System and method for hosted facilities management

• US 20020116157A1
• Filed: 11/28/2001
• Published: 08/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gary Markle, James Miani, James Selph, Joseph Lewinski, Michael Hanson, Robert Derwin
• Original Assignee: Gary Markle, James Miani, James Selph, Joseph Lewinski, Michael Hanson, Robert Derwin
• Inventors: Hanson, Michael, Miani, James, Selph, James, Derwin, Robert, Lewinski, Joseph, Markle, Gary
• Granted Patent: US 6,721,689 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0213 Modular or universal configuration of the monitoring system, e.g. monitoring system having modules that may be combined to build monitoring program; monitoring system that can be applied to legacy systems; adaptable monitoring system; using different communication protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them

Abstract

A hosted facilities management system and method capable of simultaneously monitoring a plurality of conditions, equipment, and systems within one or more facilities is described and claimed. The monitoring system collects, archives, and processes data pertaining to utility services at a facility, environmental conditions within a facility, security around and within a facility, hazardous conditions within a facility, and equipment functionality including but not limited to manufacturing, telecommunications, and data management operations. Anomalous conditions are identified and reported. Data is filtered and compressed to facilitate the efficient storage and management of conditional state data collected from multiple sources. Archived data is retrieved and reported to client facilities via various means. Graphical, numerical, and plot reports are viewable over a distributed network.

Claims

1. A system for hosted centralized monitoring of a plurality of client facilities with a plurality of subsystems and a plurality of components comprising:

(a) a data communications means for communicating a plurality of conditional state data; and

(b) a data harvester, said data harvester collects, stores, processes, retrieves, and reports said conditional state data.

2. A system for hosted centralized monitoring of a plurality of client facilities with a plurality of subsystems and a plurality of components comprising:

(a) a data communications means for communicating a plurality of conditional state data;

(b) a data collection server to collect and to temporarily store said conditional state data;

(c) a data filtering means for compressing said conditional state data over a specified time period;

(d) a high resolution data storage means for archiving said conditional state data without said data filtering;

(e) a low resolution storage means for archiving said conditional state data after said data filtering;

(f) an event switch means for determining whether said conditional state data identifies an anomalous condition, for directing said conditional state data to said high resolution data storage means when said anomalous conditions are identified, and for directing said conditional state data to said low resolution data storage means when said anomalous conditions are absent; and

(g) a report means for retrieving, displaying, and transmitting said conditional state data.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising a network means for lining said data communications means, said data collection server, said storage means, said event switch means, and said report means.

4. The system of claim 2 further comprising a workstation means for monitoring operations at said management system.

5. The system of claim 4 further comprising a network means for linking said data communications means, said data collection server, said storage means, said event switch means, said report means, and said workstation means.

6. The system as in one of claims 3-5, in which said conditional state data describe utility performance.

7. The system as in one of claims 3-5, in which said conditional state data describe environmental conditions.

8. The system as in one of claims 3-5, in which said conditional state data describe security conditions.

9. The system as in one of claims 3-5, in which said conditional state data describe hazards.

10. The system as in one of claims 3-5, in which said conditional state data describe equipment performance.

11. A method for hosted centralized monitoring of a plurality of client facilities with a plurality of subsystems and a plurality of components, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) querying a client facility;

(b) collecting a plurality of conditional state data;

(c) buffering said conditional state data in a temporary storage database;

(d) analyzing said conditional state data in said temporary storage database to identify one or more anomalous conditions;

(e) archiving said conditional state data to a high resolution storage database when said anomalous conditions are identified;

(f) filtering said conditional state data over a defined time interval when said anomalous conditions are absent, said filtering summarizes said conditional state data over said defined time interval; and

(g) archiving said conditional state data after said data filtering to a low resolution storage database.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said filtering consists of identifying a lowest value, a highest value, and an average value for said conditional state data.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of reporting said conditional state data to said client facilities.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said reporting is achieved by a graphics-based interface accessible over a distributed network.

15. The method as in claim 13 or 14, in which said conditional state data describe utility performance.

16. The method as in claim 13 or 14, in which said conditional state data describe environmental conditions.

17. The method as in claim 13 or 14, in which said conditional state data describe security conditions.

18. The method as in claim 13 or 14, in which said conditional state data describe hazards.

19. The method as in claim 13 or 14, in which said conditional state data describe equipment performance.