CN107872823B

CN107872823B - Method and system for identifying communication operation mode in mobile edge computing environment

Info

Publication number: CN107872823B
Application number: CN201710021055.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: V·沙
Original assignee: Wipro Ltd
Current assignee: Wipro Ltd
Priority date: 2016-09-28
Filing date: 2017-01-12
Publication date: 2020-11-13
Anticipated expiration: 2037-01-12
Also published as: CN107872823A

Abstract

A method of communication between one or more Internet of things sensor nodes associated with one or more Internet of things sensor devices and one or more Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) devices associated with one or more edge users is disclosed. The method includes defining, by the MEC server, one or more business verticals and one or more dimensions associated with each of the one or more business verticals. The method also includes identifying, by the MEC server, one or more operating modes associated with the one or more internet of things sensor nodes according to the one or more dimensions, wherein each mode of the one or more operating modes is associated with one or more communication channels. The method also includes receiving, by the MEC server, information captured by the one or more associated internet of things sensor nodes via the one or more associated communication channels according to the one or more operating modes.

Description

Method and system for identifying communication operation mode in mobile edge computing environment

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to communication systems, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to a method and system for identifying communication operating modes in a mobile edge computing environment.

Background

Traditionally, at the edge of the mobile network, only dedicated processing is implemented. The edge of a mobile network contains specialized computing devices that are used throughout the entire architecture to perform a certain function and cannot be reused for other purposes. Furthermore, the backhaul fabric from the edge of the mobile network to its core is also a unique fabric that runs on a proprietary protocol. The structure is optimized integrally before the era of smart phones taking voice quality as key driving force of network design and the era taking IP as network communication standard. Currently, IP has been propagated from the internet to enterprise networks and, with the widespread use of LTE, to terminal devices through the network edge. This has led to various new applications which have witnessed a transformation of telecommunications networks and their designs.

Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) makes the infrastructure of traditional Information Technology (IT) deep inside the Mobile Network and reach the Radio Access Network (RAN). Mobile edge computing increases the flexibility, economy, and scale of mobile networks by separating functionality from the underlying hardware infrastructure. Mobile edge computing gives mobile radio access networks computing power and promotes an ecosystem at the radio edge based on virtualization software. The mobile edge computing platform can enable the operation of the virtualized application program to be closer to a mobile user, and therefore user experience is improved.

With advances in technology, the integration of Internet of Things (IoT) devices within mobile edge computing environments has been achieved. Today, a large number of internet of things sensor nodes have been interconnected, and these nodes generate a large amount of data according to the characteristics of the participants therein. The capacity of the sensor node of the internet of things is limited, and the sensor node of the internet of things generally operates in a limited wireless network. Furthermore, the internet of things sensor node may act as a server within the internet of things environment. The mobile edge computing server has difficulty in acquiring necessary background information from the sensor nodes of the internet of things in the mobile edge computing environment. In addition, the mobile edge computing server must request and collect information related to the type of the sensor node of the internet of things, the specification of the device, the type of data, the utilization information, and the like, for each sensor node of the internet of things. This increases both the processing time and load of the internet of things sensor nodes and the mobile edge computing when implementing information contextualization for wireless networks and users. Accordingly, there is a need for a communication technique that improves the efficiency of communication between various participants of a mobile edge computing infrastructure and between one or more internet of things sensor nodes by integrating the internet of things ecosystem into the existing mobile edge computing infrastructure.

Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems and certain aspects of the present disclosure with reference to the drawings, as set forth hereinafter.

Disclosure of Invention

This summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described herein, other aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.

According to embodiments described herein, a method of communicating between one or more internet of things sensor nodes associated with one or more internet of things sensor devices and one or more Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) devices associated with one or more edge users may be provided. The method includes defining, by a Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) server, one or more business verticals and one or more dimensions associated with each of the one or more business verticals. The method also includes identifying, by the mobile edge computing server, one or more operating modes related to the one or more internet of things sensor nodes as a function of the one or more dimensions, wherein each mode of the one or more operating modes is associated with one or more communication channels. The method also includes receiving, by the mobile edge computing server, information captured by one or more internet of things sensor nodes associated with the one or more internet of things sensor devices via the associated one or more communication channels according to the identified one or more operating modes.

According to embodiments described herein, a Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) server may be provided for communicating between one or more internet of things sensor nodes associated with one or more internet of things sensor devices and one or more Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) devices associated with one or more edge users. The mobile edge computing server includes a processor and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor. The memory has stored thereon processor instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to define one or more business verticals and one or more dimensions associated with each of the one or more business verticals. The processor may be further configured to identify one or more associated operating modes of the one or more internet of things sensor nodes based on the one or more dimensions, wherein each mode of the one or more operating modes is associated with one or more communication channels. The processor may be further configured to receive information captured by one or more internet of things sensor nodes associated with the one or more internet of things sensor devices via the associated one or more communication channels according to the identified one or more operating modes.

According to embodiments described herein, there may be provided a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a set of computer-readable instructions for causing a computer comprising one or more processors to perform the steps of: one or more business verticals and one or more dimensions associated with each of the one or more business verticals are defined. The one or more processors may be configured to identify one or more operating modes associated with the one or more internet of things sensor nodes according to the one or more dimensions, wherein each mode of the one or more operating modes is associated with one or more communication channels. The one or more processors may be configured to receive, via the associated one or more communication channels, information captured by one or more internet of things sensor nodes associated with the one or more internet of things sensor devices in accordance with the identified one or more operating modes.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles disclosed. The left-most digit(s) of a reference number in the figures indicates the figure number in which the reference number first appears, and the same reference number is used to refer to a similar feature or element. Some embodiments of systems and/or methods according to embodiments of the present technology are described below for illustrative purposes only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) environment in which various embodiments of the described methods and systems may be implemented;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a mobile edge computing framework for implementing communications within the mobile edge computing environment, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) server having a mobile edge platform and a virtualization infrastructure to provide computing, storage, and network resources for one or more mobile edge applications, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

fig. 4 is a flow diagram of a method of communication between one or more internet of things sensor nodes associated with one or more internet of things sensor devices, a mobile edge computing server, and one or more Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) devices, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an exemplary computer system for implementing embodiments consistent with the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a diagram of interactions between various entities involved in communications within a mobile edge computing environment, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any block diagrams herein represent conceptual views of illustrative systems embodying the principles of the present technology. Similarly, it will be appreciated that any of the operational diagrams, flowcharts, state transition diagrams, pseudocode, and the like represent various processes which may be substantially represented in computer readable media and so executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown.

Detailed Description

The disclosure may best be understood by referring to the detailed drawings and description herein. Various embodiments are described below with reference to the drawings. However, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the following detailed description, taken with reference to the accompanying drawings, is for illustrative purposes only, and that the method and system extend beyond the illustrated embodiments. For example, the teachings herein may be generated in a variety of suitable alternative ways to achieve the functionality of any of the details set forth herein, as desired for a particular application. Thus, any method may be extended beyond the specific implementations selected within the embodiments described and illustrated below.

Reference hereinafter to "one embodiment," "at least one embodiment," "an example," "an embodiment," "e.g.," etc., means that the embodiment or example can include a particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element, or limitation, but does not mean that each embodiment or example necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element, or limitation. Furthermore, repeated usage of the phrase "in one embodiment" does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

Defining: for the purposes of this application, the following terms have the corresponding meanings as set forth below. The following terms describe concepts, architectures, and functional elements within the working range of mobile edge computing.

A Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) server may refer to a computing device that may run Information Technology (IT) services at the mobile radio access network (RNA) edge based on a cloud computing concept. In this context, the term "edge" refers to the radio base station itself (enode B, radio network controller, etc.) as well as a server within the radio access network (e.g., located at an "aggregation point"). Locating the mobile edge computing server at the edge of the radio access network exposes applications and services to real-time wireless and network information (e.g., subscriber location, cell load, etc.) so that these applications and services can utilize this information to provide context-dependent services for one or more edge users.

An internet of things sensor node may refer to a device that detects or measures an event or change in a physical quantity and provides a corresponding output, typically as an electrical or optical signal. In one embodiment, one or more sensor nodes of the internet of things may be connected to one or more sensor devices of the internet of things through a communication medium such as a mobile wireless access network, a WiFi network, a wired network, and WiMAX. In medicine, the sensor may be operative to detect biological, physical and/or chemical signals associated with a first patient, and may measure and record such signals. For example, pressure, temperature and humidity sensors are used to monitor and regulate gas flow and gas conditions in anesthesia, ventilators and respirators.

By an internet of things sensor device is meant a computer, a device containing a processor/microcontroller and/or any other electronic component, apparatus or system that performs one or more operations according to one or more programmed instructions. The one or more sensor nodes of the internet of things can be connected with the one or more sensor devices of the internet of things through the mobile wireless access network. The internet of things sensor devices include, but are not limited to, desktop computers, laptop computers, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), smart phones, and the like. The computing device has the ability to access (or be accessed by) a network (e.g., through wired or wireless communication capabilities).

An edge user refers to a user associated with a mobile edge computing device. These edge users may utilize the mobile edge computing device to subscribe to one or more edge services provided by the mobile edge computing server.

A Moving Edge Computing (MEC) apparatus refers to a computer, which is an apparatus containing a processor/microcontroller and/or any other electronic component, device or system that performs one or more operations in accordance with one or more programmed instructions. The mobile edge computing devices include, but are not limited to, desktop computers, laptop computers, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), smart phones, and the like. The mobile edge computing device has the ability to access (or be accessed by) a network (e.g., through wired or wireless communication capabilities).

A mobile edge application refers to an application that can be instantiated on a mobile edge compute server within a mobile edge system and that can potentially provide or consume mobile edge services. In one embodiment, one or more rules may be associated with a mobile edge application. The one or more rules may include at least required resources, maximum delay time, traffic rules, Domain Name Server (DNS) rules, and mobility support.

Mobile edge computing server-level management refers to components that handle the functional management of mobile edge computing devices on a particular mobile edge platform, the functional management of mobile edge computing servers, and the functional management of mobile edge applications running on mobile edge computing services.

The mobile edge platform refers to a series of functions required to run a mobile edge application on a virtualized infrastructure of a mobile edge compute server and to have the mobile edge compute server provide and consume mobile edge services.

Mobile edge services refer to services provided by the mobile edge platform itself or mobile edge applications via the mobile edge platform.

A mobile edge system refers to a series of mobile edge computing servers running mobile edge applications within a mobile radio access network or a subset of the mobile radio access network.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) environment 100 in which various embodiments of the present methods and systems may be implemented. A Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) environment 100 provides cloud computing capabilities and Information Technology (IT) service environments for application developers and content providers at the edge of a mobile Radio Access Network (RAN) 110. IT can thus be seen that the mobile edge computing environment 100 integrates Information Technology (IT) and cloud computing capabilities within a mobile Radio Access Network (RAN) 110.

The mobile edge computing environment 100 may include one or more internet of things sensor nodes 102, one or more internet of things sensor devices 104 associated with the one or more internet of things sensor nodes 102, a mobile edge computing server 106, an edge cloud 108, a mobile wireless access network (RAN)110, an Application Programming Interface (API) 112 associated with the mobile wireless access network 110, a developer and consumer community 114, a Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) 116, one or more enterprise devices 118, a private cloud 120, one or more Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) devices 122, and a communications network 124. As shown in fig. 1, the mobile edge compute server 106 may be located within an edge cloud 108. The developer and consumer community 114 may access information related to the mobile wireless access network 110 using the application programming interface 112 associated with the mobile wireless access network 110. Each of the one or more internet of things sensor devices 104 can be communicatively coupled to the one or more internet of things sensor nodes 102, the mobile edge computing server 106, and the mobile wireless access network 110. In one embodiment, the one or more internet of things sensor devices 104 may be communicatively coupled to the one or more internet of things sensor nodes 102 via a communication network 124.

In one implementation, the one or more mobile edge computing devices 122 may be associated with one or more edge users. In one embodiment, the one or more enterprise devices 118 within the enterprise may be connected to the mobile radio access network 110 via the demilitarized zone 116. In one embodiment, the one or more enterprise devices 118 may be communicatively connected to a private cloud 120 associated with the enterprise.

The one or more internet of things sensor nodes 102 may refer to devices that detect or measure events or changes in physical quantities and provide respective outputs, typically as electrical or optical signals. In one embodiment, one or more internet of things sensor nodes 102 may be connected to one or more internet of things sensor devices 104 through a mobile wireless access network 110. In medicine, the sensor may be operative to detect biological, physical and/or chemical signals associated with a first patient, and may measure and record such signals. For example, pressure, temperature and humidity sensors are used to monitor and regulate gas flow and gas conditions in anesthesia, ventilators and respirators.

The one or more internet of things sensor devices 104 refers to a computer, which is a device containing a processor/microcontroller and/or any other electronic component, apparatus, or system that performs one or more operations according to one or more programmed instructions. The one or more internet of things sensor nodes 102 may be connected with the one or more internet of things sensor devices 104 through a mobile wireless access network 110. The internet of things sensor devices 104 include, but are not limited to, desktop computers, laptop computers, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), smart phones, and the like. The computing device has the ability to access (or be accessed by) a network (e.g., through wired or wireless communication capabilities).

The mobile edge computing server 106 may refer to a computing device that may run Information Technology (IT) services at the edge of a mobile radio access network (RNA)110 based on cloud computing concepts. In this context, the term "edge" refers to the Radio base station itself (e.g., an evolved node B (eNodeB), a Radio Network Controller (RNC), etc.) as well as a server within the Radio access Network (e.g., located at an "aggregation point"). The mobile edge computing server 106 may be implemented in a cellular base station to provide consumers with fast and flexible new applications and new service deployments. The mobile edge computing server 106 may be considered a cloud server running at the edge of the mobile wireless access network 110. The mobile edge compute server 106 may be configured to perform certain tasks that one or more conventional network infrastructures cannot accomplish. The mobile edge computing server 106 may be configured to enable applications and services to be hosted on top of mobile network elements, i.e., on top of the network layer. Locating the mobile edge computing server 106 at the edge of the mobile radio access network 110 may expose applications and services to real-time wireless and network information (e.g., subscriber location, cell load, etc.) so that these applications and services may utilize the information to provide context-relevant services for one or more edge users. In one implementation, the edge cloud 108 refers to a cloud computing environment within which the mobile edge computing server 106 may be implemented. The applications and services are in close proximity to the consumer because they are executed on the mobile edge computing server 106, which is located at the edge of the mobile radio access network 110. As such, by running the application closer to the cellular consumer and performing the relevant processing tasks, network congestion may be reduced and the performance of the application made higher.

In one implementation, the one or more mobile edge computing devices 122 may be associated with one or more edge users. The one or more edge users may utilize the one or more mobile edge computing devices 122 to communicate with the mobile edge computing server 106 and subscribe to one or more services through the mobile radio access network 110. The one or more moving edge computing devices 122 may refer to a computer, which is a device containing a processor/microcontroller and/or any other electronic component, apparatus, or system that performs one or more operations according to one or more programmed instructions. The mobile edge computing devices include, but are not limited to, desktop computers, laptop computers, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), smart phones, and the like. The mobile edge computing device has the ability to access (or be accessed by) a network (e.g., through wired or wireless communication capabilities).

In one embodiment, the communication network 124 may be configured to transmit information obtained by the one or more internet of things sensor nodes 102 to the one or more internet of things sensor devices 104. In one embodiment, the one or more internet of things sensor nodes 102 may transmit information obtained by the one or more internet of things sensor nodes 102 to the one or more internet of things sensor devices 104 via a communication network 124, such as the internet, an intranet, and/or a wireless network, such as a cellular telephone network, a wireless Local Area Network (LAN), and/or a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN). The wireless communication may use any of a variety of communication standards, protocols, and technologies, such as: global system for mobile communications (GSM), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), bluetooth, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) (e.g., IEEE802.11 a, IEEE802.11 b, IEEE802.11 g, and/or IEEE802.11 n), voice over internet protocol (VoIP), Wi-MAX, mail protocol, instant messaging, and/or Short Message Service (SMS).

In one embodiment, the mobile wireless access network 110 may be a communication medium through which the one or more internet of things sensor nodes 102, the one or more internet of things sensor devices 104, the mobile edge computing server 106, and the one or more mobile edge computing devices 122 may communicate with each other. Such communication may be performed in accordance with various wired and wireless communication protocols. Such wired and wireless communication protocols include, for example, but are not limited to, the Transmission control protocol and Internet protocol (TCP/IP), the User Datagram Protocol (UDP), the Hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), the File Transfer Protocol (FTP), ZigBee, EDGE, Infrared (IR), IEEE802.11, IEEE802.16, 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G cellular communication protocols, and/or Bluetooth (BT) communication protocols.

In one embodiment, the application programming interface 112 is accessible to a developer and consumer community 114 to enable development of one or more edge services that may run on the mobile edge computing server 106. In one embodiment, one or more enterprise devices 118 within an enterprise may be communicatively coupled to the mobile radio access network 110 through the demilitarized zone 116. A demilitarized zone 116(DMZ, also sometimes referred to as a peripheral network) is a physical or logical subnet that contains an organization's externally facing services and exposes the services to untrusted networks such as the internet or the mobile radio access network 110. The purpose of the demilitarized zone 116 is to add an additional layer of security to an organization's Local Area Network (LAN). In one embodiment, the one or more enterprise devices 118 may be communicatively connected to a private cloud 120 associated with an enterprise. In one embodiment, users of the one or more enterprise devices 118 may be allowed to subscribe to one or more edge services hosted by the mobile edge computing server 106. Communication between the one or more internet of things sensor nodes 102 associated with the one or more internet of things sensor devices 104, the one or more mobile edge computing devices 122, and the mobile edge computing server 106 is described below in conjunction with fig. 3.

The mobile edge computing environment 100 is characterized by ultra-short latency, high bandwidth, and real-time access to mobile radio access network information that can be used by mobile edge applications. The mobile edge computing environment 100 can implement new vertical business components and services for consumers and enterprise consumers. Such services may include video analytics, location services, internet of things (IoT), augmented reality, optimized local content distribution, data caching.

The mobile edge computing environment 100 may achieve improvements in the mobile wireless access network 110 by having the application run on the mobile edge computing server 106 at the mobile edge. Because the mobile edge computing server 106 is closer to the mobile radio access network 110, the delay time for delivering the application or service can be reduced. Such applications may enable the exposure of information for the following purposes: optimizing network and service, shortening delay time and supporting the creation of personalized and background service. In one embodiment, internet of things (IOT) applications or enterprise communications may benefit greatly because the environment 100 may enable delivery of services in close proximity to actual mobile edge devices, such as the one or more internet of things sensor devices 104.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) framework 200 for implementing communications within the mobile edge computing environment 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the mobile edge computing environment 100 may enable mobile edge applications located at or near the edge of the network to be implemented as pure software entities running on top of the virtualization infrastructure through the mobile edge computing framework 200. The mobile edge computing framework 200 is broadly divided into three levels, a communication network level 202, a mobile edge computing server level 204, and a mobile edge system level 206. The communication network level 202 includes different types of networks, including the mobile radio access network 110, a home network 208, and an external network 210. The mobile edge compute server tier 204 includes a virtualization infrastructure (e.g., network function virtualization infrastructure) 212, a mobile edge platform 214, one or more mobile edge applications 216, and mobile edge compute server tier management 218. In one embodiment, the virtualization infrastructure 212, the mobile edge platform 214, and the one or more mobile edge applications 216 may be implemented within the mobile edge computing server 106. In one embodiment, the one or more mobile edge applications 216 may be implemented within the mobile edge compute server 106, which may be implemented by a virtual machine managed by the virtualization infrastructure 212. The mobile edge system level 206 includes mobile edge system level management 220, one or more internet of things sensor nodes 102, internet of things sensor devices 104, and one or more mobile edge computing devices 122.

The mobile edge compute server 106 is an entity that contains a mobile edge platform 214 and a virtualization infrastructure 212 that provides computing, storage, and network resources for the one or more mobile edge applications 216. The virtualization infrastructure 212 includes a data plane that enforces traffic rules received by the mobile edge platform 214 and performs traffic routing between applications, services, DNS servers/proxies, the mobile wireless access network 110, the local network 208 and the external network 210. Further, virtualization infrastructure manager 212a may be configured to perform all of the functions of virtualization infrastructure 212.

The virtualization infrastructure manager 212a may be configured to allocate, manage and release virtualized resources (computing resources, storage resources and network resources) of the virtualization infrastructure 212. The virtualization infrastructure manager 212a may prepare the virtualization infrastructure 212 to run the software image. This preparation includes configuration of virtualization infrastructure 212 and may include the receipt and saving of the software image. In one embodiment, the virtualization infrastructure manager 212a may implement a fast configuration of applications. The virtualization infrastructure manager 212a may be configured to collect and report performance and fault information related to virtualized resources. In one embodiment, virtualization infrastructure manager 212a may implement reconfiguration of applications. When an application is moved out of or into an external cloud environment, virtualization infrastructure manager 212a interacts with the external cloud manager to effect a reconfiguration of the application.

The mobile edge platform 214 may be configured to provide an environment in which the mobile edge applications may discover, advertise, consume, and provide mobile edge services. The mobile edge platform 214 may also be configured to receive traffic rules from the mobile edge platform manager 218a, the application or service, and to indicate the data plane accordingly. In one embodiment, the mobile edge platform 214 may be configured to translate a token in the traffic rule representing the one or more mobile edge computing devices 122 associated with the one or more edge users into a particular IP address. In one embodiment, the mobile edge platform 214 can receive DNS records from the mobile edge platform manager 218a and can configure the DNS proxy/server according to the received DNS records. Further, mobile edge platform 214 may also be configured to host one or more mobile edge services.

The one or more mobile edge applications 216 may run as Virtual Machines (VMs) on top of the virtualization infrastructure 212 provided by the mobile edge compute server 106 and may interact with the mobile edge platform 214 to consume and provide one or more mobile edge services. In one embodiment, the mobile edge application may also interact with the mobile edge platform 214 to perform support processes related to the lifecycle of the application, such as indicating availability, readying reconfiguration of user states, and the like. The one or more mobile edge applications 216 may have a number of rules and requirements associated with themselves, such as required resources, maximum delay time, required or useful services, and the like. Such requirements may be verified by the mobile edge system level management 220 and assigned to default values when missing.

The mobile edge compute server level management 218 includes a mobile edge platform manager 218 a. The mobile edge platform manager 218a may be configured to manage the lifecycle of the application, including notifying the mobile edge coordinator of relevant events related to the application. Mobile edge platform manager 218a may be configured to provide element management functionality to mobile edge platform 214. In addition, the mobile edge platform manager 218a may also configure application rules and requirements including service authorization, traffic rules, DNS configuration, and conflict resolution. Mobile edge platform manager 218a also receives virtualized resource failure reports and performance measurements from the virtualized infrastructure manager for further processing.

The mobile edge System level management 220 includes a mobile edge coordinator 220a, an Operations Support System (OSS) 220b, and an application lifecycle management agent 220 c. Mobile edge coordinator 220a is a core function of mobile edge system level management 220. The mobile edge coordinator 220a may be configured to maintain an overall overview of the mobile edge system based on the deployed mobile edge compute servers 106, available resources, available mobile edge services, and topology. The mobile edge coordinator 220a may be configured to validate application rules and requirements and, if necessary, adjust the rules and requirements to comply with operator policies, keep a record of registered packages, and prepare the virtualization infrastructure manager 212a for processing of the application. The mobile edge coordinator 220a may be configured to select an appropriate mobile edge compute server for instantiation of the application based on constraints such as delay time, available resources, and available services. Mobile edge coordinator 220a may be configured to trigger instantiation and termination of a mobile edge application.

In one embodiment, the Operations Support System (OSS)212b may receive a request from the mobile edge computing device 122 to instantiate or terminate a mobile edge application. The Operations Support System (OSS)212b may decide whether to grant permission for these requests. The granted request is forwarded to mobile edge coordinator 220a for further processing. When relevant support is obtained, the operations support system also receives a request from the mobile edge computing device 122 to reconfigure the mobile edge application between the external cloud and the mobile edge computing server 106.

The mobile user application is a mobile edge application instantiated within the mobile edge system by an application running within the mobile edge computing device 122 in response to a request by an edge user. The application lifecycle management agent 220c allows the mobile edge computing device 122 to request registration, instantiation, and termination of applications and move application programs in and out of the mobile edge system while relevant support is obtained. The application lifecycle management agent 220c authorizes requests by the mobile edge computing device 122 and enables further processing of these requests by interacting with the operations support system 212b and the mobile edge coordinator 220 a. The application lifecycle management agent 220c is only accessible from within the mobile radio access network 110.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram of a Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) server 106 having a mobile edge platform 214 and a virtualization infrastructure 212 that provides computing, storage, and network resources for one or more mobile edge applications 216 in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the one or more mobile edge applications 216 may be associated with one or more edge services. The mobile edge computation server 106 further comprises a processor 302, a memory 304, an analysis unit 306, an operation pattern recognition unit 308, an edge service creation unit 310, a transceiver 312, an input/output unit 314, a channel association engine 316, and a monitoring unit 318. The processor 302 may be communicatively coupled to a memory 304, an analysis unit 306, an operational pattern recognition unit 308, an edge service creation unit 310, a transceiver 312, an input/output unit 314, a channel correlation engine 316, and a monitoring unit 318.

The processor 302 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be configured to execute a set of instructions stored in the memory 304. The processor 302 may be implemented based on processor technology known in the art. The processors 302 include, for example, but are not limited to, an X86-based processor, a Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) processor, an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) processor, a Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC) processor, and/or other processors.

The memory 304 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be configured to store the set of instructions for processing by the processor 302. In one embodiment, the memory 304 may be configured to store one or more programs, routines, or scripts that are executable in conjunction with the processor 302. In one embodiment, the memory 304 may maintain one or more predefined decision rules to decide whether to accept or reject a subscription or unsubscribe request sent by one or more mobile edge computing devices 122. The memory 304 may be configured to store edge service monitoring information and corresponding metadata associated with edge services. The memory 304 may be implemented based on Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), a Hard Disk Drive (HDD), a storage server, and/or a Secure Digital (SD) card.

The analysis unit 306 comprises suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be configured to define one or more business verticals and one or more dimensions associated with each of the one or more business verticals. The analysis unit 306 may be configured to extend the metadata to include one or more updates required in identifying the one or more edge services and the one or more operating modes. The analysis unit 306 may be further configured to update the metadata according to an association between each mode of the one or more operation modes and the one or more communication channels. The analysis unit 306 may also be configured to monitor the one or more traffic verticals and the change in one or more dimensions. The analysis unit 306 may be further configured to update the one or more operating modes associated with the one or more internet of things sensor nodes based on the monitoring.

The operation mode identification unit 308 comprises suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be configured to identify one or more operation modes associated with the one or more internet of things sensor nodes based on the one or more dimensions. In one embodiment, each of the one or more modes of operation is associated with one or more communication channels. The edge service creation unit 310 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be configured to create one or more edge services associated with the one or more communication channels for the one or more mobile edge computing devices based on the received information.

The transceiver 312 comprises suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be configured to receive information captured by the one or more internet of things sensor nodes associated with the one or more internet of things sensor devices according to the identified one or more operating modes. The transceiver 312 may be further configured to receive a subscription request for one or more edge services associated with the one or more communication channels from the one or more mobile edge computing devices associated with the one or more edge users. The transceiver 312 may be further configured to transmit information captured by the one or more internet of things sensor nodes to the one or more mobile edge computing devices associated with the one or more edge users via the one or more communication channels according to the subscription request and metadata within the one or more edge services. As can be seen, the transceiver 312 can communicate information between the one or more internet of things sensor nodes and one or more mobile edge computing devices associated with one or more edge users through the mobile wireless access network 110. The transceiver 312 may support wired or wireless communication with the mobile wireless access network 110 by implementing one or more known techniques. In one embodiment, transceiver 312 may include, but is not limited to, an antenna, a Radio Frequency (RF) transceiver, one or more amplifiers, a tuner, one or more oscillators, a digital signal processor, a serial bus (USB) device, a coder/decoder (CODEC) chipset, a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card, and/or a local buffer. The transceiver 312 may communicate with a network, such as the internet, an intranet, and/or a wireless network, such as a cellular telephone network, a wireless Local Area Network (LAN), and/or a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), via wireless communication. The wireless communication may use any of a variety of communication standards, protocols, and technologies, such as: global system for mobile communications (GSM), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), bluetooth, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) (e.g., IEEE802.11 a, IEEE802.11 b, IEEE802.11 g, and/or IEEE802.11 n), voice over internet protocol (VoIP), Wi-MAX, mail protocol, instant messaging, and/or Short Message Service (SMS).

Input/output (I/O) unit 314 comprises suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be configured to receive inputs corresponding to the one or more business verticals and one or more dimensions associated with each of the one or more business verticals. The input/output unit 314 includes various input and output devices configured to communicate with the processor 302. Such as, but not limited to, a keyboard, mouse, joystick, touch screen, microphone, and/or docking station. Such as, but not limited to, a display screen and/or speakers.

In one embodiment, the channel association engine 316 comprises suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be configured to associate or disassociate the one or more communication channels with the identified one or more operating modes. In one embodiment, the monitoring unit 318 comprises suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be configured to monitor the created one or more edge services and associated one or more communication channels.

In operation, the analysis unit 306 may be configured to define the one or more business verticals and one or more dimensions associated with each of the one or more business verticals. The one or more business verticals can include, for example, at least one of a smart grid, a smart car, a smart medical, and a smart home. For illustrative purposes, consider the case where the business vertical is a smart grid. The one or more dimensions correspond to a set of values associated with the business vertical. Each traffic vertical may have its own dimensions to leverage information generated by the one or more internet of things sensor nodes 102. The analysis unit 306 may be configured to discover and identify one or more dimensions associated with the smart grid (business vertical). In one embodiment, the one or more dimensions correspond to the set of values acquired by the one or more internet of things sensor nodes 102. In one embodiment, one or more dependencies associated with the one or more dimensions may be identified using the respective business vertical (e.g., smart grid) and other dimensions of the other business vertical. Furthermore, since the one or more modes of operation are highly dependent on the one or more dimensions, in order to effectively identify and utilize the one or more modes of operation, the varying dimensions and the interdependent dimensions need to be managed and maintained to maintain their correctness. Embodiments of a smart grid vertical scheme are described below.

And (3) a service vertical scheme:

smart grid

Dimension value:

equipment: such as an ERT metering device;

position: e.g. county

The locus: such as a house

The control means is as follows: such as monitoring

Information: such as the current meter reading + the previous meter reading

Time: < Current time stamp >

An example of the intelligent medical vertical protocol dimensions is as follows:

and (3) a service vertical scheme:

intelligent medical treatment

Dimension value:

the product is as follows: such as anaesthesia machines, breathing machines and respirators

The process is as follows: such as air flow

Patient information: such as name, address, age and condition

The control means is as follows: e.g. monitoring, raising or lowering

Time: < Current time stamp >

After defining one or more dimensions associated with the business vertical, the operation mode identification unit 308 may be configured to identify one or more operation modes associated with the one or more internet of things sensor nodes 102 according to the defined one or more dimensions. For example, for the smart grid, the identified operational modes include usage, status, verification, processing, and remote modes. In one embodiment, each of the one or more modes of operation is associated with one or more communication channels. The one or more operating modes specify information that may be transmitted via the one or more communication channels. Thus, the one or more modes of operation determine the information to be sent to the one or more communication channels. For example, for smart medicine, the identified operational mode includes condition and quality. The conditional mode of operation provides the gas conditions of a particular product, while the quality mode of operation provides the current quality parameters of that product. The one or more modes of operation can be either one or a set of data entities representing factors that have an impact on the rationalization of information transferred within the mobile edge computing environment 100.

However, the one or more modes of operation may vary in multiple dimensions. Further, the one or more operating modes may be associated to one or more dimensions found and identified. In a smart grid embodiment, the usage pattern is associated with ERT metering and monitoring. The diversified business verticals can have a similar one or set of modes of operation. In one embodiment, the one or more modes of operation represent dependencies between the one or more dimensions. In one embodiment, the association between the one or more operating modes and the one or more dimensions may be maintained in memory 304. The operation mode identification unit 308 may be configured to manage the operation mode configuration information to correlate the one or more communication channels, the internet of things sensor nodes, and the cross-reference data to generate an operation mode for the corresponding channel. In one embodiment, the occurrence of the one or more dimensional changes may be based on the operating mode configuration information and an association between one or more communication channels and one or more operating modes.

In one embodiment, the channel association engine 316 may be configured to associate or disassociate the one or more communication channels to or between the identified one or more operating modes. For a particular mode of operation, a set of predefined channels may be used. Wherein at least one communication channel may be associated with each of the one or more operating modes to transmit information to the mobile edge computing device 122. In one embodiment, the operational mode configuration information may be altered based on the IOT sensor node 102, the association between the one or more operational modes and the one or more communication channels, and cross-reference data from various other participants of the mobile edge computing environment 100, including external resources, such as environmental conditions affecting transmission quality, acquired neighborhood information for the respective county, etc.

Upon completion of the configuration and identification of the one or more operating modes, the transceiver 312 may be configured to transmit the identified one or more operating modes to the one or more internet of things sensor nodes 102. Based on the one or more operating modes transmitted and associated with each of the one or more internet of things sensor nodes 102, each of the one or more internet of things sensor nodes 102 may transmit information captured by the one or more internet of things sensor nodes in accordance with the one or more operating modes transmitted. As can be seen, the one or more internet of things sensor nodes 102 transmit information captured by the one or more internet of things sensor nodes 102 according to the one or more operating modes. The transceiver 312 may be configured to receive information captured by one or more internet of things sensor nodes 102 associated with the one or more internet of things sensor devices 104 via respective one or more communication channels according to the identified one or more operating modes. In one embodiment, the information includes a type of each of the one or more internet of things sensor nodes, a specification of each of the one or more mobile edge computing devices, data captured by each of the one or more internet of things sensor nodes, and a type of data captured by each of the one or more internet of things sensor nodes.

In response to the received information, the edge service creation unit 310 may be configured to create one or more edge services associated with the one or more communication channels for the one or more mobile edge computing devices based on the received information. In one embodiment, the edge service creation unit 310 may define and configure one or more retention policies for each of the edge services during the creation process. The one or more edge services may include metadata for the one or more operating modes and the corresponding one or more communication channels. The metadata may include a service identification number, a message sequence number, a number of internet of things sensor nodes, a channel number associated with each of the one or more communication channels, a serial number of the one or more internet of things sensor nodes, and a timestamp. In one embodiment, one or more edge services may be created and formulated for the mobile edge application 216. The one or more edge services are available for use by the one or more edge users of the traffic vertical. The developer of the mobile edge application 216 may utilize the edge service creation unit 310 to develop and deploy services for the one or more communication channels. The one or more edge services may be a logical combination for sending and receiving information over the communication channel. Each edge service name assigned to an edge service is unique and may be associated with multiple communication channels when consistent with the condition that the same mode or subset of modes from among one or more modes of operation are associated with one or more communication channels.

The edge service creation unit 310 may also be configured to manage the configuration of the mobile edge computing device 122 associated with the edge user at the edge of the mobile radio access network 110. In addition, the edge service creation unit 310 may also maintain an association relationship between the edge user and one or more edge services associated therewith. In addition, the edge service creation unit 310 may also maintain metadata associated with the communication channel from information captured by the internet of things sensor node 102. In one embodiment, the memory 304 may be used to manage associations between the mobile edge computing device 122, the edge service, the one or more communication channels, and the one or more operating modes.

The transceiver 312 may be configured to receive a subscription request for one or more edge services associated with the one or more communication channels from one or more mobile edge computing devices 122 associated with the one or more edge users. In one embodiment, the transceiver 312 may be configured to receive a unsubscribe request for one or more edge services that an edge user may have subscribed to. In response to the accepted order/unsubscribe request, the processor 302 may validate the order or unsubscribe request and send a confirmation corresponding to the request by the one or more mobile edge computing devices 122 to indicate whether the order/unsubscribe request is accepted or rejected. Wherein the subscribe or unsubscribe request may be validated according to the one or more predefined decision rules stored in memory 304.

In response to the received subscription request, the transceiver 312 may be configured to transmit information captured by the one or more internet of things sensor nodes 102 to one or more mobile edge computing devices 122 associated with the one or more edge users via the one or more communication channels in accordance with the subscription request and metadata within the one or more edge services. For example, for a "status" mode of operation, the transceiver 312 only transmits the status of the internet of things sensor node 102. Thus, in one embodiment, the association information of the subscription request of the one or more edge services associated with the one or more communication channels is sent via the one or more communication channels associated with the one or more edge services. Another critical action during this information transfer may be to obtain quality metric values including, but not limited to, security, connectivity, and signal-to-noise ratio. Upon receiving the information from the transceiver 312, in one embodiment, the one or more mobile edge computing devices may be configured to detect faults and security issues associated with the received information.

As such, according to the subscription request, the edge user may receive the desired information captured by the internet of things sensor node 102 according to the identified operational mode. In addition, the user may receive internet of things information according to a mapping relationship between the one or more edge users and one or more subscription requests associated with the one or more edge services. In one embodiment, the transceiver 312 may be configured to send information to the mobile edge computing device 122 via the edge service according to one or more operating modes associated with one or more communication channels. For example, for the intelligent medical vertical business scenario, the transceiver 312 sends the gas conditions to a particular communication channel associated with the conditional mode of operation. The one or more mobile edge computing devices 122 may receive the information via an edge service and associated communication channel.

In one embodiment, the mapping relationship may be updated or changed according to the type and requirements of the edge user. The one or more edge services may reserve metadata bindings according to the one or more operating modes and communication channels associated with the operating modes. In this manner, services may be created when more modes of operation and associated communication channels are identified, while metadata remains consistent between services. The metadata is, for example, a timestamp, a sequence number, the number of participating sensor nodes of the internet of things, and a serial number of the sensor device of the internet of things. This metadata, which is consistent among one or more edge services, may be used to send relevant information to the edge user according to the identified mode of operation. For example, the mobile edge application 216 may identify the metadata and associate it with the service. The metadata may include the internet of things sensor node operating mode, a mapping of the internet of things sensor node operating mode, a source, a communication channel, a notification (from the internet of things), a timestamp.

In one embodiment, the analysis unit 306 may be configured to extend the metadata to include one or more updates required to identify the one or more edge services and the one or more modes of operation. In one embodiment, the metadata may be updated according to an association between each of the one or more modes of operation and the one or more communication channels. In one embodiment, an association between the one or more operating modes and one or more edge services associated with the one or more communication channels is determined based on the metadata.

The introduction, alteration and updating of the dimension causes one or more modes of operation associated with a particular service to be altered or identified. Even if it is desired to reflect the interdependencies between the one or more dimensions in the one or more modes of operation. In one embodiment, the analysis unit 306 may be configured to continuously monitor the one or more traffic verticals and the change in the one or more dimensions. In one embodiment, one or more operating modes associated with the one or more internet of things sensor nodes may be updated based on the monitoring. In one embodiment, the analysis unit 306 may be configured to identify other business verticals and other dimensions of existing business verticals that have been introduced into the mobile edge computing environment 100. The other business verticals can be introduced through the application programming interface 112, while the other dimensions can be introduced with the help of functions or services associated with the application programming interface 112. For example, the intelligent medical services vertical may have one or more application programming interfaces configured to regulate gas flow and manage gas conditions using pressure, temperature and humidity sensors in anesthesia, ventilators and ventilators that implement specific controls. In this case, the dimensions and their values can be analyzed, for example, the products (anesthesia machine, respirator and respirator), the processes (gas flow), the patient information (name, address, age and condition) and the control measures (e.g. monitoring, raising or lowering). However, in one embodiment, different business verticals may use the same dimension, and the dimension may be associated with different values. In one embodiment, the one or more business verticals and the one or more associated dimensions of each of the one or more business verticals can be updated based on user input. In one embodiment, the updated traffic vertical and dimensions may be sent to the mobile edge computing device 122 through the mobile radio access network 110. In one embodiment, the transceiver 312 may be configured to broadcast changes/updates or new associations between the edge services, one or more communication channels, and one or more operating modes to the mobile edge computing device 122 depending on the configuration of the mobile edge computing environment 100 and the mobile edge computing device 122 used to receive the broadcast message.

The monitoring unit 318 may be configured to monitor the created one or more edge services and associated one or more communication channels. The monitoring unit 318 may be configured to save the runtime utilization of the one or more edge services and associated metadata in the memory 304. In one embodiment, the monitoring unit 318 may be enabled or disabled for a particular edge service. The processor 302 may be configured to generate one or more graphical visual forms depicting runtime utilization information for the one or more edge services based on the saved runtime utilization of the one or more edge services and associated metadata

Fig. 4 is a flow diagram of a method of communication between one or more internet of things sensor nodes 102, a mobile edge computing server 106, and one or more Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) devices 122 associated with one or more internet of things sensor devices 104, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

The method starts with step 402 and then proceeds to step 404. In step 404, the mobile edge computing server 106 may define one or more business verticals and one or more dimensions associated with each of the one or more business verticals. In step 406, the mobile edge computing server 106 may identify one or more operating modes associated with the one or more internet of things sensor nodes 102 according to the one or more dimensions. In one embodiment, each of the one or more modes of operation may be associated with one or more communication channels. In step 408, the mobile edge computing server 106 can receive information captured by one or more associated internet of things sensor nodes of the one or more internet of things sensor devices via the associated one or more communication channels according to the identified one or more operating modes. In step 410, the mobile edge computing server 106 may create one or more edge services associated with the one or more communication channels for the one or more mobile edge computing devices 122 based on the received information. In one embodiment, the one or more edge services may include metadata for the one or more operating modes and the associated one or more communication channels. In step 412, the mobile edge computing server 106 can receive a subscription request for one or more edge services associated with the one or more communication channels from one or more mobile edge computing devices 122 associated with the one or more edge users. In step 414, the mobile edge computing server 106 may send the information captured by the one or more internet of things sensor nodes 102 to the one or more associated mobile edge computing devices 122 associated with the one or more edge users via the one or more communication channels according to the subscription request and the metadata of the one or more edge services. Then, end step 416 is entered.

Computer system

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an exemplary computer system for implementing embodiments consistent with the present disclosure. Variations of the computer system 501 may be used for communication between one or more internet of things sensor nodes 102, a mobile edge computing server 106, and one or more Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) devices 122 associated with one or more internet of things sensor devices 104. The computer system 501 may correspond to the mobile edge computing server 106. Computer system 501 may include a central processing unit ("CPU" or "processor" 502). The processor 502 may include at least one data processor for executing program components for executing user or system generated requests. A user may include an individual, an individual using a device (e.g., a device within the scope of the present disclosure), or such a device itself. The processor 502 may include an integrated system (bus) controller, a memory management control unit, a floating point unit, a graphics processing unit, a digital signal processing unit, or other special purpose processing units. The processor 502 may include microprocessors such as AMD Athlon, Duron, or Opteron, ARM applications, embedded or secure processors, IBM PowerPC, Intel Core, Itanium, to Strong (Xeon), Saiyang (Celeron), or other processor product lines. The processor 502 may be implemented by a host, distributed processor, multi-core, parallel, grid, or other architecture. Some embodiments may use embedded technology such as Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), and the like.

The processor 502 may be configured to communicate with one or more input/output (I/O) devices via an I/O interface 503. The I/O interface 503 may employ a communication protocol/method such as, but not limited to, audio, analog, digital, mono, RCA, stereo, IEEE-1394, serial bus, Universal Serial Bus (USB), Infrared, PS/2, BNC, coaxial, component, composite, Digital Visual Interface (DVI), High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), radio frequency antenna, S-video, VGA, IEEE802. n/b/g/n/x, Bluetooth, cellular (e.g., Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), high speed packet Access (HSPA +), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), Long Term Evolution (LTE), WiMax, etc.), and the like.

Computer system 501 may communicate with one or more I/O devices using I/O interfaces 503. Input device 504 may be, for example, an antenna, a keyboard, a mouse, a joystick, (infrared) remote control, a camera, a card reader, a facsimile machine, a dongle, a biometric reader, a microphone, a touch screen, a touchpad, a trackball, sensors (e.g., accelerometer, light sensor, GPS, gyroscope, proximity sensor, etc.), a stylus, a scanner, a storage device, a transceiver, a video/video source, a head mounted display, and so forth. The output device 505 may be a printer, a facsimile machine, a video display (e.g., Cathode Ray Tube (CRT), Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), Light Emitting Diode (LED), plasma, etc.), audio speakers, or the like. In some implementations, the transceiver 506 may be connected to the processor 502. The transceiver 506 may facilitate various types of wireless transmission or reception. For example, the transceiver 506 may include an antenna operatively connected to a transceiver chip (e.g., Texas Instruments WiLink WL1283, Broadcom BCM4750IUB8, England flying Technologies X-Gold 618-PMB9800, etc.) to enable IEEE802.11 a/b/G/n, Bluetooth, FM, Global Positioning System (GPS), 2G/3G HSDPA/HSUPA communications, etc.

In some embodiments, the processor 502 may be configured to communicate with a communication network 508 through a network interface 507. The network interface 507 may communicate with a communication network 508. Network interface 507 may employ connection protocols including, but not limited to, direct connection, Ethernet (e.g., twisted pair 10/100/1000BaseT), Transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP), token Ring, IEEE802.11 a/b/g/n/x, and the like. The communication network 508 may include, but is not limited to, a direct interconnection, a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), a wireless network (e.g., using wireless application protocol), the internet, and the like. Through the network interface 507 and the communication network 508, the computer system 501 may communicate with devices 510, 511, and 512. These devices may include, but are not limited to, personal computers, servers, facsimile machines, printers, scanners, and various mobile devices such as cellular phones, smart phones (e.g., Apple (Apple) iPhone, Blackberry (Blackberry), Android (Android) system based phones, etc.), tablet computers, electronic book readers (Amazon) Kindle, Nook, etc.), laptop computers, notebook computers, gaming machines (Microsoft) Xbox, Nintendo (Nintendo) DS, Sony (Sony) PlayStation, etc.). In some embodiments, computer system 501 may itself comprise one or more of the devices described above.

In some embodiments, the processor 502 may be configured to communicate with one or more memory devices (e.g., RAM 513, ROM 514, etc.) via the memory interface 512. The storage interface may connect to storage devices including, but not limited to, storage drives, removable disk drives, and the like, using a connection protocol such as Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA), Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE), IEEE 1394, Universal Serial Bus (USB), fibre channel, Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), and the like. The storage drives may also include magnetic drums, disk drives, magneto-optical drives, optical disk drives, Redundant Arrays of Independent Disks (RAID), solid state storage devices, solid state drives, and the like.

The storage devices may store a range of program or database components including, but not limited to, an operating system 516, user interface applications 517, a web browser 518, a mail server 519, a mail client 520, user/application data 521 (e.g., any of the data variables or data records described in this disclosure), and the like. Operating system 516 may facilitate resource management and operation of computer system 501. Operating systems include, for example, but are not limited to, apple Macintosh OS X, Unix-like system suites (e.g., Berkeley software suite (BSD), FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, etc.), Linux suites (e.g., Red Hat, Ubuntu, Kubuntu, etc.), IBM OS/2, Microsoft Windows (XP, Vista/7/8, etc.), apple iOS, Google android, blackberry operating systems, and the like. User interface 517 may facilitate the display, execution, interaction, manipulation, or operation of program components using textual or graphical tools. For example, the user interface may provide a cursor, icon, check box, menu, scroll bar, window, widget, or like computer interactive interface element on a display system operatively connected to computer system 501. In addition, Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) may also be employed, including, but not limited to, apple Macintosh operating system Aqua, IBM OS/2, Microsoft Windows (e.g., Aero, Metro, etc.), Unix X-Windows, web interface libraries (e.g., ActiveX, Java, Javascript, AJAX, HTML, Adobe Flash, etc.), and the like.

In some embodiments, computer system 501 may execute program components stored by web browser 518. The web browser may be a hypertext browser application such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Firefox (Mozilla), apple Safari, etc. In addition, secure web browsing may also be implemented through HTTPS (hypertext transfer protocol secure), Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), secure Transport Layer (TLS), and the like. The web browser may use AJAX, DHTML, Adobe Flash, JavaScript, Java, an Application Programming Interface (API), or other tools. In some embodiments, computer system 501 may execute program components stored by mail server 519. Mail server 519 may be an internet mail server such as microsoft Exchange. Mail server 519 may use ASP, ActiveX, ANSI C + +/C #, Microsoft. NET, CGI script, Java, JavaScript, PERL, PHP, Python, WebObjects, and like tools. Mail server 519 may also utilize communication protocols such as Internet information access protocol (IMAP), Mail Application Programming Interface (MAPI), Microsoft Exchange, Post Office Protocol (POP), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), and the like. In some embodiments, computer system 501 may execute program components stored by mail client 520. The Mail client may be a Mail viewing program such as apple Mail, Microsoft energy, Microsoft Outlook, collusion, Thunderbird, etc.

In some embodiments, computer system 501 may store user/application data 521, such as data, variables, records, and the like, described in this disclosure. Such databases may be fault-tolerant, relational, extensible, secure databases such as Oracle or Sybase. Alternatively, the databases may be implemented as standardized data structures such as arrays, hashes, linked lists, structures, structured text files (e.g., XML), tables, etc., or as object-oriented databases (e.g., via ObjectStore, Poet, Zope, etc.). The databases may be consolidated or distributed databases, sometimes distributed among the various computer systems discussed above in this disclosure. It should be appreciated that the structure and operation of any of the computer or database components described above may be combined, consolidated, or distributed in any operable combination.

FIG. 6 is a diagram 600 of interactions between various entities involved in communications within the mobile edge computing environment 100, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to fig. 6, the various entities involved in communication within the mobile edge computing environment 100 are the mobile edge computing developer 602, the mobile edge computing device 122, the mobile edge computing server 106, the internet of things sensor node 102, and the internet of things sensor device 104. Step 604 illustrates that the mobile edge computing developer may access one or more edge applications 216 of the mobile edge computing device. As shown in step 606, the mobile edge computing device 122 can send a request to the mobile edge computing server 106 to publish one or more edge applications 216. Step 608 illustrates that the mobile edge computing server 106 can define one or more business verticals and one or more dimensions associated with each of the one or more business verticals. Step 610 illustrates that the mobile edge computing server 106 can identify one or more associated operating modes of the one or more internet of things sensor nodes 102 based on the one or more dimensions. Step 612 illustrates that the mobile edge computing server 106 can send the identified operational mode to the one or more internet of things sensor nodes 102.

Step 614 illustrates that the mobile edge computing server 106 may associate one or more communication channels to each of the one or more operating modes. Step 616 illustrates that the mobile edge computing developer 602 may deploy one or more edge services at the mobile edge computing server 106. Step 618 illustrates that the mobile edge computing server 106 can associate one or more communication channels to each of the one or more edge services. Step 620 shows that the sensor node 102 of the internet of things can send the captured sensor information to the device 104 of the internet of things. As shown at step 622, the internet of things device 104 may be configured to manage sensor information according to the one or more operating modes.

As shown in step 624, one or more mobile edge computing devices 122 may send an edge service subscription request to the mobile edge computing server 106. In response to the received subscription request, the mobile edge computing server may validate the subscription request according to one or more predefined decision rules stored in memory 304, as shown in step 626. Step 628 shows that the mobile edge computing server can accept or reject the subscription request and send it accordingly to the mobile edge computing device 122, based on the authentication performed by the mobile edge computing server 106. Step 630 illustrates that the mobile edge computing server can receive sensor information captured by the internet of things sensor node 102 from the internet of things sensor device 104 according to the identified one or more operating modes. Step 632 shows that the mobile edge computing server 106 can send the sensor information to the mobile edge computing device 122 according to the identified one or more operating modes. In one embodiment, one or more communication channels 634 may be associated with the mobile edge computing device 122, the mobile edge computing server 106, the internet of things sensor device 104, and the internet of things sensor node 102. Each of the one or more communication channels 634 may be associated with one or more operating modes.

Step 636 illustrates that updates/changes within the edge service can be broadcast by the mobile edge compute server 106. Step 638 illustrates that the mobile edge computing server 106 may be configured to monitor each of the one or more edge services to determine utilization of each edge service. Step 640 shows that one or more mobile edge computing devices 122 may send an edge service unsubscribe request to the mobile edge computing server 106. Step 642 illustrates that in response to the unsubscribe request, the mobile edge computing server 106 may be configured to update the association between the edge service and the mobile edge computing device 122. Step 644 shows that after the association is updated, the mobile edge computing server 106 can send a unsubscribe confirmation to the mobile edge computing device 122.

Furthermore, one or more computer-readable storage media may be used to implement embodiments of the present disclosure. Computer-readable storage media refer to any type of physical memory that can store information or data readable by a processor. Accordingly, a computer-readable storage medium may store instructions for execution by one or more processors, including instructions for causing a processor to perform steps or stages according to embodiments of the present application. The term "computer-readable medium" shall be taken to include tangible objects and exclude carrier waves and transient signals, i.e., non-transitory media. Including, for example, Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), volatile memory, non-volatile memory, a hard disk drive, a compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM), a DVD, a flash drive, a diskette, and any other known physical storage medium.

Advantages of the invention

The methods disclosed herein may improve communication efficiency between one or more internet of things sensor nodes 102 associated with one or more internet of things sensor devices 104 and one or more Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) devices associated with one or more edge users. Some advantages of the disclosed method are as follows:

1. the high signaling overhead caused by the tunnel and binding operation is reduced, so that the processing work of each stage is reduced and the energy consumption is reduced;

2. simplifying communication between a mobile edge computing device and an internet of things sensor node;

3. improving the infrastructure and interoperability of the sensor of the internet of things and the accessibility of the mobile edge computing environment, and rationalizing the connection and communication of the sensor nodes;

4. edge user management and configuration can be implemented in an independent manner and in the context of internet of things related information needed by applications that the edge user participates in or provides;

5. the information can be acquired by utilizing the metadata of the mobile edge computing device through statistics and understanding of the utilization condition of the Internet of things;

6. the communication channel may be independently configured and request information from the internet of things sensor node in an independent manner. The communication channel may be managed in a mobile edge computing environment;

7. mobile operators can open the wireless network edge to third party partners so that they can quickly deploy innovative applications and edge services to mobile subscribers, enterprises and other vertical solution departments;

8. a mobile edge computing server at the edge of the mobile wireless access network provides an edge service establishing and managing environment with ultra-low delay time, high bandwidth and real-time wireless and network information direct access for application developers and content providers;

9. the mobile edge calculation can accelerate the information, edge service and application of the Internet of things, thereby improving the response speed of the edge. Active consumer experience maintenance is achieved through efficient network and service operations due to knowledge of the wireless and network conditions.

10. Network providers and technology providers can offer mobile wireless access network devices and base stations with higher cloud computing capabilities by providing more powerful and flexible network elements that can meet the growing demands of the communications field.

The words "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "the embodiments," "one or more embodiments," "some embodiments," "one embodiment," and the like mean "one or more (but not all) embodiments of the invention" unless expressly specified otherwise. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to" unless expressly specified otherwise. The terms "a", "an", "the" and the like mean "one or more" unless expressly specified otherwise.

An embodiment described as having a plurality of components associated with each other does not imply that all such components are required. Rather, it describes a variety of optional components that may be used to implement various possible embodiments of the present invention.

Finally, the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter. Thus, it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by any claims that issue on an application based on this section. Accordingly, the disclosure of the embodiments of the invention is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention, which is set forth in the following claims.

While various aspects and embodiments are disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and not limitation, with the true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the claims.

The present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and software. The present disclosure can be realized in a centralized fashion in which the disclosure is implemented in at least one computer system, or in a distributed fashion where different elements are spread across several interconnected computer systems. The methods described herein are suitable for implementation by a computer system or other device adapted to perform the methods. The combination of hardware and software can be a general purpose computer system with a computer program that, when being loaded and executed, controls the computer system such that it carries out the methods described herein. The present disclosure may be implemented within hardware comprising a portion of an integrated circuit that is also used to perform other functions.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the above-described illustrated systems, modules, and sub-modules are for illustration and should not be used in any way to limit. It will also be appreciated that variations and alternatives to the system elements, modules, and other features and functions disclosed above may be combined with one another to form yet different systems or applications.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that any of the steps and/or system modules described above may be suitably replaced, reordered, or removed and other steps and/or system modules may be inserted as desired for a particular application. Furthermore, the systems of the above-described embodiments may be implemented by various suitable processes and system modules, which are not limited to specific computer hardware, software, middleware, firmware, microcode, etc. The claims may cover embodiments in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

While the disclosure has been described with reference to certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the disclosure without departing from the scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but that the disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method of communicating between one or more internet of things sensor nodes associated with one or more internet of things sensor devices and one or more mobile edge computing devices associated with one or more edge users, the method comprising:

defining, by a mobile edge computing server, one or more business verticals and one or more dimensions associated with each of the one or more business verticals;

identifying, by the mobile edge computing server, one or more operating modes related to the one or more IOT sensor nodes according to the one or more dimensions, wherein each mode of the one or more operating modes is associated with one or more communication channels; and

receiving, by the mobile edge computing server, information captured by one or more Internet of things sensor nodes associated with the one or more Internet of things sensor devices via the associated one or more communication channels according to the identified one or more operating modes;

wherein the method further comprises creating one or more edge services associated with the one or more communication channels for the one or more mobile edge computing devices based on the received information, wherein the one or more edge services comprise the one or more operating modes and metadata of the associated one or more communication channels, wherein the metadata comprises a service identification number, a message sequence number, a number of internet of things sensor nodes, a channel number associated with each of the one or more communication channels, a sequence number of the one or more internet of things sensor nodes, and a timestamp.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising extending the metadata to include one or more updates needed to identify the one or more edge services and the one or more operating modes.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the metadata according to an association between each mode of the one or more modes of operation and the one or more communication channels.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein an association between the one or more operating modes and one or more edge services associated with the one or more communication channels is determined from the metadata.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a subscription request for one or more edge services associated with the one or more communication channels from one or more mobile edge computing devices associated with the one or more edge users.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising sending information captured by the one or more IOT sensor nodes to one or more mobile edge computing devices associated with the one or more edge users via the one or more communication channels according to the subscription request and metadata of the one or more edge services, wherein the information associated with the subscription request of the one or more edge services associated with the one or more communication channels is sent via the one or more communication channels associated with the one or more edge services.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

monitoring the one or more traffic verticals and changes in one or more dimensions; and

updating one or more operating modes associated with the one or more IOT sensor nodes based on the monitoring.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the identified one or more operating modes to the one or more internet of things sensor nodes.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more dimensions correspond to a set of values obtained from the one or more internet of things sensor nodes, the one or more dimensions being specific to each of the one or more business verticals, the one or more business verticals including at least one of a smart grid, a smart medicine, a smart car, and a smart home.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more operating modes specify information to send via the one or more communication channels.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises a type of each of the one or more internet of things sensor nodes, a device specification for each of the one or more mobile edge computing devices, data captured by each of the one or more internet of things sensor nodes, and a type of data captured by each of the one or more internet of things sensor nodes.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more internet of things sensor nodes send information captured by the one or more internet of things sensor nodes according to the one or more operating modes.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the one or more business verticals and one or more dimensions associated with each of the one or more business verticals based on user input.

14. A mobile edge computing server for implementing communications between one or more internet of things sensor nodes associated with one or more internet of things sensor devices and one or more mobile edge computing devices associated with one or more edge users, the mobile edge computing server comprising:

a processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores processor instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

defining one or more business verticals and one or more dimensions associated with each of the one or more business verticals;

identifying one or more operating modes associated with the one or more IOT sensor nodes according to the one or more dimensions, wherein each mode of the one or more operating modes is associated with one or more communication channels; and

receive, via the associated one or more communication channels, information captured by one or more IoT sensor nodes associated with the one or more IoT sensor devices in accordance with the identified one or more operating modes;

wherein the processor is further configured to create one or more edge services associated with the one or more communication channels for the one or more mobile edge computing devices based on the received information, wherein the one or more edge services include the one or more operating modes and metadata of the associated one or more communication channels, wherein the metadata includes a service identification number, a message sequence number, a number of internet of things sensor nodes, a channel number associated with each of the one or more communication channels, a sequence number of the one or more internet of things sensor nodes, and a timestamp.

15. The mobile edge computing server of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to extend the metadata to include one or more updates needed in identifying the one or more edge services and the one or more operating modes.

16. The mobile edge computing server of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to update the metadata according to an association between each of the one or more operating modes and the one or more communication channels.

17. The mobile edge computing server of claim 16, wherein an association between the one or more operating modes and one or more edge services associated with the one or more communication channels is determined based on the metadata.

18. The mobile edge computing server of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a subscription request for one or more edge services associated with the one or more communication channels from one or more mobile edge computing devices associated with the one or more edge users.

19. The mobile edge computing server of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to send information captured by the one or more internet of things sensor nodes to one or more mobile edge computing devices associated with the one or more edge users via the one or more communication channels according to the subscription request and metadata of the one or more edge services, wherein the information associated with the subscription request of the one or more edge services associated with the one or more communication channels is sent via the one or more communication channels associated with the one or more edge services.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a set of computer readable instructions for causing a computer comprising one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

identifying one or more associated operating modes related to the one or more IOT sensor nodes according to the one or more dimensions, wherein each mode of the one or more operating modes is associated with one or more communication channels; and

wherein the steps further comprise creating one or more edge services associated with the one or more communication channels for the one or more mobile edge computing devices based on the received information, wherein the one or more edge services comprise the one or more operating modes and metadata of the associated one or more communication channels, wherein the metadata comprises a service identification number, a message sequence number, a number of IOT sensor nodes, a channel number associated with each of the one or more communication channels, a sequence number of the one or more IOT sensor nodes, and a timestamp.