IoT Design Methodology

A collection of abstract representations of physical entities within a system, such as rooms, appliances, and their associated states and attributes.

Represents physical devices like lights or fans, tracking their on/off states and enabling commands like turning on/off.

Represents the actual real-world room, monitored by sensors for data like light intensity and occupancy.

Includes hardware that executes commands and collects data, such as minicomputers running local rules and communicating with cloud services.

A collection of services that provide functionalities linking virtual and physical entities. Examples include the Lighting Service and the Climate Control Service.

The human user interacting with the system to monitor and control appliances. Examples include the Homeowner and Guest User.

Provides local processing and storage for the home automation system. Examples include a smart hub or microcontroller hosting automation logic.

Provides remote access and complex processing for the home automation system. Examples include a cloud API for controlling the system outside the house.

This phase defines the IoT system's goals and user needs, focusing on cost reduction, efficiency, and user convenience. It considers business objectives, stakeholder needs, and system constraints like budget and technical feasibility. Deliverables include a problem statement, system goals, and requirements.

This step defines use cases and system behavior, detailing user interactions, data collection, and workflows. It identifies processes like data processing and actuation. Deliverables include use case diagrams and process workflows.

This phase identifies physical entities like sensors, virtual entities like cloud services, and resources/services in the system. It defines components, specifies hardware/software interfaces, and maps data sources. Deliverables include a domain model diagram.

This step defines how data is structured, stored, and processed. It outlines data types, attributes, and data flows while addressing metadata and security policies. Deliverables include information models like ERDs.

Service specification defines system services like data collection, analysis, and actuation. It ensures interoperability by specifying APIs and communication endpoints. Deliverables include service descriptions and API documentation.

This step determines the IoT system's architecture, such as cloud-centric or edge-centric, and defines the communication hierarchy (D2D, D2C, or D2G). Deliverables include an IoT architecture diagram.

This phase maps the system into modules like sensing, data processing, and storage. It assigns responsibilities to each module and defines interactions. Deliverables include functional block diagrams.

The operational view defines system protocols, data storage, hosting, and deployment strategies. It specifies communication options like Wi-Fi, Zigbee, or LoRaWAN. Deliverables include operational design documents.

A virtual representation of a room in a home automation system. It has a unique ID and tracks the room's light intensity using the 'Light-Level Attribute'.

A virtual representation of a light fixture in a home automation system. It is linked to a specific room and has a 'State Attribute' to track whether it's On or Off.

The connection between the 'Virtual Entity: Room' and 'Virtual Entity: Light Appliance'. It's established through the 'RoomID', indicating the light's location in the room.

The local system is the brain of the home automation, managing all devices and communication within the house.

This is the user interface for interacting with the home automation system. It allows users to control devices and monitor their status.

A set of rules that automate tasks based on predefined conditions. For example, turning lights on when the light level is low.

A communication method that uses HTTP for data exchange. It allows the user to send commands to the system and receive real-time updates.

A database stores device statuses, historical data, and user preferences or automation rules. Everything is kept here!

A device that measures a physical quantity like light level and converts it into a signal understandable by the system.

A device that responds to a signal by controlling a physical process, like turning a light on or off.

A relationship in the system where the user interacts directly with the application to manage the home automation system.

A relationship where the application sends requests or retrieves data from services to carry out tasks or get information.

The relationship that links virtual representations of rooms and appliances within the system to services.

A relationship that connects virtual models of objects to real-world physical devices.

The system mode where sensors and actuators work autonomously based on pre-defined rules, without direct user intervention.

The system mode where the user manually controls all actions within the home automation system.

This layer ensures smooth app operation and updates, managing firmware for security or new features. It also handles data storage, like motion sensor logs or historical temperature data for analysis.

This layer protects against unauthorized access by verifying user or device identity and defining allowed actions. It ensures only authorized users can interact with the system.

This layer handles system operations, making sure everything runs smoothly. It includes application management, database management, and device management.

This layer delivers the functionality needed to provide value to users. It includes native services running on devices and web services accessible through the cloud, enhancing capabilities and offering remote control.

This layer is the user-facing interface, allowing users to monitor and control the system through a browser or mobile app. It includes web applications, an application server, and a database server.

A central component that processes commands from services and sends instructions to devices. It manages automation rules and tracks device status.

A virtual representation of a physical device like a light bulb or a thermostat. It simplifies communication between the controller and the device.

Physical hardware like sensors and actuators. Sensors collect data, and actuators perform actions based on that data.

The cloud-based component that stores data, performs analysis, and enables remote access.

The layer where physical devices interact with the environment. Sensors collect information, actuators act on it, and computing devices process data locally.

This layer ensures smooth data exchange between devices. It defines how devices communicate using protocols like Zigbee, Wi-Fi, and MQTT

This layer handles local processing and storage for the home automation system. Examples include smart hubs or microcontrollers.

This layer provides remote access and complex processing for the home automation system. Examples include cloud APIs for controlling the system outside the house.