物联网与嵌入式系统概论-week1-What Is the IoT- Lesson1: Definition of the IoT

This serise of articles are the study notes of "An Introduction to Programming the Internet of Things", by Prof. Harris, Department of Computer Science, University of California, Irvine. This article is week 1, lessen 1: Definition of the Internet of Things (IoT).

1.Lesson 1 Definition of the Internet of Things (IoT)

1.1 Lecture1-1 IoT Example The Refrigerator

The definition of Internet of Things (IoT):

• A thing
• Computational intelligence
• Internet connectivity.

Add computational intelligence to improvethe function of the device. Usually that involves a processor like what we're showing here. It is shown here an Arduino, but it can be any type of computational intelligence. Typically it's amicro controller of some kind, running some kind of code. So it's really acomputer hidden on the inside. Add Internet connectivity. It's got some kind of computation inside and it's got a network connection which means it can use all sorts of other resources that are not local.

So all that put together is generally what you'd call an IoT device, an Internet of Things device.

You take the thing, you put some intelligence in there, and you put some network connectivity. And remember that, from the outside, this device doesn't look that much different than it used to look. It doesn't look like a computer, that's the main thing. It doesn't have a full on keyboard and a screen, it might have a screen, a few little buttons on it but it doesn't look like a standard computer. You don't have to install Windows or iOS or Android or whatever the operating system is. It's none of that complexity. So it's much simpler to use, just like the original thing was.

1.1.1 Traditinal Refrigerator

• Keeps items cold
• Doesn’t do much else

1.1.2 “Intelligent” Refrigerator

Tells you:

• When the door is ajar
• When the water filter needs replacing
• When you are low on butter
• When you buy foods with high fat content
• What recipes match its contents

1.1.3 IoT Refrigerator

• Orders food items when stock is low
• Searches for lowest food prices
• Orders water filter when needed
• Anticipates your meals; orders food preemptively
• Searches news sites for worldwide food price trends
• Provides consumption information to businesses for marketing purposes

1.2 Lecture1-2 IoT Devices

1.2.1 A example of car

• Computational technology is used to enhance a product –1950’s car with electro-machanical control.
• 21^st century car-computer-based control systems enable fuel injection, anti-lock braking, etc.

     

1950’s car                                           21^st century car

Cars now a days, actually these days, cars are having more and more networking. And you may have heard of this in the news, but cars are networked actually, so you can, for instance, remote start a car, right? Start it when you're not near the car, you can start it through the network. Cars also have, when there's an accident, the car can, through the Internet, connect with 911 and call and get help. So this type of thing is present in cars. new modern cars have these features built in there and they are actually networked. The most modern car, that would be an IoT device because it has the computational intelligence and it's also networked to add extra flexibility.

1.2.3 A examle of Tracking goods

(1) Barcode

Barcode is the basical technology which isused for a long time.

A barcode

(2) RFID tag

Nowadays, you may see the RFID tag everywhere. There is a processor in it, ton more information can save in it, and the informaion can change. Anthoer benefit is with a RFID tag, you don’t have to right next to it to scan, there is a range you can recive the RFID tag. The the RFID scanner conect to the internet the could service.

Remote antenna around the RFID surface

1.3 Lecture1-3 IoT Devices vs. Computers

The main function of an IoT device is not to be a computer

IoT devices, one big difference between those type of devices in standar dcomputers, and by standard computer I mean desktop, laptop, server. Basically abig box with a keyboard, big box or little box, with a keyboard and a screen,mouse, that type of thing. So one difference is that IoT devices, the mainfunction of an IoT device is not to compute. Not to be a computer. A computeris there to be a computer, to compute functions, to run programs. But an IoT device, that is not its main point. It has some other function besides that.

Computers’ main function is to compute

They are made for general purpose, they run any kind of code. This code can do lots of different things, butthey execute code. This picture right here, we're showing a decision making process. It's sort of a high level view of what PC code would look like, butthere'd be conditions in there. If X is greater than five, then perform this action. If X is less than five, then do another action. Something like that. That's what code looks like, and that's the point of a computer is to execute code, execute a sequence of functions in a particular order as determined by dynamic information, like that condition right there.

Computers are general purpose

they can do whatever you want. You hook something onto them, they can do what youwant. But they are not necessarily the most efficient and most effective toolat doing that.

Internet of Things devices are generally special-purpose things

So they are made to do a particular task or setof tasks that are all related to one thing.