Many sensor network systems require the application developer to have a detailed knowledge of the underlying software drivers to URL List 1|]# build applications. Many commercial sensor networking packages provide custom software to manage sensor node deployments for a few common types of sensors, such as those that can sense temperature, barometric pressure, light, and sound [3�C7]. However, when building complex, enterprise-wide systems, end users have to deal with multiple possible applications for a given sensor or sensor node, with each having a specific device driver or management software. Enterprise-wide systems that are built using a variety of control software are difficult to manage [8].
Hence, one opportunity for advancing enterprise-wide sensor deployments is developing the capability to manage a group of heterogeneous sensors with multi-user access and extensive interoperability via GIS frameworks.Applications built upon an enterprise-wide architecture must provide an interactive user interface for a wide variety of sensor types within a unified framework. Also, managing sensor deployments with respect to spatial information, including both land base and inside-of-plant features is critical. That is, the location of sensor deployments must be related to other objects of interest with respect to a land base map and other physical structures, such as buildings, to provide functionality for constructing complex queries, as is common in wide-spread GIS applications.
Besides construction of geographical queries, interactive applications must also provide functionality for remote access to sensor data, as well as the ability to dynamically set sensor tasking parameters based on the Dacomitinib end users�� high-level goals.Several research and commercial projects have been developed to enhance sensor and sensor network interoperability with respect to geographic maps. One example is Microsoft��s SensorMap [9]. This internet-based application provides functionality for a user to indicate the placement of a sensor deployment on a geographic map, to query sensors by type, and to display sensed data. However, it does not appear that SensorMap provides functionality of a comprehensive GIS framework. With SensorMap, sensors are GSK-3 not related to spatial information of surrounding objects. In addition, the types of sensors available for deployment on the map are also limited.