280
Internet of Things (IoT)
They do not address the problem of describing sensor data in an interoperable manner to
ease the reasoning task. The development of SSN ontology is based on the following works:
• The CESN ontology (Calder et al. 2010)
• The OntoSensor ontology, a prototype sensor knowledge repository (Russomanno
et al. 2005a, 2005b; Goodwin and Russomanno 2006)
• A service-oriented ontology for Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) (Kim et al. 2008)
• An ontology for sensor networks to describe the topology, network setting, sensor
properties, dataflow, and sensor network performance (Jurdak et al. 2004)
• Other ontologies related to sensor networks (Avancha et al. 2004; Eid et al. 2006,
2007)
The W3C Semantic Sensor Networks Incubator Group, the SSN-XG, developed the SSN
ontology for defining sensors and the measurement capabilities of sensors, the observations that outcomes from sensing, and deployments in which sensors are used. The
ontology is centered on concepts of systems, processes, and observations. It describes the
physical and processing structure of sensors. The SSN ontology is a combination of all prevailing sensor ontologies. It outlines the concepts for demonstrating sensors, their observation, and the surrounding settings. The ontology includes large parts of the SensorML
and O&M standards from the OGC, omitting regulations as well as process explanations
and data types, which were not considered sensor specific and if required can be incorporated from other ontologies. The SSN ontology is presently used in many research projects.
Constant use of the SSN ontology by its development community and others will uncover
design weaknesses or essential add-ons, and may boost the community to restructure for
approved enrichments, either informally or as part of a development or even standards
group. The illustration of a sensor in the ontology links together what it measures (the
domain phenomena), the physical sensor (the device), and its functions and processing (the
models) as depicted in Figure 13.5.
13.3.2 Ontology Structure
The Semantic Sensor Network ontology orbits around the central Stimulus-SensorObservation pattern. Several theoretical modules enumerate the pattern to describe key
sensor concepts. The relationships between them appear in Figure 13.6 which comprises a
summary of the 10 main classes in the ontology modules.
The ontology can be used for a focus on any (or a combination) of a number of perspectives:
• A data or observation perception, with an emphasis on observations and related
metadata
• A sensor perception, with an emphasis on what senses, how it senses, and what
is sensed
• A system perception, with an emphasis on systems of sensors
• A feature and property perception, with an emphasis on features, their properties,
and what can sense those properties
The modules as depicted in the Figure 13.7 allow more refining or combining of
these views on sensors and sensing. The report of sensors may be in depth or abstract.
Internet of Things (IoT)
They do not address the problem of describing sensor data in an interoperable manner to
ease the reasoning task. The development of SSN ontology is based on the following works:
• The CESN ontology (Calder et al. 2010)
• The OntoSensor ontology, a prototype sensor knowledge repository (Russomanno
et al. 2005a, 2005b; Goodwin and Russomanno 2006)
• A service-oriented ontology for Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) (Kim et al. 2008)
• An ontology for sensor networks to describe the topology, network setting, sensor
properties, dataflow, and sensor network performance (Jurdak et al. 2004)
• Other ontologies related to sensor networks (Avancha et al. 2004; Eid et al. 2006,
2007)
The W3C Semantic Sensor Networks Incubator Group, the SSN-XG, developed the SSN
ontology for defining sensors and the measurement capabilities of sensors, the observations that outcomes from sensing, and deployments in which sensors are used. The
ontology is centered on concepts of systems, processes, and observations. It describes the
physical and processing structure of sensors. The SSN ontology is a combination of all prevailing sensor ontologies. It outlines the concepts for demonstrating sensors, their observation, and the surrounding settings. The ontology includes large parts of the SensorML
and O&M standards from the OGC, omitting regulations as well as process explanations
and data types, which were not considered sensor specific and if required can be incorporated from other ontologies. The SSN ontology is presently used in many research projects.
Constant use of the SSN ontology by its development community and others will uncover
design weaknesses or essential add-ons, and may boost the community to restructure for
approved enrichments, either informally or as part of a development or even standards
group. The illustration of a sensor in the ontology links together what it measures (the
domain phenomena), the physical sensor (the device), and its functions and processing (the
models) as depicted in Figure 13.5.
13.3.2 Ontology Structure
The Semantic Sensor Network ontology orbits around the central Stimulus-SensorObservation pattern. Several theoretical modules enumerate the pattern to describe key
sensor concepts. The relationships between them appear in Figure 13.6 which comprises a
summary of the 10 main classes in the ontology modules.
The ontology can be used for a focus on any (or a combination) of a number of perspectives:
• A data or observation perception, with an emphasis on observations and related
metadata
• A sensor perception, with an emphasis on what senses, how it senses, and what
is sensed
• A system perception, with an emphasis on systems of sensors
• A feature and property perception, with an emphasis on features, their properties,
and what can sense those properties
The modules as depicted in the Figure 13.7 allow more refining or combining of
these views on sensors and sensing. The report of sensors may be in depth or abstract.