# US 2020/0403871 A1 · Internet of things management through self-describing objects > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0403871 A1 - Document ID: US20200403871A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/446,333 - Filed: 2019-06-19 - Published: 2020-12-24 - Earliest claimed: 2019-06-19 - Assignees: VMware, Inc. - Applicants: VMware, Inc. - Inventors: Salim AbiEzzi; Gregory Bollella - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200403871A1 ## CPC - H04L 41/0809: {Plug-and-play configuration} - H04L 67/12: specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract The management of internet of things (IoT) objects through a self-describing interoperability framework is described. In one example, an IoT object can be registered with an IoT device management system. The IoT device management system can then query the IoT object for a self-describing declaration. The self-describing declaration can include a schema that defines certain operating and interface parameters for the IoT object. The IoT device management system can parse the self-describing declaration to determine, for example, both normal or expected and abnormal or pathologic data from the IoT device. The self-describing declaration can also define function call parameters to establish an interoperability framework between the IoT device management system and the IoT object. Based on such self-describing declarations from various IoT objects, a number of different IoT objects can be easily recognized, integrated with, and managed by the IoT device management system. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for self-described object management, comprising: onboarding an internet of things (IoT) object with an IoT management system; querying, by the IoT management system, the IoT object for a self-describing declaration from the IoT object; receiving, by the IoT management system, the self-describing declaration from the IoT object; parsing the self-describing declaration from the IoT object to determine at least one operability parameter of the IoT object; and establishing an interoperability framework between the IoT management system and the IoT object based on the at least one operability parameter of the IoT object. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the self-describing declaration from the IoT object identifies a type of the IoT object and comprises an operating parameter schema for the IoT object; and the operating parameter schema for the IoT object defines at least one of a normal operating state of the IoT object or at least one pathologic operating state of the IoT object. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein: the operating parameter schema for the IoT object further defines an alert threshold for data values from the IoT object; and the method further comprises processing data received from the IoT object to detect an alert event based on the alert threshold. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the self-describing declaration comprises an interface parameter schema for the IoT object; and the interface parameter schema for the IoT object defines at least one function call parameter of the interoperability framework for the IoT management system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the interoperability framework comprises at least one applications programming interface (API) function call between the IoT management system and the IoT object. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: establishing the interoperability framework comprises implementing, by the IoT management system, a callback interface for the IoT object based on the self-describing declaration from the IoT object; the IoT object locally processes data captured by at least one sensor of the IoT object to determine an alert condition; and the method further comprises receiving a call from the IoT object over the callback interface in response to the alert condition at the IoT object. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising implementing, by the IoT management system, an evaluation process for processing data values received from the IoT object according to the self-describing declaration, the self-describing declaration defining a threshold for an alert condition of the evaluation process. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the IoT management system is at least one of an IoT gateway or an IoT computing environment. ### Claim 9 A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying program code for self-described object management that, when executed by a computing device, directs the computing device to at least: onboard an internet of things (IoT) object with an IoT management system; query, by the IoT management system, the IoT object for a self-describing declaration from the IoT object; receive, by the IoT management system, the self-describing declaration from the IoT object; parse the self-describing declaration from the IoT object to determine at least one operability parameter of the IoT object; and establish an interoperability framework between the IoT management system and the IoT object based on the at least one operability parameter of the IoT object. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein: the self-describing declaration from the IoT object identifies a type of the IoT object and comprises an operating parameter schema for the IoT object; and the operating parameter schema for the IoT object defines at least one of a normal operating state of the IoT object or at least one pathologic operating state of the IoT object. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 10, wherein: the operating parameter schema for the IoT object further defines an alert threshold for data values from the IoT object; and the computing device is further directed to process data received from the IoT object to detect an alert event based on the alert threshold. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein: the self-describing declaration comprises a interface parameter schema for the IoT object; and the interface parameter schema for the IoT object defines at least one function call parameter of the interoperability framework for the IoT management system. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the interoperability framework comprises at least one applications programming interface (API) function call between the IoT management system and the IoT object. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein: the IoT object locally processes data captured by at least one sensor of the IoT object to determine an alert condition; and the computing device is further directed to at least: implement, by the IoT management system, a callback interface for the IoT object based on the self-describing declaration from the IoT object; and receive a call from the IoT object over the callback interface in response to the alert condition at the IoT object. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the computing device is further directed to at least: implement, by the IoT management system, an evaluation process for processing data values received from the IoT object according to the self-describing declaration, the self-describing declaration defining a threshold for an alert condition of the evaluation process. ### Claim 16 A computing device for self-described object management, comprising: a memory device configured to store computer-readable instructions thereon; and at least one processing device configured, through execution of the computer-readable instructions, to direct the computing device to at least: onboard an internet of things (IoT) object with an IoT management system; query, by the IoT management system, the IoT object for a self-describing declaration from the IoT object; receive, by the IoT management system, the self-describing declaration from the IoT object; parse the self-describing declaration from the IoT object to determine at least one operability parameter of the IoT object; and establish an interoperability framework between the IoT management system and the IoT object based on the at least one operability parameter of the IoT object. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The computing device according to claim 16, wherein: the self-describing declaration from the IoT object identifies a type of the IoT object and comprises an operating parameter schema for the IoT object; and the operating parameter schema for the IoT object defines at least one of a normal operating state of the IoT object or at least one pathologic operating state of the IoT object. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The computing device according to claim 17, wherein: the operating parameter schema for the IoT object further defines an alert threshold for data values from the IoT object; and the at least one processing device is further directed to process data received from the IoT object to detect an alert event based on the alert threshold. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The computing device according to claim 16, wherein: the self-describing declaration comprises a interface parameter schema for the IoT object; and the interface parameter schema for the IoT object defines at least one function call parameter of the interoperability framework for the IoT management system. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The computing device according to claim 16, wherein the interoperability framework comprises at least one applications programming interface (API) function call between the IoT management system and the IoT object.