This paper introduces the concept of the Internet of Things, gives a four-layer architecture of the Internet of Things based on intelligent object layer, data transmission layer, information correlation layer and application service layer, and finally discusses the problems and challenges faced by the Internet of Things in the implementation process.
Keywords: Internet of Things, RFID
I. Concept
The concept of interest in things was first put forward by MIT Auto-ID Center in 1999. The basic idea is to connect RFID with other sensors to form a distributed network with RFID architecture.
Council of Europe [1] proposed that "the Internet of Things is one of the components of the future Internet and can be defined as a dynamic global network foundation.
Standard-based and interoperable communication protocols, whether physical or virtual "things", have identity, physical attributes and virtual characteristics, have self-configuration ability and use intelligent interfaces, and can be seamlessly integrated into the information network. "
This paper holds that the Internet of Things is essentially a process of mapping the real world to the virtual world: things in the real world collect certain data through sensors and form corresponding things in the virtual world.
Related objects can be created in the virtual electronic space, which originates from the physical object space and is related to the objects in the physical space [2] The details of data collected by sensors will affect the abstraction of this thing in the virtual world.
In the virtual world, the simplest and most important description of this thing is that the object provides an ID for identification (such as using RFID tags), and the most detailed description is that all the attributes and states of this thing in the real world can be observed in the virtual world.
Furthermore, if you control objects in the virtual world, you can change the state of objects in the real world through the Internet of Things.
For a real thing, all kinds of applications and operations it needs only need to apply and operate the corresponding virtual things in the virtual world, that is, to achieve the goal.
This will bring great changes to the world: the cost of real-time monitoring and controlling something on the spot is very high. Through the Internet of Things, everything will be found in the virtual world and monitored and controlled at a lower cost, thus achieving 4A (anytime, anywhere, anyone, anything) [3] connection.
Virtual world provides the possibility of tracking everything in real time, and all information is not isolated, which will provide the most basic and important information source for all kinds of massive operations and analysis.
The real world exists at a certain moment, and when the Internet of Things develops to the real world and everything can be mapped to the virtual world, countless worlds at a certain moment will gather together to form a traceable history in the virtual world, just like the occurrence of paper historical events in the past, and the history of the future world will be stored in the form of holographic description of everything with electronic data.
Second, the structure.
At present, the Internet of Things does not have a widely recognized architecture. The most representative IOT architectures are EPCglobal supported by Europe and America and UID IOT system supported by Japan.
EPC system consists of EPC coding system, radio frequency identification system and information network system.
The architecture of UID technology consists of four parts: Ubiquitous Identification Code (ucode), Ubiquitous Communicator, Information System Server and uCode Parsing Server.
EPCglobal and UID are only RFID standardization groups, which are far from the comprehensive "Internet of Things" architecture.
In 2008, IBM of the United States put forward the concept of "smart earth", which is similar to the concept of networking, and proposed to realize the smart earth through three levels: instrumentation, interconnection and intelligence.
On the basis of literature, the architecture of the Internet of Things is proposed.
1, intelligent object layer: through sensors to capture and measure the relevant data of objects, realize the perception of the physical world.
At the same time, it has local interactivity and needs certain storage and computing capabilities.
2. Data transmission layer: realize seamless, transparent and secure access by wired or wireless means, and provide and realize management such as coding, cognition, authentication and billing.
3. Information association layer: massive data storage and management, processing and merging data through cloud computing, shielding its heterogeneity and complexity and forming a virtual world corresponding to the real world.
4. Application service layer: extract information from the virtual world and provide rich service-oriented applications.
Such as intelligent transportation, smart grid, smart medical care and so on.
It should be pointed out that the data reaches the application service layer from the bottom sensor through the network, but in fact, in the service application layer, all centers and users can control the object reversely through the network.
In this architecture, all kinds of sensors and actuators at the perception level are concrete. With the development of technology, they will be continuously upgraded, and new devices will be introduced into the Internet of Things.
And constantly put forward various requirements of service application layer, which are not the same.
If each specific business application and sensor equipment form an independent network, it may eventually form multiple sets of private networks, which is not conducive to promotion and maintenance.
Therefore, this requires that the network layer of the Internet of Things should be forward-looking, the object device layer can be changed, and the service application layer can also be changed, but they are all connected through a common network and remain stable for a certain period of time.
Third, the challenges we face.
1, unified standard
In fact, the Internet of Things uses sensors and embedded chips on objects to transmit or receive material information, realizes local processing through sensor networks, and connects to the Internet.
Because it involves information interpretation between different sensor networks, it is necessary to have a unified set of technical protocols and standards, mainly focusing on interconnection, rather than the technical protocols of sensors themselves.
At present, many so-called Internet of Things standards are actually specific technical standards that treat the Internet of Things as an independent industrial network, and the technical protocol that meets the interconnection needs is the key to truly realize the Internet of Things.
2. Security and privacy
In the Internet of Things, all "things" are connected to the global network and communicate with each other, which also brings new security and privacy issues, such as credibility, authentication and integration of data perceived or exchanged by things.
The privacy of people and things should be effectively guaranteed to prevent unauthorized identification and attacks.
Security and privacy are problems of human society, and the Internet of Things and other technologies are facing these two problems.
Therefore, it is necessary to control not only the internal technology of the Internet of Things, but also some judicial interpretation and system improvement from the external legal environment.
refer to
1. Mission, namely, the strategic research roadmap of the Internet of Things. 2009.
2.CASAGRAS Final Report: Inclusive Model of RFID and Internet of Things. . 20 10.
3. ITU International Report 2005: Interest in Things. In 2005, ITU.