System and method for uploading files to servers utilizing GPS routing

• US 10,135,908 B1
• Filed: 07/29/2016
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Utility Associates Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Utility Associates Incorporated
• Inventors: McKeeman, Robert S, Araya, Simon, Davis, Ted M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Parth
• Application Number:
  US15/223,464
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/183 Provision of network file services by network file servers, e.g. by using NFS, CIFS network file access protocols H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

This invention provides a system and a method to manage the uploading of data files from multiple wireless field devices in multiple locations to multiple data storage servers through the use of location information.

Claims

1. A file upload management system for uploading data files across multiple enterprise locations comprising:

a. a plurality of data storage servers connected to a network, wherein a portion of the plurality of data storage servers are local data storage servers, wherein each local data storage server is associated with one of the multiple enterprise locations;

b. a plurality of wireless access points configured to communicate with the plurality of data storage servers over the network, wherein a portion of the plurality of wireless access points are located within the multiple enterprise locations; and

c. at least one wireless field device comprising;

i. a GPS providing means configured to provide current location information of the at least one wireless field device;

ii. an enterprise location entry database comprising a plurality of enterprise location entries, wherein each one of the multiple enterprise locations has an enterprise location entry, the enterprise location entry comprises;

A. coordinates associated with a geo-fence polygon that defines boundaries of the enterprise location; and

B. a local data storage server IP address of the local data storage server associated with the enterprise location; and

iii. a file transfer management application associated with a processor, wherein the file transfer management application is configured to;

A. determine the enterprise location in which the at least one wireless field device is presently located by using the current location information from the GPS providing means to find the enterprise location entry containing the coordinates that correspond with the current location information; and

B. identify the local data storage server associated with the enterprise location in which the at least one wireless field device is located from the corresponding enterprise location entry,

wherein the at least one wireless field device is further configured to communicate with and upload at least one data file to one wireless access point when the at least one wireless field device is located within the same enterprise location as the one wireless access point, wherein the file transfer management application is further configured to control uploading of the at least one data file to the local data storage server through the at least one wireless access point by determining the enterprise location in which the at least one wireless field device is presently located.

2. The file upload management system of claim 1, further comprising at least one data recording system configured to communicate with and provide the at least one data file to the at least one wireless field device, the at least one data recording system comprising:

a. a data recording device; and

b. data storage means.

3. The file upload management system of claim 2, wherein the at least one wireless field device further comprises a wireless field device network adapter and a wireless field device IP address, wherein the at least one data recording system further comprises a data recording system network adapter configured to communicate with and send the at least one data file to the wireless field device network adapter of the at least one wireless field device by using the wireless field device IP address.

4. The file upload management system of claim 2, wherein the at least one data recording system further comprises a recording system verification application associated with a recording system processor, wherein the local data storage server further comprises a server verification application associated with a server processor, wherein the recording system verification application and the server verification application interact to ensure that the at least one data file transferred from the at least one data recording system to the local data storage server is not altered.

5. The file upload management system of claim 1, wherein the file transfer management application is further configured to upload the at least one data file to the local data storage server associated with the enterprise location in which the at least one wireless field device is located.

6. The file upload management system of claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless field device further comprises a wireless field device profile comprising a schedule assigned to the at least one wireless field device;

and a preferred data storage server IP address of a preferred data storage server to which to send the at least one data file;

wherein the current location information further comprises time and date information;

wherein the file transfer management application is further configured to, after identifying the local data storage server associated with the enterprise location,

a. determine if the local data storage server is the preferred data storage server; and

b. determine if the schedule of the at least one wireless field device allows the at least one data file to be uploaded to the preferred data storage server if the preferred data storage server is not the same as the local data storage server associated with the enterprise location in which the at least one wireless field device is located.