Internet of Things – Architecture © - 71 -
The element of interest for which we can get some information is the Load
Carrier, which is therefore digitally represented by a Virtual Entity. Here, we
show how the temperature aspect of the Physical Entity is modelled by the
hasTemperature attribute of the Virtual Entity. This figure also features a
description of the service that is used to measure this temperature. What is
finally needed is the connection between the hasTemperature attribute and
the service that can provide its value. This is achieved by the Temperature
Association.
3.4.3 Relation of Information Model to Domain Model
The IoT Information Model models all the concepts of the Domain Model that
are to be explicitly represented and manipulated in the digital world.
Additionally, the IoT Information Model models relations between these
concepts. The IoT Information Model is a meta-model that provides a structure
for the information being handled by IoT Systems. This structure provides the
basis for all aspects of the system that deal with the representation, gathering,
processing, storage and retrieval of information and as such is used as a basis
for defining the functional interfaces of the IoT system.
Figure 13 below shows the relation between the Domain Model concepts and
the IoT Information Model elements. The main Domain Model concepts that are
explicitly represented in an IoT system are the Virtual Entity and the service.
The latter also comprises aspects of the Resource and the Device. As the
Virtual Entity is the representation of the Physical Entity in the digital world,
there is no other representation of the Physical Entity in the IoT Information
Model.
Figure 13 : Relation between the core concepts of the IoT DM and IM