The Semantic Smart Sensor Network (S3N) ontology is an ontology for describing smart sensors, their different computation and communication profiles, and how different algorithms may be selected and loaded, potentially at runtime. S3N is modular and is designed on top of the OGC and W3C SOSA/SSN (Sensor, Observation, Sample, and Actuator)/(Semantic Sensor Network) ontology [SOSA/SSN] and the W3C WoT TD (Thing Description) ontology [TD]. S3N ontology and its combine with SOSA/SSN and the TD ontology are described below,
The namespace for S3N terms is https://w3id.org/s3n/.
The suggested prefix for the S3N namespace is s3n.
Thanks to the considerable progress in electronics and communication technology, the number of sensors embedded in everyday objects has greatly increased over the past years. Such sensors are typically not deployed on their own, but connected to a microcontroller capable of running algorithms and storing data, and a communication module that can send data or receive commands, using various Internet of Things protocols and data formats. Such compound systems enable the emergence of new types of “Smart-” applications in various domains (e.g., health, military, building, home, city, industry). We therefore refer to these systems using term Smart-Sensor. Unlike traditional sensors (called Basic-Sensors in the context of this paper), Smart-Sensors are multi-functional: they have the ability to be reprogrammed or reconfigured such that they can be used in multiple contexts with different algorithms. To interpretation and understanding operation of Smart-Sensors, it is important to obtain information about the components of smart sensor, the micro-controller, the the smart sensor configuration, the algorithm, and a variety of other information. The joint OGC and W3C standard SOSA/SSN ontology describes sensors, observations, sampling, and actuation. The SOSA/SSN ontology is only able to model partially the adaptation capabilities of Smart-Sensors to different contexts. The Semantic Smart Sensor Network (S3N) ontology extends SOSA/SSN ontology to model Smart-Sensors. It allows to define how to adapt the Smart-Sensor to the current context of use, that is to say selecting the algorithms to provide the right sensors outputs and the micro-controller capabilities. S3N Combines the SOSA/SSN and the TD ontology and formalizes an alignment between them.
The following namespace prefixes are used throughout this document
| Prefix | Namespace |
|---|---|
| s3n: | https://w3id.org/s3n/ |
| ssn: | http://www.w3.org/ns/ssn/ |
| sosa: | http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/ |
| td: | http://www.w3.org/ns/td#/ |
Ontology modularization consists of partitioning domain knowledge into modules containing different types of knowledge.
Moreover, the modularization promotes the reuse of standard ontologies.
S3N reuses the OGC and W3C SOSA/SSN standard and the W3C TD future standard to describe the architecture of Smart-Sensors,
the algorithms they can execute and the indicator values they output, the features of these algorithms and the capabilities of the different components,
and the patterns one may use to interact with the Smart-Sensors.
Adopting a modularization approach by composing the ontology into several modules that use owl:import statements,
S3N is divided in three modules that semantically describe a specific aspect of Smart-Sensors.
The S3N-Core ontology module describes the constitution of Smart-Sensors and its adaptability. It imports SSN. It is available at https://w3id.org/s3n/S3NCore using content negotiation, or directly in HTML, Turtle, RDF/XML.
The S3N-Procedure ontology module describes algorithms’ features, and capabilities of a micro-controller. It imports S3N-core and SSN-System. It is available at https://w3id.org/s3n/S3NProcedure using content negotiation, or directly in HTML, Turtle, RDF/XML.
The S3N-Thing ontology module describes possible interactions with a Smart-Sensor. It imports S3N-core and TD. It is available at https://w3id.org/s3n/S3NThing using content negotiation, or directly in HTML, Turtle, RDF/XML.
These three modules can be imported separately or together:
The complete S3N ontology imports the three modules above. It is available at https://w3id.org/s3n/ using content negotiation, or directly in HTML, Turtle, RDF/XML.
They are published according to the publication and metadata best practices using the [SEAS] innovative publication scheme. See the sources of this website with the .htaccess document on GitHub.
The three modules define terms in the same namespace that is https://w3id.org/s3n/.
The suggested prefix for the S3N namespace is s3n.
This section introduces the specifications for S3N.
Classes: s3n:Indicator , s3n:MicroController , s3n:CommunicatingSystem , s3n:SmartSensor , s3n:Algorithm , s3n:AlgorithmExecution , s3n:Error , s3n:Memory , s3n:MaximumBandwidth , s3n:ProcedureFeature , s3n:ProcedureProperty , s3n:TimeComplexity , s3n:SpaceComplexity , s3n:ComputationalCost
Object Properties: s3n:forContext , s3n:madeAlgorithmExecution , s3n:cause , s3n:hasProcedureFeature , ss3n:hasProcedureProperty
This section introduces the specifications for the S3N-Core ontology module, that describes the constitution of Smart-Sensors and its adaptability. It imports SSN. It is available at https://w3id.org/s3n/S3NCore using content negotiation, or directly in HTML, Turtle, RDF/XML.
This section introduces the following classes and properties:
a OWL Class
Indicator - A specific property of aFeatureOfInterest. It has a specific use in a specific domain.
| Example | the pedaling speed, the number of steps, the number of consumed calories. |
|---|---|
| Sub class of | ssn:Property |
| is Defined By | https://w3id.org/s3n/S3NCore/ |
a OWL Class
Micro-Controller - is a compact integrated circuit containing a processor, someMemory, and input/output (I/O) peripherals on a single chip,
and is designed to govern a specific operation in an embedded system. It implements some Algorithms,
and makes AlgorithmExecutions.
| Sub class of | ssn:System |
|---|---|
| Restrictions |
s3n:madeAlgorithmExecution
ONLY s3n:AlgorithmExecution
ssn:implements MIN 1 |
| is Defined By | https://w3id.org/s3n/S3NCore/ |
a OWL Class
Communicating System - A CommunicatingSystem can be used to exchange information with other CommunicatingSystem on some network.| Sub class of | ssn:System |
|---|---|
| is Defined By | https://w3id.org/s3n/S3NCore/ |
a OWL Class
Smart-Sensor - A SmartSensor is composed of one or moreSensors
together with a MicroController that implements different
Algorithms,
and makes Algorithm Executions on the result of the
Observations
these Sensors make to output a resulting value for some Indicator.
This value may then be communicated by some CommunicatingSystemCommunicatingSystem.
| Sub class of | ssn:System , sosa:Platform |
|---|---|
| Restrictions |
ssn:hasSubSystem
SOME sosa:Sensor
ssn:hasSubSystem SOME s3n:MicroController ssn:hasSubSystem SOME s3n:CommunicatingSystem |
| is Defined By | https://w3id.org/s3n/S3NCore/ |
a OWL Class
Algorithm - A re-useable algorithm that might be executed multiple times by multiple Systems. It contains a declarative specification of the steps to be carried out to arrive at some result.| Sub class of | sosa:Procedure |
|---|---|
| is Defined By | https://w3id.org/s3n/S3NCore/ |
a OWL Class
Algorithm Execution - Act of executing anAlgorithm.
| Restrictions |
sosa:hasResult
MIN 1
sosa:usedProcedure ONLY s3n:Algorithm sosa:resultTime EXACTLY 1 sosa:hasResult ONLY sosa:Result |
|---|---|
| is Defined By | https://w3id.org/s3n/S3NCore/ |
a OWL Class
Error - A specificResult that is an error.
May be further described in terms of its Cause.
| Sub class of | sosa:Result |
|---|---|
| is Defined By | https://w3id.org/s3n/S3NCore/ |
a OWL Object Property
for context - The context of use of anAlgorithm.
| Domain Includes | s3n:Algorithm |
|---|---|
| is Defined By | https://w3id.org/s3n/S3NCore/ |
a OWL Object Property
made algorithm execution - Relation between aMicroController
and an AlgorithmExecution it made. | Domain Includes | s3n:MicroController |
|---|---|
| Range Includes | s3n:AlgorithmExecution |
| is Defined By | https://w3id.org/s3n/S3NCore/ |
a OWL Object Property
cause - The cause of anError. | Domain Includes | s3n:Error |
|---|---|
| is Defined By | https://w3id.org/s3n/S3NCore/ |
This section introduces the specifications for the S3N-Procedure ontology module, that describes algorithms’ features, and capabilities of a micro-controller. It imports S3N-core and SSN-System. It is available at https://w3id.org/s3n/S3NProcedure using content negotiation, or directly in HTML, Turtle, RDF/XML.
This section introduces the following classes and properties:
a OWL Class
Memory - The memory of theMicroController
under the defined Conditions.
| Sub class of | ssn-system:SystemProperty |
|---|---|
| Restrictions | inverse Of ssn-system:hasSystemProperty ONLY inverse Of ssn-system:hasSystemCapability ONLY s3n:MicroController |
| is Defined By | https://w3id.org/s3n/S3NProcedure/ |
a OWL Class
Maximum Bandwidth - The maximal bandwidth of thecommunicating
device under the defined Conditions.
| Sub class of | ssn-system:SystemProperty |
|---|---|
| Restrictions | inverse Of ssn-system:hasSystemProperty ONLY inverse Of ssn-system:hasSystemCapability ONLY s3n:CommunicatingSystem |
| is Defined By | https://w3id.org/s3n/S3NProcedure/ |
a OWL Class
Procedure Feature - Describes procedure properties such as the duration, computational cost, storage cost, etc. of aProcedure under some specified Conditions such as a size of input.
The features specified here are those that affect the Procedure executions.
| Sub class of | ssn:Property |
|---|---|
| Restrictions |
inverse Of s3n:hasProcedureFeature
ONLY s3n:Algorithm
s3n:hasProcedureProperty ONLY s3n:ProcedureProperty ssn-system:inCondition MIN 1 ssn-system:inCondition ONLY ssn-system:Condition |
| is Defined By | https://w3id.org/s3n/S3NProcedure/ |
a OWL Class
Procedure Property - An identifiable characteristic that represents typical characteristics of the Procedure's executions.| Sub class of | ssn:Property |
|---|---|
| Restrictions |
inverse Of s3n:hasProcedureProperty
ONLY s3n:ProcedureFeature
inverse Of s3n:hasProcedureProperty MIN 1 |
| is Defined By | https://w3id.org/s3n/S3NProcedure/ |
a OWL Class
Time Complexity - The complexity in time of theProcedure
under the defined Conditions.
| Sub class of | s3n:ProcedureProperty |
|---|---|
| Restrictions | inverse Of s3n:hasProcedureProperty ONLY inverse Of s3n:hasProcedureFeature ONLY s3n:Algorithm |
| is Defined By | https://w3id.org/s3n/S3NProcedure/ |
a OWL Class
Space Complexity - The complexity in space of theProcedure
under the defined Conditions.
| Sub class of | s3n:ProcedureProperty |
|---|---|
| Restrictions | inverse Of s3n:hasProcedureProperty ONLY inverse Of s3n:hasProcedureFeature ONLY s3n:Algorithm |
| is Defined By | https://w3id.org/s3n/S3NProcedure/ |
a OWL Class
Computational Cost - The computational cost of theProcedure
under the defined Conditions.
| Sub class of | s3n:ProcedureProperty |
|---|---|
| is Defined By | https://w3id.org/s3n/S3NProcedure/ |
a OWL Object Property
has procedure feature - Relation from aProcedure to a ProcedureFeature
describing the features of the Procedure under certain Conditions. | Sub property of | ssn:hasProperty |
|---|---|
| is Defined By | https://w3id.org/s3n/S3NProcedure/ |
a OWL Object Property
has procedure property - Relation from anProcedureFeature of
a Procedure to a ProcedureProperty describing the features of the Procedure. | Sub property of | ssn:hasProperty |
|---|---|
| is Defined By | https://w3id.org/s3n/S3NProcedure/ |
This section introduces the specifications for the S3N Thing ontology module, that describes possible interactions with a Smart-Sensor. It imports S3N-core and TD. It is available at https://w3id.org/s3n/S3NThing using content negotiation, or directly in HTML, Turtle, RDF/XML.
This section provides details on the alignment module that combines the new SOSA/SSN and the TD ontology and formalizes an alignment between them.
The following classes in SOSA/SSN and TD can be aligned via a subclass relation as follows.
| td:Thing | subclass of | ssn:System |
| td:InteractionPattern | subclass of | sosa:Procedure |
Additional alignments from SOSA/SSN to TD properties are defined as follows.
| td:interaction | sub-property of | ssn:implements |
| td:inputData | sub-property of | ssn:hasInput |
| td:outputData | sub-property of | ssn:hasOutput |
This section provides details on the alignment module that align the module S3N-Core and TD ontology.
The following namespace prefixes are used in the alignment to S3N-Core and TD
| Prefix | Namespace |
|---|---|
| s3n: | https://w3id.org/s3n/ |
| td: | http://www.w3.org/ns/td#/ |
The following classes in S3N-Core and TD can be aligned via a subclass relation as follows.
| s3n:SmartSensor | subclass of | td:Thing |