IOT in Retail(中英).docVIP

IOT in Retail零售业物联网The Internet of Things (IoT) is the network of physical objects or things embedded with electronics, software, sensors and connectivity to enable it to achieve greater value and service by exchanging data with the manufacturer, operator and/or other connected devices. Each thing is uniquely identifiable through its embedded computing system but is able to interoperate within the existing Internet infrastructure. 物联网是指嵌入电子技术、软件、传感器和连通性的食物网络或“物品”网，通过与制造商、运营商和/或其他连接设备进行数据交换，实现其更大的价值、更好的服务。通过嵌入式计算机系统，每个物品都具有其独特标识，其在现有互联网基础设施中也可进行交互。The term “Internet of Things” was first documented by a British visionary, Kevin Ashton, in 1999. Typically, IoT is expected to offer advanced connectivity of devices, systems, and services that goes beyond machine-to-machine communications (M2M) and covers a variety of protocols, domains, and applications. The interconnection of these embedded devices (including smart objects), is expected to usher in automation in nearly all fields, while also enabling advanced applications like a Smart Grid.1999年，英国远见者Kevin Ashton首次提出“物联网”这个概念。通常，与机器到机器交互相比，物联网在设备、系统和服务方面提供高级连接，且涵盖各种协议、域和应用程序。这些嵌入式设备的相互连接（包括智能对象）可以在几乎所有的领域中引领自动化潮流，同时高级应用也囊括在内，例如智能电网。Things, in the IoT, can refer to a wide variety of devices such as heart monitoring implants, biochip transponders on farm animals, electric clams in coastal waters,automobiles with built-in sensors, or field operation devices that assist fire- fighters in search and rescue. These devices collect useful data with the help of various existing technologies and then autonomously flow the data between other devices. Current market examples include smart thermostat systems and washer/dryers that utilize Wi-Fi for remote monitoring. 物联网中的物品可以指各种设备，如心脏监测植入物、农场动物生物芯转发器、沿海水域的电动蛤、汽车内置传感器，或协助消防员搜索和营救的现场操作设备。这些设备借助现有的各种技术收集有用数据，然后自动在其他设备之间传输数据。当前市场包括利用无线远程监控的智能恒温系统和洗衣机/烘干机。Besides the plethora of new application areas for Internet connected automation to expand into, IoT is also expected to generate large amounts of data from diverse locations that is aggregated very quickly, thereby increasing the need to better index, store and process such data.除了大量新型互联网连接自动化应用外，物联网也从不同位置获取大量数据、快速整合，从而满足更快搜索、储存和处理数据的需要。Can Information Exist Outside the Human Brain?Information created or accumulated by human beings can be stored outside the human brain.Our civilization has created whole institutions to store information outside our brains：librarians,art galleries,museums.Human information,that is information produced by human beings,may exist as patterns as energy or matter,whose physical reality is independent of human beings.Radio waves,computer disks and books are but three examples.Even if the radio waves diminish in intensity as they are dissipated in space to the point of vanishing,even if books mould or are somehow destroyed-for a time the information had a physical reality just as if it were a material product like an automobile.The fact that an automobile may rust out and end up as scrap does not deny its physical reality.Information,unlike an automobile,is ethereal.This is why it may seem unreasonable to compare an information product such as a thought put down on paper,with a material product such as a car.However,the comparison is valid and may be made more explicit by considering another,humanly created,ethereal product-electricity supplied to the home.When we shut off the electric lights in our room,there is nothing left to show that a certain amount of electricity had been furnished to the house.Yet the electricity,supplied as a product from the generating station,had physical reality.Similarly,a thought spoken in that room,has disappeared as far as the physical expression of that thought-the sound wave-are concerned.However,both the electricity and the thought may be stored-for example,the former in a battery,the latter on a tape recording or in a book.We accept that humanly created artefact such as an automobile,or humanly generated energy such as electricity in the home,both have physical reality.We must also recognize that humanly created information may exist in a physical form,as well.We say a book contains information.We do not consider a book to a human being.Therefore,we must concede that information may exist apart from human beings.We may argue that a book,and the information contained therein,is of no use if it is not read by a human being.That is true.But that does not negate the fact that the information is there,on tap,as it were.The matter is similar to the old question:”If a tree falls,and one i