Conceptual model of real-time IoT systems

Abstract

We address a special kind of Internet of Things (IoT) systems that are also real-time. We call them real-time IoT (RT-IoT) systems. An RT-IoT system needs to meet timing constraints of system delay, clock synchronization, deadline, and so on. The timing constraints turn to be more stringent as we get closer to the physical things. Based on the reference architecture of IoT (ISO/IEC 30141), the RT-IoT conceptual model is established. The idea of edge subsystem is introduced. The sensing & controlling domain is the basis of the edge subsystem, and the edge subsystem usually must meet the hard real-time constraints. The model includes four perspectives, the time view, computation view, communication view, and control view. Each view looks, from a different angle, at how the time parameters impact an RT-IoT system.