Monitoring system control unit coupled to device database via the internet

• US 10,372,577 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2015
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Iurissevich, Daniele
• Primary Examiner(s): Saeed, Usmaan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Weinrich, Brian E.
• Application Number:
  US14/644,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20160267181A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,609 Days
• Field of Search: 707769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/00 Error detection; Error correction; Monitoring error detection, correction or monitoring in information storage based on relative movement between record carrier and transducer G11B20/18; monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing G11B27/36; in static stores G11C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/30 Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3051 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the configuration of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring the presence of processing resources, peripherals, I/O links, software programs verification or detection of system hardware configuration G06F11/2247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems

Abstract

Information as to a group of devices which are part of a monitoring system, can be accumulated in one or more databases. The databases can be addressed via a computer network, such as the Internet. Monitoring systems can access one or more of the databases seeking identification of those devices that correspond to a selected criterion. A database can provide serial numbers of devices that meet the selected criteria. The respective monitoring system can determine if any local devices have serial numbers that match the received serial numbers. A trouble indicator can be generated in response thereto.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving user input transitioning a control panel into a check conformity loop mode to identify whether any of a plurality of devices connected to the control panel have been identified as associated with a predetermined parameter, condition, or state;

responsive to entering the check conformity loop mode, the control panel discovering a respective serial number for each of the plurality of devices;

the control panel transmitting the respective serial number for each of the plurality of devices to a first of a plurality of cloud servers, each of the plurality of cloud servers being associated with a respective production site;

the first of the plurality of cloud servers evaluating a respective production site bit of the respective serial number for each of the plurality of devices;

the first of the plurality of cloud servers identifying a first group of serial numbers, the first group of serial numbers including the respective serial number for each of the plurality of devices for which the respective production site bit identifies the respective production site associated with the first of the plurality of cloud servers;

the first of the plurality of cloud servers identifying a second group of serial numbers, the second group of serial numbers including the respective serial number for each of the plurality of devices outside of the first group of serial numbers;

the first of the plurality of cloud servers identifying a set of the plurality of cloud servers for which the respective production site bit of the respective serial number for each of the plurality of devices within the second group of serial numbers matches the respective production site associated with a respective one of the set of the plurality of cloud servers;

the first of the plurality of cloud servers forwarding the respective serial number for each of the plurality of devices within the second group of serial numbers to each of the set of the plurality of cloud servers;

the first of the plurality of cloud servers and each of the set of the plurality of cloud servers obtaining, from a respective database, corresponding device serial numbers, wherein the corresponding device serial numbers include each respective serial number of each of the plurality of devices identified in the respective database of the first of the plurality of cloud servers and each of the set of the plurality of cloud servers as being associated with the predetermined parameter, condition, or state;

the first of the plurality of cloud servers and each of the set of the plurality of cloud servers forwarding the corresponding device serial numbers to the control panel; and

the control panel comparing the corresponding device serial numbers to the respective serial number for each of the plurality of devices and, responsive to results of the comparing, identifying for removal or other processing a group of the plurality of devices for which the respective serial number matches one of the corresponding device serial numbers.

2. The method as in claim 1 further comprising the control panel generating a list of a third group of the plurality of devices.

3. The method as in claim 1 further comprising the control panel signaling a trouble alarm as to the third group of the plurality of devices in response to the third group of the plurality of devices being non-compliant devices.

4. The method as in claim 1 wherein the control panel communicates with the first of the plurality of cloud servers via a computer network.

5. An apparatus comprising:

a monitoring system that includes a control unit and a plurality of monitoring devices, wherein each of the plurality of monitoring devices communicates with the control unit;

a plurality of cloud servers in communication with the control unit, each of the plurality of cloud servers associated with a respective production site; and

a respective database of each of the plurality of cloud servers,

wherein the control unit receives user input transitioning the control unit into a check conformity loop mode to identify whether any of the plurality of monitoring devices have been identified as associated with a predetermined parameter, condition, or state and, responsive thereto, discovers a respective serial number for each of the plurality of monitoring devices and transmits the respective serial number for each of the plurality of monitoring devices to a first of the plurality of cloud servers,

wherein the first of the plurality of cloud servers evaluates a respective production site bit of the respective serial number for each of the plurality of monitoring devices and identifies a first group of serial numbers,

wherein the first group of serial numbers includes the respective serial number for each of the plurality of monitoring devices for which the respective production site bit identifies the respective production site associated with the first of the plurality of cloud servers,

wherein the first of the plurality of cloud servers identifies a second group of serial numbers,

wherein the second group of serial numbers includes the respective serial number for each of the plurality of monitoring devices outside of the first group of serial numbers,

wherein the first of the plurality of cloud servers identifies a set of the plurality of cloud servers for which the respective production site bit of the respective serial number for each of the plurality of monitoring devices within the second group of serial numbers matches the respective production site associated with a respective one of the set of the plurality of cloud servers and forwards the respective serial number for each of the plurality of monitoring devices within the second group of serial numbers to each of the set of the plurality of cloud servers,

wherein the first of the plurality of cloud servers and each of the set of the plurality of cloud servers obtains, from the respective database, corresponding device serial numbers and forwards the corresponding device serial numbers to the control unit,

wherein the corresponding device serial numbers include each respective serial number of each of the plurality of devices identified in the respective database of the first of the plurality of cloud servers and each of the set of the plurality of cloud servers as being associated with the predetermined parameter, condition, or state, and

wherein the control unit compares the corresponding device serial numbers to the respective serial number for each of the plurality of monitoring devices and, responsive thereto, identifies for removal or other processing a group of the plurality of monitoring devices for which the respective serial number matches one of the corresponding device serial numbers.

6. The apparatus as in claim 5 wherein the control unit generates a list of a third group of the plurality of monitoring devices.

7. The apparatus as in claim 6 wherein output circuitry of the control unit emits trouble indicia indicating the group of the plurality of monitoring devices in response to the third group of the plurality of devices having to be removed from the monitoring system.

8. The apparatus as in claim 5 wherein each of the plurality of cloud servers is displaced from the control unit and communicates therewith via a computer network.

9. The apparatus as in claim 5 wherein the predetermined parameter, condition, or state is selected from a class that includes at least date of manufacture, location of manufacture, recall notices, design designation, product introduction date, and selected product materials.