System for utility usage triggering action

• US 10,200,244 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2014
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kim, Ryan Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Balseca, Franklin D
• Application Number:
  US14/550,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20160149777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/062 related to network traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/10 using a centralized architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/80 Arrangements in the sub-station, i.e. sensing device
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/823 where the data is sent when the measured values exceed a threshold, e.g. sending an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/86 Performing a diagnostic of the sensing device
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to using sensors and measurements from sensors to trigger actions within a network. Specifically, various techniques and systems are provided for measuring usage or measurements, using sensors, of utilities or other environmental factors, generating profiles based on the usage or measurements, and triggering actions within a network device based on the usage, measurements and profiles. Embodiments of the present invention may include, for example, compiling historical usage based on the use or measurements detected by a network device and generating a usage profile based on that use or measurements. The normal usage profile may be compared with the usage over a certain predetermined period of time to detect any abnormal use or measurements from the network device, and an action may be taken as a result of an abnormality.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

compiling, by a network device on a network, historical usage data based on the use of the network device in an environment, wherein the network includes the network device and an additional network device;

generating a normal usage profile of the network device based on the compiled historical usage data;

compiling current usage data based on the use of the network device over a predetermined time period;

generating a current usage profile of the network device based on the current usage data;

comparing the current usage profile to the normal usage profile;

determining that the current usage profile is abnormal based on comparing the current usage profile to the normal usage profile;

in response to determining that the current usage profile is abnormal, restricting access of the network device to the network, wherein restricting access of the network device to the network includes rejecting attempts made by the network device to communicate with the additional network device, and wherein restricting access of the network device to the network causes the current usage profile to become normal; and

dynamically updating the normal usage profile, after determining that the current usage profile is abnormal and restricting access of the network device to the network, to generate an updated normal usage profile.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein use of a utility is monitored by a sensor connected to the network device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the sensor is external to the network device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the normal usage profile includes retrieving a preset usage profile from storage.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a communication including an indication that the network device detected an abnormal usage.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deactivating the network device based on the determination that the current usage profile is abnormal.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a problem exists with the network device based on the comparison of the current usage profile and the normal usage profile.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the utility includes power, electricity, water, light, gas, telephone, steam, IP bandwidth, or mobile telecommunications bandwidth.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating the normal usage profile based on the abnormal current usage profile.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the normal usage profile and the current usage profile represent a pattern of usage over a period of time.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the normal usage profile and the current usage profile represent an accumulation of usage of a utility over a period of time.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein compiling historical usage data includes monitoring use of a utility by the network device over a period of time.

13. A computing device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations including;

compiling, by a network device on a network, historical usage data based on the use of the network device in an environment, wherein the network includes the network device and an additional network device;

generating a normal usage profile of the network device based on the compiled historical usage data;

compiling current usage data based on the use of the network device over a predetermined time period;

generating a current usage profile of the network device based on the current usage data;

comparing the current usage profile to the normal usage profile;

determining that the current usage profile is abnormal based on comparing the current usage profile to the normal usage profile;

in response to determining that the current usage profile is abnormal, restricting access of the network device to the network, wherein restricting access of the network device to the network includes rejecting attempts made by the network device to communicate with the additional network device, and wherein restricting access of the network device to the network causes the current usage profile to become normal; and

dynamically updating the normal usage profile, after determining that the current usage profile is abnormal and restricting access of the network device to the network, to generate an updated normal usage profile.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein use of a utility is monitored by a sensor connected to the network device.

15. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the utility includes power, electricity, water, light, gas, telephone, steam, IP bandwidth, or mobile telecommunications bandwidth.

16. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the sensor is external to the network device.

17. The computing device of claim 13, wherein generating the normal usage profile includes retrieving a preset usage profile from storage.

18. The computing device of claim 13, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations including:

transmitting a communication including an indication that the network device detected an abnormal usage.

19. The computing device of claim 13, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations including:

deactivating the network device based on the determination that the current usage profile is abnormal.

20. The computing device of claim 13, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations including:

determining that a problem exists with the network device based on the comparison of the current usage profile and the normal usage profile.

21. The computing device of claim 13, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations including:

updating the normal usage profile based on the abnormal current usage profile.

22. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the normal usage profile and the current usage profile represent a pattern of usage over a period of time.

23. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the normal usage profile and the current usage profile represent an accumulation of usage of a utility over a period of time.

24. The computing device of claim 13, wherein compiling historical usage data includes monitoring use of a utility by the network device over a period of time.

25. A computer-program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, including instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:

compile, by a network device on a network, historical usage data based on the use of the network device in an environment, wherein the network includes the network device and an additional network device;

generate a normal usage profile of the network device based on the compiled historical usage data;

compile current usage data based on the use of the network device over a predetermined time period;

generate a current usage profile of the network device based on the current usage data;

compare the current usage profile to the normal usage profile;

determine that the current usage profile is abnormal based on comparing the current usage profile to the normal usage profile;

in response to determining that the current usage profile is abnormal, restricting access of the network device to the network, wherein restricting access of the network device to the network includes rejecting attempts made by the network device to communicate with the additional network device, and wherein restricting access of the network device to the network causes the current usage profile to become normal; and

dynamically update the normal usage profile, after determining that the current usage profile is abnormal and restricting access of the network device to the network, to generate an updated normal usage profile.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein use of a utility is monitored by a sensor connected to the network device.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the sensor is external to the network device.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the utility includes power, electricity, water, light, gas, telephone, steam, IP bandwidth, or mobile telecommunications bandwidth.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein generating the normal usage profile includes retrieving a preset usage profile from storage.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, further comprising instructions configured to cause the data processing apparatus to:

transmit a communication including an indication that the network device detected an abnormal usage.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, further comprising instructions configured to cause the data processing apparatus to:

deactivate the network device based on the determination that the current usage profile is abnormal.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, further comprising instructions configured to cause the data processing apparatus to:

determine that a problem exists with the network device based on the comparison of the current usage profile and the normal usage profile.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, further comprising instructions configured to cause the data processing apparatus to:

update the normal usage profile based on the abnormal current usage profile.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the normal usage profile and the current usage profile represent a pattern of usage over a period of time.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the normal usage profile and the current usage profile represent an accumulation of usage of a utility over a period of time.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein compiling historical usage data includes monitoring use of a utility by the network device over a period of time.