2015 14th International Symposium on Distributed Computing and Applications for Business Engineering and Science

Study on the IOT Architecture and Gateway Technology

Chang-le Zhong, Zhen Zhu, Ren-gen Huang

Foshan University
Foshan, China
E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract—There are disadvantages in the practical application In practical application, we realized the cross-regional hotel
with Three-layer architecture of IOT (Internet of Things). In chain connectivity by using network gateway as a bridge in
order to emphasize the level of IOT intelligent application, this IOT.
paper introduces the five layers system architecture which can
better interpret the meaning and features of the IOT, and II. THE FIVE-LAYER ARCHITECTURE OF IOT
discusses the gateway technology which connecting the sensing
Through analyzing the characteristics of the IOT[3], we
network and traditional communication network. According to
put forward the five-layer framework of IOT. Namely, IOT
the actual demand of hotel chain industry for improving
guests’ living environment, the paper also discusses the design is consisting of perception layer, network access layer,
of IOT application scheme with using the IOT gateway as a network layer, application support layer and presentation
bridge. The scheme may effectively meet the service layer, as shown in figure 1.
requirements of hotel chain industry.

Keywords-Internet of things;system architecture;hotel

chain;gateway technology;IOT application scheme

I. INTRODUCTION
Since the Internet of things (IOT) was proposed in 1999,
its connotation has been in continuous development and
expansion, but there are no uniform definition standards. The
IOT concept broadly refers to RFID, infrared sensors, GPS,
laser scanners and other information sensing devices,
according to the agreed protocol, to achieve any time, any
place, any object information exchange and communication
in order to achieve intelligent identification, locate, track,
monitor and manage a network[1]. The IOT has full
perception, reliable transmission, intelligent processing and
other features, and the IOT was making extensive use of, and
made throughout the wisdom industry, wisdom agriculture,
intelligent transportation, smart security, environmental
protection, wisdom health care, government livelihood
Figure 1. The five-layer architecture of IOT
management, intelligent home, food safety and so on.
Although the IOT industry has been in rapid
(1) Perception layer of five-layer architecture: The
development in recent years, there is still no large-scale
perceptual layer is the foundation of IOT, is the interface
applications in reality. there is no uniform construction
between the layer of physical world and information world.
standards, norms things access and integration management
It uses radio frequency identification technology, bar code
platform[2]. The three-layer framework of IOT is widely
technology, sensor technology, positioning technology, or
regarded, namely, IOT is consisting of perception layer,
other information sampling technology to complete the
network layer and application layer. Although the three-layer
information collection, and with the help of controlling the
framework describes the architecture of the IOT from the
objects of perception by the actuator, implement the
technical level, but not fully shows the characteristics and
infection control between the physical space and information
connotation of the IOT. Now some applications require the
space. Its main components include two-dimensional code
closed-loop system, and the IOT is an open-loop ubiquitous
label, code reader-writer, RFID tags and RFID reader-writer,
network system, so its application and promotion still faces
cameras, and all kinds of sensors. So, The IOT perception
many difficulties and challenges.
layer has the main functions of information perception and
In this paper, we put forward the five-layer framework of
original data collection, necessary auxiliary complete
IOT that can better explain the characteristics and
downward at the end of the control object. Therefore, the
connotation of the Internet of things, based on the theoretical
main function of perception layer of IOT is information and
research of IOT and application in cross-regional chain hotel.

978-1-4673-6593-2/15 $31.00 © 2015 IEEE 196

DOI 10.1109/DCABES.2015.56
data collection, when necessary, assist to complete the gateway is between the perception layer, network layer and
control objects of perception. the network access layer in the five layers of IOT
ł Network access layer of five-layer architecture: The architecture, and the IOT will be able to integrate a variety of
network access layer is mainly composed of the base station access methods, to meet the convergence and access
node and the network access gateway, complete the network requirements for the local short distance communication, to
control and the data fusion of each node in the perception link to the public transport network and complete the
layer, or complete to forward the information from the above forwarding, controlling, signaling and encoding and
layers (The network transmission layer or the application decoding functions. At the same time, the gateway is
layer). When the perception layer’s nodes complete protocol converter, to achieve protocol conversion between
networking, the perception layer’s nodes need to upload data, two different networks, and then a packet format can be
and send the data to the base station node. The base station converted to another packet format, and has the function with
node will receive the data, and complete the connection with safety protection and prevent outside intrusion. So, the IOT
the network transmission layer by the access gateway. When gateway will have access ability between the WAN,
the application layer and the network layer needs to management ability, protocol translation ability, and other
downlink data, the base station node sends data to each node major functions[4].
in the perception layer after the network access gateway
A. The IOT gateway hierarchy
receiving the data from the network transmission layer, then
complete the forwarding information and interaction IOT gateway supports a variety of communication
between the perception layer and the network transmission protocols and data types between the various sensors, which
layer. The current access methods in the network access can realize the conversion of data format which
layer mainly include WIFI, Ad hoc, Mesh, ZIGBEE, communicated between a variety of sensors, to unified the
industrial bus, realize to collect the information by various uploaded data formats. At the same time, the acquisition or
cognitive tools, or to preliminary process and network access. control command which reach the perception network are
Ń Network transmission layer of five-layer architecture: mapped to produce messages that meet specific device
The network transmission layer is mainly used to realize the communication protocol[5]. The basic structure of the IOT
transmission and exchange of information, provide the basis gateway as show in Figure 2, including application layer,
transmission network for the necessary of applications and network layer, analysis layer (protocol conversion and
services within a wide range, including the satellite protocol adaptation layer), perception layer.
communication network, the mobile communication network,
the optical fiber communication network and the local
independent private network and so on. It is a problem in the
network layer that the neutral access and seamless
integration between different network and means of
communication, and how to form the transmission and
exchange capacity with end-to-end .
ń Application support layer of five-layer architecture:
With the support of the information technology with the
cloud computing technology, middleware technology,
database technology, expert system and so on, the
application support layer complete public intelligent analysis
and storage of data information, realize information
processing, and all kinds of intelligent application sharing
and exchanging.
Ņ Application presentation layer of five-layer
architecture: The application presentation layerÿs task is the
development of a variety of applications of IOT base on the
data processing of the application support layer, and uses the
technology with multimedia, virtual reality, human-computer Figure 2. The IOT Gateway Hierarchy
interface to build the interface of intelligent application
between the IOT and the user, implement present and (1) The application layer: The application layer will
application of all kinds of intelligent information. realize automatic management of sensing device, and the
management of each sub network.
III. THE GATEWAY TECHNOLOGY OF IOT (2) The network layer: The network layer provides a
The gateway is a network to another network "mark", variety of channel access communication network interface.
and the IOT gateway is a connecting link between the sensor For the mobile environment or non fixed environment of the
network and the traditional communication network, and it network, you can use a variety of access methods. For the
can store and convert the interaction data between the specific network environment of the network, can be used in
network and the traditional communication network. The single access mode. The network layer includes a variety of

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communication network and Internet to form network, which IV. THE DESIGN OF THE IOT GATEWAY OF CROSS-
is the current mainstream of communication network, such REGIONAL CHAIN HOTELS
as 2g, 3g, 4g network or a computer Internet, etc.
For chain hotels, to build an efficient and stable cross-
(3) The analytical layer: The analytical layer will
regional network management architecture is very important.
implement the standardization of protocol conversion and
And how to make the devices (such as air conditioning,
data format analysis, including the protocol adapter and
television, access control, lighting, etc.) to interconnect,
protocol conversion module.
effective sharing of resources and information to facilitate
The protocol adapter module defines a interface to access
the stay guests, is an important indicator of the quality of
standard, ensuring different access layer protocols can
service of a hotel. With the development of IOT technology,
become a unified data format and signaling.
the IOT gateway technology become more mature, and the
The protocol conversion module will be unified
equipment in the hotel room connectivity problem will be
packaging the uploaded standard data from the protocol
solved.
adapter, unpack the data from the network layer into the
The IOT gateway, which is the core equipment of the
standard format. And provide the protocol conversion from
construction and intelligent of hotel rooms, allows multiple
perception to communication network , namely to implement
intelligent devices interoperability in the room, forms a local
ZigBee protocol to TCP/IP protocol conversion.
area network, shares resources and information between
(4) The perceptual access layer: The perceptual access
devices. In addition, the gateway also plays the internal
layer will complete the network control and the physical
network and the external network interface communication
access for nodes, and match a variety of sensor network
role, providing access and control functions for all kinds of
technology to realize different perception network protocol
value-added internal network service, which makes the
access.
internal rooms network become an extension of the
B. The gateway hardware structure communication network, communication network the
The IOT gateway is a bridge connecting perception internal network to the wide world.
network and access network, it can support different types of A. application architecture
sensor nodes (such as ZigBee, 6LoWPAN, RS485, CAN)
Based on the study of design for the smart home system
and the way of access (such as cable, WLAN, GPRS, 3G), [6][7]
, we put forward a typical cross-regional chain hotels
and provide a unified data format for middleware or
IOT application architecture, as shown in figure 4.
application, in order to shield the different sensor network
and the access network, make applications only need to pay
attention to in the application environment of data processing.
This paper adopted the modular design concept and
embedded system technology to design the IOT gateway, the
structure of the IOT gateway is shown in figure 3. The
processor module is the core module of the gateway, which
implements the protocol conversion, management, security
and other aspects of data processing and storage. The zigBee
module realize the collection of physical world data or
together, can be the convergence of sensor network nodes,
the RFID reader, video collection equipment, GPS, etc.
Through the network access module, the gateway will access
WAN by the way including cable (Ethernet, ADSL, FTT),
wireless (WLAN, GPRS, 3G, satellite).

Figure 4. The IOT structure of Cross-regional hotel chain

Figure 3. The gateway hardware structure In the hotel guest room, for TV, air conditioning, access
control, smoke detectors, lighting and other equipment, the
system will be build their own subnet system respectively,
and make the equipment of different protocols or subsystem
to communicate with each other through the gateway, and

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users only need to operate the gateway to control all As can be seen from the above analysis, the processor
intelligent devices connected to the gateway. In addition, the module STR912FW44 mainly receive the data from the
gateway is also integrated with internet access, can carry on zigbee wireless sensor network and realize the data storage
the wide-area interconnection with the outside world, the and process, and then send the processed data sent to the
device within the hotel room can be operated and control in Internet until the headquarters center server through the
any place of the world, then greatly enhance the convenience network access module( RTL8201BL). At the same time, for
and applicability. some control commands sent by the server center
headquarters to process, and transmitt to the nodes of the
B. the design of the gateway hardware[8] sensing network. In addition, the gateway can also include a
In this paper, we use STR912 ARM9 chip which LCD display, buttons and other functional components.
integrated Ethemet (MAC) interface to design the IOT
gateway, it mainly includes the embedded ARM processor V. CONCLUSION
module, Zigbee protocol module and network access module, The concept of IOT is for a long time, but the specific
the structure is shown in figure 5. implementation and composition framework of IOT have not
formed a unified opinion. In this paper, on the basis of
analysis of practical applications of IOT in life, we analysis
lack of research on the three layer system structure, put
forward five layers of IOT application system frame of
reference, it can better explain the characteristics and
meaning of IOT. At the same time, through the analysis of
demand, we put forward the solving scheme of cross
regional hotel chain of the IOT combined with the technical
characteristics of the IOT application, and use the IOT
gateway as a bridge to realize exchanges of the hotel rooms
information and communication of different equipment,
realize the connectivity of the IOT with the Internet, and to
meet the needs of the cross-regional chain hotel services.
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Figure 5. ARM-based processing module structure
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