Programming a computing node connected to a sensor and an actuator

• US 8,984,500 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2004
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Mesarina, Malena, Pradhan, Salil, Serra, Bill
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen, Li B
• Assistant Examiner(s): BODDEN, EVRAL E
• Application Number:
  US10/866,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20060031426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,928 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/16 Security signalling or alarm systems, e.g. redundant systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

A computing node is connected to a sensor and an actuator. The computing node receives a module which is used to program the computing node to perform a function associated with the sensor and the actuator.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining location information for a computing node connected to a sensor and an actuator, wherein the location information includes a geographic location of the computing node within a predetermined geographic area and the predetermined geographic area includes a plurality of predetermined areas within the predetermined geographic area;

transmitting the location information to a server remote from the computing node via a network;

receiving a module at the computing node from the remote server via the network, wherein the module is a module of a plurality of modules, each module being associated with a predetermined area of the plurality of areas, and the received module is selected from the plurality of modules based on a predetermined area of the plurality of predetermined areas identified using the location information for the computing node; and

programming the computing node using the received module to perform a function associated with the sensor and the actuator.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the location information to a server further comprises transmitting information associated with the sensor and actuator connected to the computing node to the server, such that the server is operable to select the module from the plurality of modules using at least one of the location information and the information associated with the sensor and actuator.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a module comprises receiving a module associated with a room type for the computing node.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein programming the computing node comprises at least one of compiling, installing, and executing the module at the computing node.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing the module to perform the function.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least one of an availability of computing resources at the computing node, runtime conditions, and redundant functionality in a system including the computing node, sensor and actuator; and

based on the determination of at least one of the availability of the computing resources, the runtime conditions, and the redundant functionality, determining whether to perform (1) receiving data from the sensor, (2) processing data from the sensor using the function, and (3) determining whether to control the actuator.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the sensor based on information in the module;

receiving data from the sensor;

processing data from the sensor using the function; and

determining whether to control the actuator based on the function.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the information comprises a relationship identifying the sensor and the actuator.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating with the sensor and the actuator via a wireless network.

10. A method comprising:

receiving via a network location information for a computing node and information associated with sensors and actuators connected to the computing node, wherein the location information includes a geographic location of the computing node within a predetermined geographic area and the predetermined geographic area includes a plurality of predetermined areas within the predetermined geographic area;

identifying a predetermined area of the plurality of predetermined areas associated with the computing node based on the location information for the computing node within the predetermined geographic area;

selecting, from a plurality of modules stored within the server, a module associated with the identified predetermined area and the information associated with sensors and actuators connected to the computing node; and

transmitting the module from the server to the computing node via the network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein selecting a module comprises:

determining a room type for the computing node based on at least one of the location information and the information associated with sensors and actuators connected to the computing node; and

selecting the module from the plurality of modules, wherein the module is associated with the room type for the computing node.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

storing the plurality of modules; and

mapping the plurality of modules to room types.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving software including instructions for performing a function and a relationship associated with a sensor and an actuator; and

compiling the software to generate the module.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the information associated with sensors and actuators comprises at least one of sensor types and actuator types for sensors and actuators connected to the computing node and sensor IDs and actuator IDs for sensors and actuators connected to the computing node.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the module comprises a function associated with a sensor and an actuator connected to the computing node.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the module comprises a relationship identifying the sensor and the actuator.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a computing node connected to at least one sensor, at least one actuator, and a server via a network;

wherein

the computing node is operable to receive a module from the server via the network and execute the module to perform a function associated with the at least one sensor and the at least one actuator, and

wherein the computing node is operable to determine location information for the computing node and information associated with sensors and actuators connected to the computing node, and the location information includes a geographic location of the computing node within a predetermined geographic area and the predetermined geographic area includes a plurality of predetermined areas within the predetermined geographic area,

such that the server is operable to determine a predetermined area of the plurality of predetermined areas associated with the location information and select the module from a plurality of modules based on the predetermined area and the information associated with the at least one sensor and the at least one actuator.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the computing node is operable to determine at least one of an availability of computing resources at the computing node, runtime conditions, and whether another computing node is available to provide the same functionality as the computing node;

and

based on the determination of at least one of the availability of the computing resources, the runtime conditions, and whether another computing node is available to provide the same functionality as the computing node, determining whether to perform at least one of (1) receiving data from the at least one sensor, (2) processing data from the at least one sensor using the function, and (3) determining whether to control the at least one actuator.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the module includes instructions for performing the function, wherein the function includes processing data from the at least one sensor to control the at least one actuator.

20. A computing node comprising:

means for determining location information for a computing node connected to a sensor and an actuator, wherein the location information includes a geographic location of the computing node within a predetermined geographic area and the predetermined geographic area includes a plurality of predetermined areas within the predetermined geographic area;

means for receiving a module at the computing node from a remote server via a network, wherein the module is a module of a plurality of modules, each module being associated with a predetermined area of the plurality of areas, and the received module is selected from the plurality of modules based on a predetermined area of the plurality of predetermined areas identified using the location information for the computing node; and

processor means for executing the module to process the sensor data.

21. The computing node of claim 20, further comprising:

means for determining information associated with the sensor and actuator connected to the computing node, wherein the information is used to select the module from a plurality of modules.

22. The computing node of claim 20, further comprising:

means for determining at least one of an availability of computing resources at the computing node, runtime conditions, and whether another computing node is available to provide the same functionality as the computing node; and

based on the determination of at least one of the availability of the computing resources, the runtime conditions, and whether another computing node is available to provide the same functionality as the computing node, the processing means determines whether the computing node performs at least one (1) receiving data from the sensor, (2) processing data from the sensor using the function, and (3) determining whether to control an actuator.

23. The computing node of claim 20, further comprising:

a first network interface means for connecting the computing node to another computing node via a first wireless network; and

a second network interface means for connecting the computing node to the sensor via a second wireless network.

24. A system comprising:

a plurality of computing nodes connected to a plurality of sensors and a plurality of actuators via a first wireless network;

a server storing a plurality of modules and connected to the plurality of computing nodes, wherein the server is operable to identify for each of the plurality of computing nodes a module associated with a respective computing node and transmit the identified modules to the plurality of computing nodes for programming the computing nodes,

wherein each of the identified modules is identified by

determining location information for the respective computing node and the location information includes a geographic location of the computing node within a predetermined geographic area and the predetermined geographic area includes a plurality of predetermined areas within the predetermined geographic area,

determining a predetermined area of the plurality of predetermined areas associated with the location information, and

selecting, from the plurality of modules, a module associated with the predetermined area.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the plurality of modules include functions to be performed by at least one of the plurality of computing nodes;

the functions including processing instructions for processing sensor data from at least one of the plurality of sensors to control at least one actuator of the plurality of actuators.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

a second wireless network connecting the plurality of computing nodes, wherein the second wireless network includes transmission ranges that exceed the first wireless network.

27. The system of claim 26, further comprising:

a third network connecting the plurality of computing nodes to the server.

28. A sensor comprising:

a device operable to detect a condition associated with an environment in a vicinity of the device, wherein the device is connected to at least one computing node that is programmed by a module received from a server, the module being used to process sensor data from the device to control an actuator connected to the computing node and the module is selected from a plurality of modules using location information for the at least one computing node, location information for the sensor wherein the location information includes a geographic location of the computing node within a predetermined geographic area and the predetermined geographic area includes a plurality of predetermined areas within the predetermined geographic area, and a predetermined area of the plurality of predetermined areas associated with the location.