Sensor data interpreter/converter methods and apparatus for use in low power wide area networks (lpwans)

Abstract

Sensor data interpreter/converter methods and apparatus interpreting and converting sensor data transmitted by a plurality of sensors in a Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) (in the up-link) in a unidirectional network and, in a bidirectional network, also converting human readable formatted information into sensor compatible machine-readable byte array data (in the downlink) are described. The interpreter/converter methods and apparatus utilize blueprints that fully define the sensors (nodes) connected in the LPWAN. The blueprints include components providing information of every possible input and output an associated sensor has. The blueprints determine how the interpreter/converter functions when converting sensor data to human readable formatted information in the uplink, and when converting human readable formatted information to sensor compatible machine-readable byte array data in the downlink. The blueprints are structured to optimize the efficiency of transmissions in limited data bandwidth LPWANs.