Method and System for Monitoring Computer Networks and Equipment

• US 20070088823A1
• Filed: 12/08/2006
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Fowler, John, Cullen, Gerard
• Granted Patent: US 8,005,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/44 Star or tree networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2845 Telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• 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: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for monitoring a space and its contents over a network. The system can include an embedded Java microprocessor to provide processing and network connectivity capability, and sensors to detect physical parameters associated with the space. The sensors can generate one or more sensor signals representative of the detected physical parameters. An analog-to-digital converter can convert the sensor signals to a digital format and can provide corresponding digital signals to the microprocessor. The system further includes instructions for processing the sensor signals and corresponding digital signals. An alarm signal can be generated when any of the physical parameters exceeds a corresponding threshold value. The system of the present invention can have at least one input/output port for communicating with the network and one or more memory modules for storing system data. The system of this invention can have a network-based interface for providing programming instructions to the microprocessor and for receiving monitoring status and alarm information from the system. The interface can be an HTML interface. A power source provides power to the system.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a space and its contents over a network, comprising:

a microprocessor to provide processing and network connectivity capability;

one or more sensors to detect one or more physical parameters and generate one or more sensor signals representative of the detected physical parameters;

an analog-to-digital converter for converting one or more of the sensor signals to a digital format and to provide one or more corresponding digital signals to the microprocessor;

instructions for processing said sensor signals and corresponding digital signals and generating an alarm signal when any of the one or more physical parameters exceeds a corresponding threshold value;

at least one input/output port for communicating with the network;

one or more memory modules for storing system data;

a network based interface for providing programming instructions to the microprocessor and for receiving monitoring status and alarm information from the system; and

a power source to power the system.