Method and apparatus for monitoring and processing sensor data in an interfacing-device network

Abstract

An interfacing device is configured to process one or more rules, based on sensor data, to perform a predetermined action. During operation, the device can detect a rule-triggering event, and can search a rule repository to obtain a set of rules whose action criteria is satisfied by the rule-triggering event. If the set of rules include a plurality of rules that are simultaneously triggered by the rule-triggered event, the local interfacing device may process the plurality of rules in a user-defined sequence.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 detecting, by an interfacing device, a rule-triggering event based on one or more sensor measurements;   selecting, from a rule repository, a rule whose action criteria is satisfied by the rule-triggering event;   determining, from the rule, at least one additional sensor measurement necessary to process an action description of the rule; and   in response to obtaining the additional sensor measurement, processing the action description using the additional sensor measurement as input.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining that a local copy of the additional sensor measurement is older than a predetermined time duration;   determining a remote interfacing device associated with the additional sensor measurement; and   obtaining a recent value for the additional sensor measurement from the remote interfacing device.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining a remote device associated with the additional sensor measurement;   establishing a network connection with the remote device; and   subscribing to the data from the remote device via the established connection.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the remote device includes at least one of:
 a remote interfacing device, which monitors sensor data from at least one physical device coupled to the remote interfacing device; and   a controller device, which monitors sensor data from at least one interfacing device over a computer network.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein establishing the network connection includes establishing a peer-to-peer network connection with the remote device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein establishing the network connection includes:
 determining that the remote device is not reachable via a peer-to-peer communication channel; and   establishing the network connection via a data-forwarding service.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the rule from the rule repository further comprises:
 determining a schedule-condition or a nested condition based on the one or more sensor measurements; and   determining the rule using the condition.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein obtaining the additional sensor measurement further comprises determining additional data sources for the rule, wherein the additional data sources include one or more of: sensor data, rule-scheduling data, and an outcome of a nested condition. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein processing the action description further comprises:
 determining whether the action criteria have been satisfied by the additional sensor measurement;   performing one or more actions specified in the action description in response to determining that the action criteria have been satisfied by the additional sensor measurement; and   performing a remedial action in response to determining that the action criteria have not been satisfied by the additional sensor measurement.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the action description comprises one or more of:
 a command to configure the interfacing device to a predetermined state;   a script which performs a complex operation; and   a sequence of instructions to process a recent and/or historical state and measurements.   
     
     
         11 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a processor;   a memory device storing a rule repository; and   a rule-processing module configured to:
 detect a rule-triggering event based on one or more sensor measurements; 
 selecting, from the rule repository, a rule whose action criteria is satisfied by the rule-triggering event; 
 determining, from the rule, at least one additional sensor measurement necessary to process an action description of the rule; and 
 in response to obtaining the additional sensor measurement, processing the action description using the additional sensor measurement as input. 
   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the rule processing module is further configured to:
 determine that a local copy of the additional sensor measurement is older than a predetermined time duration;   determine a remote interfacing device associated with the additional sensor measurement; and   obtain a recent value for the additional sensor measurement from the remote interfacing device.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the rule processing module is further configured to determine a remote apparatus associated with the additional sensor measurement;
 and wherein the apparatus further comprises a communication module configured to:
 establish a network connection with the remote apparatus; and 
 subscribe to the data from the remote apparatus via the established connection. 
   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the remote apparatus includes at least one of:
 a remote interfacing device, which monitors sensor data from at least one physical device coupled to the remote interfacing device; and   a controller device, which monitors sensor data from at least one interfacing device over a computer network.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the communication module is further configured to establish the network connection by establishing a peer-to-peer network connection with the remote device. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the communication module is further configured to establish the network connection by:
 determining that the remote device is not reachable via a peer-to-peer communication channel; and   establishing the network connection via a data-forwarding service.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the rule processing module is further configured to select the rule from the rule repository by:
 determining a schedule-condition or a nested condition based on the one or more sensor measurements; and   determining the rule using the condition.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the rule processing module is further configured to obtain the additional sensor measurement by determining additional data sources for the rule, wherein the additional data sources include one or more of: sensor data, rule-scheduling data, and an outcome of a nested condition. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the rule processing module is further configured to process the action description by:
 determining whether the action criteria have been satisfied by the additional sensor measurement;   performing one or more actions specified in the action description in response to determining that the action criteria have been satisfied by the additional sensor measurement; and   performing a remedial action in response to determining that the action criteria have not been satisfied by the additional sensor measurement.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the action description comprises one or more of:
 a command to configure the interfacing device to a predetermined state;   a script which performs a complex operation; and   a sequence of instructions to process a recent and/or historical state and measurements.