System and method for network device communication

• US 20050188047A1
• Filed: 10/26/2004
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: NetBotz, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Faulkner, Gary, Joy, Ryan, Stich, Martin John, Primm, Michael R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,627,651 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

The disclosure is directed to a method for communicating with a monitoring device. The method includes sending an unsolicited-type message from a client program resident on the monitoring device coupled to a first secure network. The unsolicited-type message is sent to a computing system coupled to a second network separated from the first secure network by a firewall. The method also includes receiving a response message to the unsolicited-type message from the computing system. The response message includes an embedded unsolicited-type message. The client program is resident on the monitoring device receiving the response message. The method further includes providing the embedded unsolicited-type message to a server program resident on the monitoring device.

Claims

1. A method for communicating with a monitoring device, the method comprising:

sending an unsolicited-type message from a client program resident on the monitoring device coupled to a first secure network, the unsolicited-type message sent to a computing system coupled to a second network separated from the first secure network by a firewall;

receiving a response message to the unsolicited-type message from the computing system, the response message including an embedded unsolicited-type message, the client program resident on the monitoring device receiving the response message; and

providing the embedded unsolicited-type message to a server program resident on the monitoring device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising parsing the response message at the client program.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising preparing a second response message using the server program, the second response message responsive to the embedded unsolicited-type message.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second response message includes data requested in the embedded unsolicited-type message.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the data is image data.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the data is sensor data.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the data is configuration data.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising providing the second response message to the client program.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising sending a second unsolicited-type message from the client program resident on the monitoring device to the computing system, the second unsolicited-type message including the second response message embedded therein.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second response message includes a unique identifier associated with the embedded unsolicited-type message.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the embedded unsolicited-type message includes a request for data.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the embedded unsolicited-type message includes configuration data.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the embedded unsolicited-type message includes program update data.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the unsolicited-type message includes an HTTP POST message.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the embedded unsolicited-type message includes an HTTP GET message.

14. (canceled)

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16. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. A method for communicating with a monitoring device, the method comprising:

receiving an unsolicited-type message via a first network from the monitoring device coupled to a second secure network separated from the first network via a firewall;

determining whether a request item is to be sent to the monitoring device; and

sending a response message responsive to the unsolicited-type message to the monitoring device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the unsolicited-type message includes an HTTP POST message.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the response message includes an embedded unsolicited-type message.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising receiving a second unsolicited-type message including an embedded response message associated with the embedded unsolicited-type message.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the embedded unsolicited-type message includes an HTTP GET message.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the embedded unsolicited-type message includes a unique identifier.

26. A host system comprising:

a processor;

a network interface responsive to the processor; and

memory responsive to the processor and including;

a client program operable by the processor to communicate with a remote system via the network interface, the client program operable to send an unsolicited-type message via the network interface and to receive a response message associated with the unsolicited-type message, the response message including an embedded request; and

a server program operable by the processor to receive the embedded request.

27. The host system of claim 26, further comprising a monitoring system, the server program operable to access the monitoring system.

28. The host system of claim 27, wherein the monitoring system is operable to access a sensor.

29. The host system of claim 26, wherein the server program is operable to prepare response data based on the embedded request and communicate the response data to the client program.

30. The host system of claim 29, wherein the client system is operable to embed the response data in a second unsolicited-type message and communicate the second unsolicited-type message to the remote system via the network interface.

31. (canceled)

32. (canceled)

33. (canceled)

34. (canceled)

35. (canceled)

36. (canceled)

37. (canceled)

38. (canceled)

39. (canceled)

40. (canceled)