and wherein the hardware platform is configured to receive raw data from the active object and pass the raw data to the middleware module, and the middleware module is configured to convert the raw data into useable data and pass the usable data to the at least one software service,further comprising one or more applications written in a higher level language, wherein at least one of the one or more applications is configured to receive the useable data from one or more of the at least one software service,wherein the hardware platform is adapted to be communicably connected to at least one additional active object, wherein each of the at least one additional active object is selected from the group consisting of a device comprising a sensor, a device comprising an actuator, and a device comprising both a sensor and an actuator,wherein the middleware module generates at least one additional software service, wherein each of the at least one additional software service represents one or more of the at least one additional active object and wherein each of the at least one additional active object is represented by one or more of the at least one additional software service,wherein the at least one additional active object comprises one or more devices comprising an actuator,wherein the middleware module is configured to;
receive commands from one or more applications written in a high level language via each of the at least one additional software service representing the one or more devices comprising an actuator;
convert the commands into low-level commands that can be understood by at least one of the one or more devices comprising an actuator; and
transmit the low-level commands to the at least one of the one or more devices comprising an actuator via the hardware platform, wherein the low-level commands are capable of controlling the at least one of the one or more devices comprising an actuator.
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Abstract
A system includes a hardware platform, at least one driver, a plurality of devices connected to the hardware platform, a middleware interface, and a plurality of software services. Each of the plurality of devices is selected from the group consisting of sensors and actuators. The plurality of software services is generated by the at least one driver, wherein a software service associates with a device, and wherein each of the software services complies with the middleware interface. A method for interfacing a plurality of devices to a hardware platform includes communicably connecting each of the plurality of devices to the hardware platform, converting each of the plurality of devices into a programmable software service using a driver, and programming each of the software services to comply with a middleware interface.
22 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A system, comprising:
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a hardware platform, wherein the hardware platform is adapted to be communicably connected to an active object, wherein the active object is selected from the group consisting of a device comprising a sensor, a device comprising an actuator, and a device comprising both a sensor and an actuator; a middleware module, wherein at least a portion of the middleware module resides in and/or is executed on the hardware platform; and at least one software service generated by the middleware module, wherein each of the at least one software service represents the active object, wherein the active object is a device comprising an actuator and wherein the middleware module is configured to; receive commands from one or more applications written in a high level language via each of the at least one software service; convert the commands into low-level commands that can be understood by the active object, and transmit the low-level commands to the active object via the hardware platform, wherein the low-level commands are capable of controlling the active object wherein the active object is a device comprising a sensor and wherein the hardware platform is configured to receive raw data from the active object and pass the raw data to the middleware module, and the middleware module is configured to convert the raw data into useable data and pass the usable data to the at least one software service, further comprising one or more applications written in a higher level language, wherein at least one of the one or more applications is configured to receive the useable data from one or more of the at least one software service, wherein the hardware platform is adapted to be communicably connected to at least one additional active object, wherein each of the at least one additional active object is selected from the group consisting of a device comprising a sensor, a device comprising an actuator, and a device comprising both a sensor and an actuator, wherein the middleware module generates at least one additional software service, wherein each of the at least one additional software service represents one or more of the at least one additional active object and wherein each of the at least one additional active object is represented by one or more of the at least one additional software service, wherein the at least one additional active object comprises one or more devices comprising an actuator, wherein the middleware module is configured to; receive commands from one or more applications written in a high level language via each of the at least one additional software service representing the one or more devices comprising an actuator; convert the commands into low-level commands that can be understood by at least one of the one or more devices comprising an actuator; and transmit the low-level commands to the at least one of the one or more devices comprising an actuator via the hardware platform, wherein the low-level commands are capable of controlling the at least one of the one or more devices comprising an actuator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A non-transitory media storage device having machine-readable instructions stored thereon for performing a method for providing a software service interface to an active object, the method comprising:
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receiving a driver, wherein the driver comprises information and behavioral components required to interact with an active object communicably connected to a hardware platform, wherein the active object is selected from the group consisting of a device comprising a sensor, a device comprising an actuator, and a device comprising both a sensor and an actuator; generating based on the driver a software service to represent the active object; receiving via the software service one or more commands from an application written in a higher level language; converting the one or more commands into one or more low-level commands capable of controlling the operation of the active object; transmitting the low-level commands to the active object via the hardware platform; wherein the software service is generated by a middleware module, wherein at least a portion of the middleware module resides in and/or is executed on the hardware platform; generating a second software service, wherein the second software service represents the active object, wherein the second software service is generated based on the driver, wherein the active object is a device comprising both a sensor and an actuator; receiving raw data from the active object via the hardware platform; converting the raw data into usable data; and passing the usable data to the second software service, wherein the useable data can be used by a second application written in a higher level language, wherein the second application is configured to receive the useable data from the second software service. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for providing a software service to represent an active object, comprising:
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receiving a driver, wherein the driver comprises information and behavioral components required to interact with an active object communicably connected to a hardware platform, wherein the active object is selected from the group consisting of a device comprising a sensor, a device comprising an actuator, and a device comprising both a sensor and an actuator; generating based on the driver a software service to represent the active object, wherein when raw data from the active object is received by the hardware platform the raw data is converted into usable data and passed to the software service, wherein the useable data can be used by an application written in a higher level language, wherein the application is configured to receive the useable data from the software service, wherein the software service is generated by a middleware module, wherein at least a portion of the middleware module resides in and/or is executed on the hardware platform; receiving an additional driver, wherein the additional driver comprises information and behavioral components required to interact with an additional active object communicably connected to the hardware platform, wherein the additional active object is selected from the group consisting of a device comprising a sensor, a device comprising an actuator, and a device comprising both a sensor and an actuator; and generating based on the additional driver an additional software service to represent the additional active object, wherein the additional active object is a device comprising a sensor, and wherein when raw data from the additional active object is received by the hardware platform the raw data is converted into usable data and passed to the additional software service, wherein the usable data can be used by a second application written in a higher level language, wherein the second application is configured to receive the usable data from the additional software service. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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27. The method of 26, wherein the resource location information comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for locating the driver via the Internet.
Specification