Method and system for querying, monitoring and controlling a wireless sensor network using an instant messaging system

Abstract

A method for communicating with one or more sensor nodes in a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) over a network is disclosed. The method includes initiating communication with the sensor nodes by sending messages to the server application using the instant messaging system. The server application formats the received messages and communicates to the sensor nodes and in turn also receives responses from the sensor nodes and communicates them back to the IM client. The method also includes steps for enabling a WSN messaging client to converse with an instant messaging client over the network during communication with the one or more sensor nodes in the WSN. The method further includes identifying the IM client the user has employed for communication and the corresponding IM protocol. Also, the method includes the step of configuring the WSN messaging client with the same IM protocol to enable communication.

1 . A method of communicating with one or more sensor nodes in a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) over a network, the method comprising:
 initiating communication with a server application by sending a message from an instant messaging client;   encoding the message received from the instant messaging client by the server application;   sending the encoded message to the one or more sensor nodes in the WSN by the server application;   receiving a response from the one or more sensor nodes in the WSN by the server application;   decoding the response received from the one or more sensor nodes by the server application; and   sending the decoded response to the instant messaging client.   
     
     
         2 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the step of initiating communication with the server application comprises sending a request message to receive data monitored by the one or more sensor nodes in the WSN. 
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the step of initiating communication with the server application comprises sending a command message to control the one or more sensor nodes in the WSN. 
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the step of initiating communication with the server application comprises sending a query message to one or more sensor nodes in the WSN. 
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the step of initiating communication with the server application comprises conversing with at least one of a WSN messaging client and a WSN server. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the communication initiated by sending the message from the instant messaging client to the server application is received by the WSN messaging client. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the steps of encoding the message received from the instant messaging client and decoding the response received from the one or more sensor nodes are performed by the WSN messaging client. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein a plurality of instant messaging protocols is used for initiating communication by the instant messaging client with the WSN messaging client. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of instant messaging protocols comprises at least one of an XMPP protocol, an YMSG protocol, a Skype™ protocol, an ICQ protocol, a Virtual Places protocol, Session initiation protocol, Simple Mail Transfer protocol and an MSN® protocol. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the steps of sending the encoded message to the one or more sensor nodes and receiving the encoded response from the one or more sensor nodes are performed by the WSN server. 
     
     
         11 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the communication with the one or more sensor nodes using the instant messaging client over the network are performed using at least one of a mobile application, a desktop application, a laptop application, and a web application. 
     
     
         12 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the network is at least one of an Internet and a local area network (LAN). 
     
     
         13 . A method for enabling a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) messaging client to converse with an instant messaging client over a network during communication with one or more sensor nodes in the WSN, the method comprising:
 identifying at least one of a plurality of instant messaging clients that a user is using for conversing by sending messages;   determining one or more instant messaging protocols that are employed by the identified instant messaging client for sending messages;   configuring the WSN messaging client to operate with at least one of the determined instant messaging protocol; and   adding a messaging buddy with its unique identifier name, associated to the configured WSN messaging client, in one or more instant messaging clients to facilitate communication with one or more sensor nodes in the WSN over a network through the WSN messaging client.   
     
     
         14 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the step of configuring the WSN messaging client comprises tuning the WSN messaging client to operate with at least one of an XMPP protocol, an YMSG protocol, a Skype™ protocol, an ICQ protocol, a Virtual Places protocol, Session initiation protocol, Simple Mail Transfer protocol and an MSN® protocol. 
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the messaging buddy is an instance of the WSN messaging client. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the messaging buddy with its unique identifier name implies to at least one of the sensor node in the WSN or to a group of sensor nodes in the WSN. 
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , additionally comprises the step of creating the messaging buddy for each of the configured WSN messaging clients with the unique identifier name. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the step of creating the messaging buddy comprises checking availability of the unique identifier name with at least one of the WSN messaging client and the instant messaging client. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the step of creating the messaging buddy comprises configuring the WSN messaging client with at least one domain name using an application programming interface (API). 
     
     
         20 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the messaging buddy with its unique identifier name is added to the instant messaging client of at least one or more users. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , additionally comprises the step of validating the messaging buddy before adding to the instant messaging, by the WSN messaging client. 
     
     
         22 . A system for communicating with one or more sensor nodes in a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) over a network, the system comprising:
 one or more instant messaging clients configured for sending a message from a user; and   a server application module configured for:
 encoding the message received from the one or more instant messaging clients; 
 sending the encoded message to the one or more sensor nodes in the WSN; 
 receiving an encoded response from the one or more sensors nodes in the WSN; and 
 decoding the encoded response and sending the decoded response to the instant messaging client. 
   
     
     
         23 . The system as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the server application module comprises at least one of a WSN messaging client module and a WSN server module. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the WSN messaging client module is built using an application programming interface (API). 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the WSN messaging client module is configured for receiving the message from the instant messaging client and for sending the decoded response to the instant messaging client. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the WSN messaging client module is configured for encoding the messaging received from the instant messaging client and decoding the response received from the one or more sensor nodes in the WSN. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the WSN server module is configured for sending the encoded message to the one more sensor nodes in the WSN and for receiving the encoded response from the one more sensor nodes in the WSN. 
     
     
         28 . The system as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the instant messaging client comprises at least one of an enterprise messaging client and a public messaging client. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the enterprise messaging client comprises at least one of an IBM® Lotus® Sametime client, a Microsoft® Office Communicator client and an Oracle Beehive client. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the public messaging client comprises at least one of an XMPP client, a Yahoo!® client, a Google™ client, a Hotmail® client, an AOL® client, and a Skype™ client. 
     
     
         31 . The system as recited in  claim 23 , wherein the WSN messaging client comprises an administration module configured for monitoring the administrating activity within the WSN. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the administration module further comprises an validation module for providing the owner of the WSN an administrative access in the WSN. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the administration module further comprises a controller module for providing the service provider of the WSN to control or view or query or monitor the activities of one or more sensors of the WSN. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the administration module further comprises an user module for providing selective access restriction to other users for communication with the one or more sensor nodes in the WSN. 
     
     
         35 . A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein for communicating with one or more sensor nodes in a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) over a network, the computer program product comprising:
 a program code adapted for:
 initiating communication with a server application by sending a message from an instant messaging client; 
 encoding the message received from the instant messaging client by the server application; 
 sending the encoded message to the one or more sensor nodes in the WSN by the server application; 
 receiving a response from the one or more sensor nodes in the WSN by the server application; 
 decoding the response received from the one or more sensor nodes by the server application; and 
 sending the decoded response to the instant messaging client. 
   
     
     
         36 . A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein for enabling a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) messaging client to converse with an instant messaging client over a network during communication with one or more sensor nodes in a WSN, the computer program product comprising:
 a program code adapted for:
 identifying at least one of a plurality of instant messaging client that an user is using for communication by sending messages; 
 determining one or more instant messaging protocols that is employed by the identified instant messaging client for sending messaging; 
   configuring the WSN messaging client to operate with at least one of the determined instant messaging protocol; and   adding a messaging buddy with its unique identifier name, associated to the configured WSN messaging client, in one or more instant messaging clients to facilitate communication with one or more sensor nodes in the WSN over a network through the WSN messaging client.