Methods and systems for providing sensor data using a sensor web

Abstract

A system and method for providing sensor data may comprise receiving a request for sensor data, the request including a triggering parameter. Furthermore, the system and method for providing sensor data may comprise searching for information identifying devices that meet the triggering parameter. Devices are selected from a plurality of item tracking devices, where the plurality of item tracking devices correspond to a plurality of items. Moreover, the system and method for providing sensor data may retrieve the requested sensor data that corresponds to the devices that meet the triggering parameter, and return the requested sensor data.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for providing sensor data from a set of tracking devices, the method comprising the following operations performed by one or more processors:
 receiving a request for sensor data from a client device, wherein the request is associated with authentication information;   identifying the set of tracking devices based on the request;   determining whether real-time sensor data is required from the set of tracking devices based on an environmental data type associated with the request;   retrieving the requested sensor data from the set of tracking devices when real-time sensor data is required;   determining whether the client device has authorization to access each portion of the retrieved sensor data based on the authentication information; and   returning, to the client device, a portion of the retrieved sensor data for which the client device has authorization.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of tracking devices include a set of beacon devices, and wherein each beacon device is associated with a set of item tracking devices determined to be within a geographical range of the beacon device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the request for sensor data is based on a query input into a publicly available search engine. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the set of item tracking devices associated with the beacon device is updated periodically, such that an item tracking device outside the geographical range of the beacon device is disassociated from the beacon device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the set of tracking devices further includes a set of user tracking devices, and wherein each user tracking device is associated with a second set of item tracking devices within a geographical range of the user tracking device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the request includes a triggering parameter, and wherein the set of tracking devices is identified as a function of whether a tracking device matches the triggering parameter. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 comparing the retrieved sensor data to a permissible environmental range;   providing a programming instruction to a tracking device in the set of tracking devices when the retrieved sensor data falls outside the permissible environmental range, the programming instruction including an instruction to increase the temporal frequency with which the tracking device collects the sensor data; and   sending an alert to a user tracking device.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising retrieving, when real-time real time data is not required based on the environmental data type associated with the request, the requested sensor data from entries in a database corresponding to the set of tracking devices. 
     
     
         9 . A system for providing sensor data from a set of tracking devices, comprising:
 a memory storing a set of instructions; and   one or more processors configured to execute the set of instructions to perform a set of operations, comprising:
 receiving a request for sensor data from a client device, wherein the request is associated with authentication information; 
 identifying the set of tracking devices based on the request; 
 determining whether real-time sensor data is required from the set of tracking devices based on an environmental data type associated with the request; 
 retrieving the requested sensor data from the set of tracking devices when real-time sensor data is required; 
 determining whether the client device has authorization to access each portion of the retrieved sensor data based on the authentication information; and 
 returning, to the client device, a portion of the retrieved sensor data for which the client device has authorization. 
   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the system further comprises the set of tracking devices, wherein the set of tracking devices include a set of beacon devices, and wherein each beacon device is associated with a set of item tracking devices determined to be within a geographical range of the beacon device. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the request for sensor data is based on a query input into a publicly available search engine. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the set of item tracking devices associated with the beacon device is updated periodically, such that an item tracking device outside the geographical range of the beacon device is disassociated from the beacon device. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the set of tracking devices further includes a set of user tracking devices, and wherein each user tracking device is associated with a second set of item tracking devices within a geographical range of the user tracking device. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the request includes a triggering parameter, and wherein the set of tracking devices is identified as a function of whether a tracking device matches the triggering parameter. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 comparing the retrieved sensor data to a permissible environmental range;   providing a programming instruction to a tracking device in the set of tracking devices when the retrieved sensor data falls outside the permissible environmental range, the programming instruction including an instruction to increase the temporal frequency with which the tracking device collects the sensor data; and   sending an alert to a user tracking device.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise retrieving, when real-time real time data is not required based on the environmental data type associated with the request, the requested sensor data from entries in a database corresponding to the set of tracking devices. 
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for providing sensor data from a set of tracking devices using a context-based sensor network, the method comprising:
 receiving a request for sensor data from a client device, wherein the request is associated with authentication information;   identifying the set of tracking devices based on the request;   determining whether real-time sensor data is required from the set of tracking devices based on an environmental data type associated with the request;   retrieving the requested sensor data from the set of tracking devices when real-time sensor data is required;   determining whether the client device has authorization to access each portion of the retrieved sensor data based on the authentication information; and   returning, to the client device, a portion of the retrieved sensor data for which the client device has authorization.   
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the set of tracking devices include a set of beacon devices, wherein each beacon device is associated with a set of item tracking devices determined to be within a geographical range of the beacon device, wherein retrieving the requested sensor data further comprises collecting the requested sensor data from the set of beacon devices, and wherein the set of item tracking devices is updated periodically such that an item tracking device outside the geographical range of the beacon device is disassociated from the beacon device. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the set of tracking devices further includes a set of user tracking devices, and wherein each user tracking device is associated with a second set of item tracking devices within a geographical range of the user tracking device. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein the request includes a triggering parameter, wherein the set of tracking devices is identified as a function of whether a tracking device matches the triggering parameter, and wherein the operations further comprise:
 comparing the retrieved sensor data to a permissible environmental range;   providing a programming instruction to a tracking device in the set of tracking devices when the retrieved sensor data falls outside the permissible environmental range, the programming instruction including an instruction to increase the temporal frequency with which the tracking device collects the sensor data; and   sending an alert to a user tracking device.