Data storage for distributed sensor networks
View Patent ↗Methods, devices, and systems that store occurrence-data gathered by a distributed sensor network. In an approach, an exemplary method includes receiving a target-occurrence selection, storing a parameter sensed by a sensor of the network in a sensor data set, and searching the sensor data set for data correlating to the target-occurrence. Data correlating to the target-occurrence is stored, and the sensed parameter is deleted from the data set. In another approach, an exemplary system includes a data storage device, a computing device operable to communication with the distributed sensors, and instructions implementing the above method.
1. An occurrence-data storage system, comprising:
(a) a data storage device;
(b) a plurality of distributed sensor nodes, each sensor node being respectively operable to sense and communicate data related to a parameter;
(c) a computing device coupled with the data storage device and operable to communicate with the plurality of distributed sensor nodes; and
(d) instructions loaded on the data storage device that, when executed by a processor of the computing device, configure the computing device to:
(i) store an instance of data related to the sensed parameter from a first sensor node of the plurality of sensor nodes in a first sensor data set in the data storage device;
(ii) receive an input selection corresponding to a target-occurrence having a representative feature, the representative feature including at least one recognizable pattern of at least one parameter sensed by one or more of the sensor nodes;
(iii) in response to the input selection corresponding to the target-occurrence, automatically search the first sensor data set for data correlating to the target-occurrence representative feature;
(iv) when sensor data correlating to the target-occurrence representative feature is found, store the correlated sensor data in a retained data storage; and
(v) delete the instance of data related to the sensed parameter from the first sensor data set according to a deletion sequence.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data storage device includes a digital data storage device.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensed parameter includes a chronological sequence.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein a sensor of the plurality of sensor nodes senses a parameter selected from a group consisting of optical, acoustic, pressure, temperature, thermal, acceleration, magnetic, biological, chemical, and motion.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the sensed optical parameter includes at least one selected from a group consisting of infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein a sensor node includes a unique identifier.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the sensor node is further operable to communicate the identifier in an association with the data related to the sensed parameter.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data related to the sensed parameter may define a feature of an occurrence.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the retained data storage is stored in the data storage device.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further configure the computing device to:
(vi) store another instance of data related to the sensed parameter from a first sensor node of the plurality of sensor nodes in the first sensor data set in the data storage device;
(vii) automatically search the first sensor data set for data correlating to the target-occurrence representative feature;
(viii) when sensor data correlating to the target-occurrence representative feature is found, store the correlated sensor data in a retained data storage; and
(ix) delete the another instance of data related to the sensed parameter from the first sensor data set according to a deletion sequence.
11. An occurrence-data storage system, comprising:
(a) a digital data storage device;
(b) a central computing device coupled with the digital data storage device and operable to communicate with distributed remote sensor nodes, each sensor node operable to sense data representing a respective feature, and to communicate the sensed data to the computing device, the respective feature having a correlation to an occurrence; and
(c) instructions loaded on the digital data storage device that, when executed by a processor of the computing device, configure the computing device to:
(i) store sensed data from a first sensor node of the distributed sensor nodes in a first sensor data set in the digital data storage device;
(ii) receive an input selection corresponding to a target-occurrence having a representative feature, the representative feature including at least one recognizable pattern of at least one parameter sensed by one or more of the sensor nodes;
(iii) select a pattern recognition criteria corresponding to the representative feature of the target-occurrence;
(iv) in response to the input selection corresponding to the target-occurrence, automatically search the first sensor data set for data correlating to the target-occurrence representative feature using the selected pattern recognition criteria;
(v) when sensor data correlating to the target-occurrence representative feature is found, store the correlated sensor data in a retained data storage; and
(vi) delete the sensed data from the first sensor node from the first data set according to a deletion sequence.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the retained data storage is local to the first sensor node.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the retained data storage is local to the central computing device.
14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the retained data storage is a remote digital storage device.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein access to the retained data storage is controlled.
16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the central computing device and at least one sensor node of the distributed sensor nodes communicate over a communications link.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the communications link includes at least one selected from a group consisting of an optical, a wireless, and a wired link.
18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the communications link includes an intermediate sensor node that relays a communication between the first sensor node and the central computing device.
19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the input selection is received from a user.
20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the input selection is received from a program.
21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the program is running on another computing device.
22. The system of claim 11 , wherein the pattern recognition criteria is automatically selected in response to the user selected target-occurrence.
23. The system of claim 11 , wherein the pattern recognition criteria is automatically selected in response to a characteristic of the user selected target-occurrence.
24. The system of claim 11 , wherein the deletion sequence includes a substantially first-in, first-out order.
25. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first data set includes a multi-element data structure from which elements can be removed only in the same order in which the elements were inserted.
26. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first data set includes a multi-element data structure from which elements can be removed based on factors other than order of insertion.