PT105400A - CONCENTRATOR FOR SENSOR NETWORKS AND REMOTE ACCOUNTERS, SUPPORTING VARIOUS NETWORK ACCESS TECHNOLOGIES, WITH AUTOMATIC RECOVERY STRATEGIES AND SECURITY ACCESS TO SENSORS - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a concentrator for network sensors and remote counters which supports a variety of network access technologies with automatic failure recovery strategies and support for sensing access to the sensor. IT IS ESSENTIALLY CHARACTERIZED TO HAVE A BUREAU SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURE THAT IS IMPLEMENTED ON THE CONVERSION PORT AND THAT HAS THREE MAIN SOFTWARE LAYERS: - SENSOR INTERFACE LAYER; - TRANSPORT NETWORK LAYER; - CENTRAL PROCESSING LAYER, THESE LAYERS THAT CORRESPOND TO THREE MAIN HARDWARE BLOCKS.

Description

1

DESCRIPTION OF THE SENSOR AND REMOTE ACCOUNTING NETWORKS,

SUPPORTING VARIOUS NETWORK ACCESS TECHNOLOGIES WITH AUTOMATIC RECOVERY AND SAFETY STRATEGIES IN ACCESS TO SENSORS Scope of the invention

Trends: current to methods: of faoturation: basic of service providers: as tor.neced.ores of the seriousness, water. and blades, are generally based on monitoring & · Goasutno's remote billing. This one; process is achieved by the installation of smart meters. the client's surroundings: with the ability to be accessed remotely through a type of communication network, forwarding the information to the data centers of the providers for action: later ...

In this context, the invention aims to provide a secure transport network for remote metering, providing an interface of the original network at a point of trust and enabling the transmission of information about: a medium proven, consider. still domains of sensors: to separate clients, providing isolation and security for each flux: information ©. The .isolamento. between sensor domains and between these and e: the local feedback network is represented in Fig. figure 7,

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of this document is to describe the architecture of the stack software to be implemented in the Gatewap (CGW) .Chohoehtrator (CGW) and some of its features came out, as well as the way in. These solve or improve identified problems: The irivenolo in question applies intelligent sensor networks and remote metering systems and consists of a multisite control system that acts as a concentrator for sensor networks: including support for a plurality of different available access technologies, such as OMTS / GPRS, ADSL and GPON, supported on the operator's network for access to: a central management system, the present invention ensures optimum transparency for the technology used, switch between technologies whenever a particular connection fails. In addition to having an interface with the central management system, the invention supports a Web interface for local (accessible, remotely) management: Backup copies are also available. The system node is a processing unit, responsible for completely isolating the transport network from the sensor or from the sensor network, & processing unit has some intelligence, controlling the bidirectional flow of information and effectively isolating the piano from the management side of the service provider. The software architecture dries up; The hardwgre architecture is considered to be three main layers of software, corresponding to the three fundamental hardware blocks: the sensor interface layer, the transport network layer, and the central processing layer. Both architecture # of software and haxdware ensure complete independence between different networks or sensor domains, accessible via the sensor interface layer. The sensor interface layer comprises a variety of protocols and protocols, allowing transparent access to the network of sensors, regardless of the underlying technology / protocol, and facilitating current inference of bardware, while maintaining the referred stack: integrity. A. Layer: Transport network encompasses low level potato controllers dealing with the included access methods. Namely, this layer includes the; control adornes: for supported access network technologies The central processing layer concentrates the intelligence, dealing with the ^ verification and recovery options: from the network. it has abstract interfaces for both interface layers: senssms and transport network, allowing: simple control of the integration of new services. The central mapping layer defines: data models for expected sensor readings enables the conversion of sensor interface layer data to common metrics and structures. This effectively simplifies the addition of new types of sensors to the sensor network. The central processing layer provides identification of customers with services to assets. Gera-Intente gathers information from all sensors, the sensor interface layer being filtered for inactive clients, enabling: distinguishing client-state. Software piloting implements a complete sketching of the layers of hardware, enabling simple assessments of sensor network technologies and the coexistence of multiple types of technology sensors: at the same time, this being a problem many theses faced by service providers in rapidly evolving networks.

One difficulty for service providers implementing remote measurements is: a. integrity: from the sensor network: proper, it should be possible to connect arbitrary sensors in the. The invention: This problem solves this problem by incorporating the register of the sensors and the error detection in the reader's readings. the transmission network is ensured by a recovery mechanism implemented: on the software stack, which automatically switches the data to the data center of the service provider. between methods: of access in certain conditions of interruption of the same, This situation is also verified for the domains of sensors, Λ software stack is .modular: and exports one. The complete set of Application Prgrammer Interfaces (A? Is) for the various subsystems, why suppliers: create their own applications and services on the platform, reducing the time of market action for future applications: ..

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The following description 1 is based on the accompanying drawings, in which, without: any limiting character, there is shown: - Figure 1, a schematic of the software architecture / - Bad Figure 2, the interface layer of sensors; In figure 3, the transport network layer; In figure 4, the central processing layer; - In figure 5, the system configuration and management block / - In the figure ê > the block of sensor authentication and hardwax extraction; and - In Figure 7, the Lo isolating between domains: of sensors, and between these and the local access network.

Detailed Description of the Invention Software architecture: A: CGW's high-level software architecture corresponds to the hardwa r architecture specified in the CGM product description. 7

There are three main layers of software, aligned with the three key hardware blocks as can be seen in figure 1. The sensor interface layer comprises the low-level controllers for access: to the sensor network via different: protocols, and media. It also implements an abstract layer of bafbware, providing a well-defined set of Application: Brogramming Interfaces (AFFIs), which allow transparent access to the sensor network, regardless of the underlying theo- ginology / protocol.

This approach will simplify hardware upgrades in the CGW software stack, on the sensor side, and the Attempt., The introduction of new hardware technologies in the sensors will imply the inclusion of the new Controllers in the sensor layer. interface and the updating of the AFIa to handle them, leaving the interfaces unchanged for the rest of the stack. The role of the transport network layer to the network side of the CCS corresponds to: the role of the sensor interface layer on the side of the CSW sensor, s understands the low-level controllers to handle the included access methods. Namely, the transport network layer includes the controllers: for GION, GPRS / EDGE / UMTS and ADSL :. It also defines the APIs that control whether uplinks are active and the status of the various options. The decision: to use an uplínk, dealing with the options of verification and recovery: of the network, is the responsibility of the processing layer: central, using the provided $. Λ The central processing layer concentrates all the intelligence- of CG1. Includes the interfaces to the service provider management protocols and provides the. platform on which services can be created in CGW. The interfaces to the sensor interface and transport network layers are abstracted in order to handle the integration of new services more easily. The central processing layer defines the data models for the expected readings of the sensors and enables the conversion of data from the sensor interface layer to. metrics. and common structures. This effectively simplifies the addition of new types of sensors to the sensor network, leaving the interpretation of the results to the resolvability of the data within the service provider ... The central processing layer:

Q information of all client sensor networks allowing for optimum collection management, distinguishing between active and non-active clients, and the sensor interface layer1 should be inhibited for non-active clients. It presents a system of. management and configuration: with specific views per sensor domain of the global model available in the concentrator (which has the global view of the different sensor domains), the complete configuration of the CGH is realized through the central processing layer, through remote access from of the service provider's data center or locally, by: technician at: location of installation. The concentrator for networked sensors and remote counters is designed to ensure a clear and secure separation between the sensor interface layer and the transport network layer between the hardware and software. 2. Sensor interface layer The main objective of the sensor interface layer is to allow the abstraction of the sensor access technology from the rest of the software stack. In a logical perspective, the layer includes the low-level controllers corresponding to the current CG1 revision of the CG1, an internal adaptation, a control and configuration layer, and defines? / PLs for use directly by the central processing layer. A. interface layer: of sensors, is represented in. Figure 2, The sensor interface layer maintains an internal configuration layer, which in turn is configured by; The central processing layer: The ohjectiw is to maintain an internal configuration of which sensors use a given technology and what capabilities actually implement: keeping the: s generic AEs providing the checks; i.nte.rna.s appropriate,

An example is the configuration of a sensor, when i.status, as read-only7 '® does not enable your query .. Sc the layer of; central processing tries to use a ΛΡ1 'to access the sensor in real time (possible in a scenario where the service provider can issue requests: from the data center without prior knowledge of the underlying technology of a sensor in particular): the layer of the sensor interface itself emits a signal indicating that the information read is not current but rather the last known measurement.

The Qoit of the budget of configurations consists of 1 - in maintaining a database of s < snsores = allowed in CG Although d < the recording of a new sensor is effectively effected by the central processing layer, the sensor interface layer verifies that a certain access is made to an authorized sensor.

An example is the attempt to. a: client connecting a sensor to the existing network. With proper sensor configuration, authentication in the central processing layer fails even though the service provider has the correct API. In the other case, the sensor interface layer emits a signal indicating that, although access is successful, the sensor is not actually part of the

The following communication protocols are supported: Power Line Communication (PLC), Zigbee, Wi-Fi, RS 232 and RS 585, Controllers for the domains of sensors are also integrated, and may differ from the network controllers: access. Other drivers may be added in the near future. layer interface is compatible with ΙΡνβ. and incorporates drivers for the iaterfacaa dsMs) fedeis); of the client (s)) and supports isolation mechanisms that allow to guarantee different domains or networks of sensors supporting: different clients. 3. Layer: Transport Layer The Transport Layer: is able to present a unified network interface for the processing layer: central, similar to the role of the layer of: sensor interface for the CG ®, of the: side of the sensors,: the layer of; The transport network includes all of the controllers needed to handle the choices of network uplinks present in a particular CG® hardware bundle. See Figure 3, The Transmission Network Gamma: controls all interoperability problems with equipment already installed in the transport network core and keeps a record of the state of each connection in an internal layer of adaptation, control and configuration.

After. processing layer; central to properly configure the: primary access methods and d® network backup :, the transport network layer will maintain; the current state of each option, opting for altemativás in easo of rupture of a choice, more priority.

The APs provided by the transport network layer effectively isolate the layer from the processing layer: the central network access method used. However, the transport network layer exports APIs to verify which access methods are currently used and maintains records of network events for each simple access method. This allows the central processing layer to send the state of the individual methods to it. possible: service failures back to the service provider's data center. The transport network layer is I.Pv6 'compliant. 1. Central processing layer The central processing layer is the entry point for all CGfôí functionalities. Provides: a management interface:: and: system configuration for the service provider's data center and for users: authorized locations ..

At a lower level, the block gives: authenticity of 4 sensors and. hardware abstraction deals with software transactions with the interface layer of sensors. Similarly, the network access and control block handles the transactions between the central processing layer and the transport network layer. The central processing layer is shown in Figure 4,

A well-defined set of APIs is exported to control the basic features of the pro c e layer. s central system, to be used by service and service applications. This is a logical space for creating services and applications on: the basic CGW software stack.

The central services of CGW are created on these APIs, but the service provider are free to create their own applications and services, taking advantage of the stack. underlying software and APIs'. The central precessing layer includes a service planner for handling multiple simultaneous service requests, and automated services that require the initiation of readings or CGW communication. - 1.5 · - 4.1. Block of. system management and configuration 0 block system. management. and configuration controls the configuration of the CG® software stack and the CG® hardware itself. The central configuration of C.GW consists of data structures with keys and values that reflect the hardware configuration of the CG®. The block provides a Web server for local configuration, by authorized technicians, and remote, by the service provider's data center if the service provider intends to create its own lnfra-es.management structure. Alternatively, the management can be done using management interfaces running on the central transport network, quickly accessible by means of and ex cept s. The CG ® allows the configuration of local accounts accessible via. interface, and local management. These songs can be defined with different privileges, restricting access to specific services and applications. The system management and configuration block is represented in figure s E through this block that the service provider sets parameters such as, which uplink interfaces were connected, connection priorities and recovery strategies, which services. are currently 6 installed, which services are currently active, etc.

This is also the interface for recording new authorized sensors on the network served by CGW and for configuring the type of sensors and underlying access methods. This information will determine the configuration of the sensor authentication and hardware abstraction block

The data structures of the system configuration and management block are dynamic, allowing to extend the allowed configurations. By adding a new service to the CGW, the service configuration must be entered in this block, which provides a unified configuration platform for all services in CGW. 4.2. Authentication block: sensors and abstraction-of-hardware authentication and all senSor. You are

This block controls the registration, data requests to and from the one shown in figure 6.

According to the inherited configuration of the system configuration and management block, this block enables an interface between the interface layer of sensors with services and applications to be provided. CGW.

As an example, if an electricity meter with a PLC interface is added to a sensor network, it will be configured in the system management and configuration block with

the type " the " " and ?. PLC access. " A global service configured in the CGK f to search the va lts of all: the sensors would issue a request for this sensor, and the sensor authentication and hardware abstraction bioco would forward the request through the APi.s color. straightforward to use · PLC interface, if another sensor were configured to use " bighee " as access method, d blòco: would use an API. to access the information. In both cases the service request would be the same, and the hardware would be completely abstracted from the service. This block is also responsible for placing buffer times in: all data for synchronization with the time reference of the service provider. A service is provided on all equipment to automatically synchronize the local clock with an NTP server running the clock. service provider data center in regular intervals ... The local time is maintained through a real time clock (RTC) in the joke chi.p. 8 - 4.3. Block. access to the network e. in. control

This block, according to the inherited configuration of the system configuration and management block, configures the uplink connections to the transport network. Its main objective is to establish the: transport network connections, using the transport network layer APTs, and perform checks of the state of the connections, optionally signaling the system configuration and management block in situations : of abnormal behavior. 1.4. User Application Infrastructure The user application infrastructure is an ecosystem where all the non-core functionality of the CGW runs.

Applications and services have access to the APIs from other layers./h locals, with the obj.e < StiVQ to provide, form; simple and safe. all possible functionalities in the CGW hardware D logging of each application or service in the system configuration and management block is essential to ensure consistency in the software stack and to provide a unified control and management interface to the service provider . 5. Supported services

The following sections describe the pre-installed services in the CGW, using the infrastructure of user applications in the central processing layer.

Additional services and applications can be added by. provider, using the APIs: available. 5 :. 1 ... Sensor reading per order

This is the most basic service that runs in CGW. The service provider may thereby have direct access to any sensor in the sensor network served by the CGW. The requests may be made from the data center through the management and control interface or, through the embedded management Web interface. Communication is established in the form of a question-answer, and a non-persistent connection is not established, to a single measurement that occurs once,

Qs Usage scenarios would simply serve 2Θ to collect measurements from the sensor network at the end of the month for billing purposes. H. periodicity of this process may vary, since the collection needs of this information differ: periodicity is specified (specified for each counter) using a wide range (less than one second, daily, etc.); may still be requested (anytime). 5.2, Monitoring and reporting periodic readings by sensors in

This service encourages the start of all CGI in a preconfigured group of specified intervals. The readings are stored in the persistent memory of the CGW, with the possibility of being accessed · even after power failures · or other critical errors, the service can still be configured to initiate communications with the management interface in the data center of the service provider after reading, and report the readings directly.

A usage scenario would consist of monitoring: from once-hourly readings to analyzing consumption trends on a day or a week, helping the consumer to choose the most cost-effective faiture plan. 5.31 Real-time detection

This service sets up a central channel between the data center of the service provider (or local management Web interface) and the CGW. The sensors configured by the service will be read at maximum rates allowed by the sensor hardware, and the readings will be immediately sent to the service center. data center of the service provider, or local Web interface.

This service is. oriented: session and due to: the potential high amounts of data involved, no permanent storage space is provided in the CGW, IJm typical usage scenario would consist in the case in: qu. and a customer reclaims a consumer from it. The service provider can initiate readings 5: real-time on the counter 0 / p.Ò 31 telephone: through dC 'with application; 3 '/ home service, forces the customer to turn the appliances on and off and check that: a. malfunctioning is causing some problem, or if there is no problem at all. 5.4. Detection of sensor and report failures

This service periodically checks the sensors authorized under the influence of the CGW, stores the last readings and triggers the verification of the sensors.

If a sensor does not respond, or if a read value is inconsistent with previous values ;, a signal is issued and the service contacts the sensor. data center of the service provider with an alarm, which indicates the sensor identification and possible malfunction.

The use scenario is the case where the consumer adulterates the sensor and changes the readings to lower values. When checking the sensor, this service would compare the reading with the previous one, verify that it is actually lower and issue on alarm for the same requesting the: intervention of a technician. 5.5, Alarm Conditions Configured by Users

This service sets thresholds for a sensor, or group of sensors, which automatically emits alarms if: a reading reaches these limits, when: the alarm is triggered, this service initiates communication with the data center service provider, and generates reports on the sensor that triggered the alarm and on which alarm condition was

This is a cross-functional condition for various services. This means that if a read by a monitoring service and periodic reports crosses the established limit, this service will activate the alarm and contact the data center in addition to the normal reports generated by the original service that activated the read request.

A usage scenario consists of the client-service provider's permission to. it is notified as soon as a threshold defined by it is reached. The service provider can use this service to set the limit: and • rely on the remaining services to potentially trigger the alarm as soon as possible without additional weight for the system. 5.6. Encryption of data in uplink for re.de

This service configures the communication between the CGW and the data center of the service provider.

This is independent of whether a secure connection, such as https, is used or not. This service specifically encrypts the original data to be transmitted with an asymmetric key algorithm, PGP. The service configuration includes the public key to be used in the process and the service provider will have access to the chas to decipher the information. The user of one or more domains access information of the same, with guarantees protection of information ..

Lisboar 25th March 2Q11 figure. Only the sensor port has isolation and

Claims (13)

1Concentrator for sensor # in network • 0: remote counters that supports several access technologies: | Fault detection: and support for access protection to the sensor, characterized by having a software architecture of the. battery. which is implanted in the port of the port and which has three main software ranges: - sensor interface layer; - network layer of. transport.; 1. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the interface layers of the sensors comprise several protocols, and means ,; to access: transparent to the sensor network. 3. Concentrator for networked sensors and remote counters of. according to the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensor interface layer abstracts the access technology from the sensors, from the rest of the software stack. 4. GQ.nce.ntBad.or pard sensors in the network and counters. remote according to. the foregoing claims are characterized in that the interface layer of the sensors includes low level controllers which correspond to the internal monitoring of the concentrator (C (M), an internal layout, control and configuration layer, and define programming interfaces of applications (APIs) to be used directly by the central processing layer. 5. Concentrator. for network sensors and remote counters according to claim 1, characterized in that the transport network layer comprises the low-level controllers for handling the included access methods and defining the application programming inferences ( APlj to control which uplinks are in effect and the state in several options, A concentrator for networked sensors and remote meters according to the invention, characterized in that the layer of; network. transport: include the com. roaches for the technologies supported for the harassment network. 7 Container for network sensors and cutters. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the layer of processing is arranged centrally at the point of entry. all the features of the hub. A sensor concentrator in a network and remote counters according to claim 1, characterized in that the interface layer 1 serves the interfaces to the management protocols of the service provider. 9, Concentrator for. network sensors and meters: remote from: according to claim 1 ,. characterized in that the central processing layer has a hardware: authentication authentication of: hardware abstraction; deals with software transactions with. The. layer of the sensor interface and a network access pillar: e. that deals with transactions between &amp; the central processing layer and the transport network layer. Concentrator for sensors: in network and remote counters according to claim 1, characterized in that the processing layer: central part g. information from all sensor networks, from customers: - A - A network sensor concentrator and counter meters according to claim 1, characterized in that the central processing layer has an electronic control system. configuration with specific views per sensor domain of the global model, available in the network, the concentrator (which has the global view of the different sensor levels), 12: Concentrator for networked sensors and remote counters according to claim 1, characterized by the stack of software implementing layers of abstractions. hardware complements: Concentrator for networked sensors and remote meters according to claim 1, characterized in that the software stack is modular and export; a complete set of interfaces for the application programmer for the various subsystems * A network sensing and remote metering concentrator: according to claim 1, characterized by a clear and secure separation between the hardware and software layers of the sensor interface layer and the network layer. transport. 15. Concent. for network sensors and remote meters according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor interface layer incorporates drivers for the iris faces of the network (s) of the network (s) (s) . A concentrator for networked sensors and remote meters according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor interface layer supports: - isolation mechanisms: which allow to guarantee domains or different sensor networks supporting different client.es. A network sensor and remote metering concentrator according to claim 1, characterized in that the user of one or more sensor domains has access to the sensors, with guaranteed isolation and protection of information, January 3, 2012