Location Concept in IoT Messaging Framework

1. Definition

A Location represents a physical or logical space within an Edge where IoT devices operate. Locations provide spatial context for things and can form hierarchical relationships with other locations.

2. Location Structure

{
  "id": "018e7507-c547-7f43-9485-71c71b3b0449",
  "code": "room-101",
  "path": "floor-1/north-wing/room-101",
  "type": "office",
  "parent_id": "018e7507-c547-7f43-9485-71c71b3b0448",
  "edge_id": "018e7507-c547-7f43-9485-71c71b3b0447",
  "metadata": {
    "description": "Executive Office - North Wing",
    "capacity": 3,
    "commissioned_date": "2024-11-15"
  }
}

3. Location Code Pattern

Location codes follow a simplified pattern that is clear and descriptive:

{type}-{number}

Examples: - floor-1: First floor - room-101: Office room 101 - zone-b: Security zone B - area-5: Staging area 5

This simplified pattern makes location codes more consistent and easier to work with. The full hierarchical context is maintained in the location path.

4. Location Types

Generic location types that work across domains:

Type	Description	Examples
zone	General purpose area	security-zone, access-zone
room	Enclosed physical space	meeting-room, server-room, storage-room
station	Activity-specific location	workstation, charging-station, inspection-station
area	Open physical space	reception-area, production-area, staging-area
section	Portion of a larger space	shelf-section, floor-section, garden-section
floor	Building level	floor-1, basement-1, mezzanine-1
wing	Building section	north-wing, east-wing
virtual	Logical location	service-zone, network-segment, cloud-instance

5. Hierarchical Relationships

Locations can have parent-child relationships, forming a tree structure:

building (edge)
 ├── floor-1 (location)
 │    ├── north-wing (location)
 │    │    ├── room-101 (location)
 │    │    └── room-102 (location) 
 │    └── south-wing (location)
 └── floor-2 (location)
      └── ...

This hierarchy is expressed through: 1. Parent-Child References: Each location has an optional parent_id 2. Path Representation: The slash-separated path reflects the hierarchy 3. Containment Rules: A location can contain multiple child locations

6. Location Path

The location path provides a human-readable hierarchical representation:

• Format: Computed from the hierarchy of parent-child relationships
• Example: floor-1/north-wing/room-101
• Virtual Example: services/authentication/primary

The path must be consistent with the parent-child relationships and is dynamically generated based on the location hierarchy.

7. Location in Message Context

In messages, location information appears in the context:

"context": {
  "thing_code": "sens-temp-001",
  "thing_type": "sensor",
  "edge": {
    "code": "bld-eu-001",
    "type": "office-building"
  },
  "location": {
    "code": "room-101",
    "path": "floor-1/north-wing/room-101",
    "type": "office"
  }
}

8. Extension Points

The location concept can be extended through:

1. Custom Location Types: Define domain-specific types
2. Location Metadata: Add domain-specific attributes
3. Custom Hierarchies: Create specialized containment models
4. Geospatial Integration: Add GPS coordinates or indoor positioning

9. Location Registry Example

{
  "locations": [
    {
      "id": "018e7507-c547-7f43-9485-71c71b3b0448",
      "code": "floor-1",
      "path": "floor-1",
      "type": "floor",
      "parent_id": null,
      "edge_id": "018e7507-c547-7f43-9485-71c71b3b0447"
    },
    {
      "id": "018e7507-c547-7f43-9485-71c71b3b0449",
      "code": "north-wing",
      "path": "floor-1/north-wing",
      "type": "wing",
      "parent_id": "018e7507-c547-7f43-9485-71c71b3b0448",
      "edge_id": "018e7507-c547-7f43-9485-71c71b3b0447"
    },
    {
      "id": "018e7507-c547-7f43-9485-71c71b3b0450",
      "code": "room-101",
      "path": "floor-1/north-wing/room-101",
      "type": "office",
      "parent_id": "018e7507-c547-7f43-9485-71c71b3b0449",
      "edge_id": "018e7507-c547-7f43-9485-71c71b3b0447"
    }
  ]
}

10. Best Practices

• Consistent Naming: Use consistent naming patterns across locations
• Meaningful Hierarchies: Design hierarchies that reflect logical containment
• Path Alignment: Ensure paths accurately reflect parent-child relationships
• Code Brevity: Keep location codes concise but descriptive
• Type Categorization: Choose appropriate types for better analytics
• Complete Context: Include full location context in relevant messages
• Flexible Depth: Support variable hierarchy depths based on deployment complexity
• Auto-Generation: Generate paths automatically from parent-child relationships