Field programmable block system delivering context-aware services in resource-challenged environments

A programmable communication system for use with a user device and with a message broker server comprising:

• a programmable modular block device having:
• a processor programmed to implement an execution engine and further programmed to communicate with other processors through said message broker server using a predefined communication protocol,
• a device port with which to couple with at least one of a sensor and an actuator, and
• a communication port through which the processor can communicate with said user device and with other processors using said predefined communication protocol;
• a non-transitory machine-readable medium storing an editor program which when executed by a processor on said user device causes the processor on said user device to:
• discover and acquire first attribute information about the programmable modular block device,
• discover and acquire second attribute information through said message broker server about a second programmable modular block device that is registered with said message broker server,
• generate a rules-based program based on at least one of said first and second attribute information, and
• download said rules-based program to said programmable modular block device;
• wherein said programmable modular block device uses said execution engine to execute the rules-based program downloaded to it to obtain information through at least one of said device port and said communication port and to provide output data to effect at least one of provide control signals to said actuator and to provide information signals to said user device.

A programmable communication system for use with at least one user device comprising:

• a non-transitory machine-readable medium storing a programmable modular block program which when executed by a processor on a user device causes the processor on said user device to implement:
• an execution engine programmed to execute a user-supplied rules-based program and programmed to communicate with other processors;
• wherein the rules-based program supports at least one of crisp, fuzzy and binary classifier-based rules that transcend operating on data locally sensed by the user device;
• a non-transitory machine-readable medium storing an editor program which when executed by a processor on a user device causes the processor on said user device to:
• discover and acquire first attribute information about the programmable modular block device,
• discover and acquire second attribute information about a programmable modular block device that is physically separate from said user device,
• generate said rules-based program based on at least one of said first and second attribute information, and via downloading said rules-based program into the user device processor environment, provide said rules-based program to said execution engine, where execution of the rules-based program provide control signals outputted by the execution engine to at least one sensor and one actuator under the control of said programmable modular block program.