The Internet of Things (Internet of Things, abbreviated as IoT), as the name suggests, is “the internet of things connecting with each other”. The IoT addresses the interconnection between objects and objects (Thing to Thing, T2T), humans and objects (Human to Thing, H2T), and humans and humans (Human to Human, H2H).
The IoT is a network based on the internet, traditional telecom networks, and other information carriers, allowing all independently addressable ordinary physical objects to achieve interconnectivity. This implies two things:
1． The core and foundation of the IoT is still the internet, which is an extended and expanded network based on the internet. The IoT includes the internet and all resources on the internet, compatible with all applications of the internet, but all devices and resources in the IoT are personalized and privatized;
2． The IoT client extends to any connection between objects, using local networks or internet communication technologies to connect sensors, controllers, machines, personnel, and objects in new ways, forming interconnections for information exchange and communication.
The architecture of the IoT is divided into three layers from bottom to top: the perception layer, the network layer, and the application layer, as shown in Table 4.
Table 4 Layered Architecture of the Internet of Things
|
Layer |
Description |
|
Perception Layer |
Composed of various sensors, including temperature and humidity sensors, QR code tags, RFID tags and readers, cameras, infrared sensors, GPS, and other perception terminals. The perception layer is the source for the IoT to identify objects and collect information. |
|
Network Layer |
Composed of various networks, including the internet, broadcasting networks, network management systems, and cloud computing platforms, it serves as the hub of the entire IoT, responsible for transmitting and processing the information acquired by the perception layer. |
|
Application Layer |
This is the interface between the IoT and users, which needs to be integrated with industry demands to realize intelligent applications of the IoT. For example: “Medical IoT”: applying IoT technology in the fields of healthcare, health management, and elderly care. “Building IoT”: applying IoT technology in the fields of street light control, landscape lighting control, building lighting control, and square lighting control. |
In summary, the IoT is a network that connects any item to the internet through information sensing devices such as QR code reading devices, RFID devices, infrared sensors, global positioning systems, and laser scanners, according to agreed protocols, to enable information exchange and communication, achieving intelligent identification, positioning, tracking, monitoring, and management.