AUTOMATION CONTROL SYSTEM HAVING DIGITAL LOGGING

• US 20070220142A1
• Filed: 03/15/2007
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exceptional Innovation, Inc. (ST Holdings Topco LLC)
• Original Assignee: Exceptional Innovation, LLC (ST Holdings Topco LLC)
• Inventors: Moorer, Seale, Eichensehr, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 7,496,627 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0736 in functional embedded systems, i.e. in a data processing system designed as a combination of hardware and software dedicated to performing a certain function testing or monitoring of automated control systems G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0769 Readable error formats, e.g. cross-platform generic formats, human understandable formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0781 Error filtering or prioritizing based on a policy defined by the user or on a policy defined by a hardware/software module, e.g. according to a severity level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0686 Additional information in the notification, e.g. enhancement of specific meta-data
• 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 convergence and automation system includes (a) an internet-protocol based network, (b) hardware implemented with a web service for devices (WSD) protocol, wherein the hardware includes a plurality of devices connected to the network, each device being configured to perform at least one service, and a server connected to network and configured to control the devices for converging and automating the services thereof; and (c) software implemented with the WSD protocol and configured to establish communication among the sever and the devices and perform a logging function to record events and errors taking places in the convergence and automation system.

Claims

1. A convergence and automation system, comprising:

an internet-protocol based network;

hardware implemented with a web service for devices (WSD) protocol, said hardware comprising;

a plurality of devices connected to the network, each device being configured to perform at least one service; and

a server connected to network and configured to control the devices to converge and automate the services thereof;

said hardware configured to establish communication among the server and the devices and perform a logging function to record events and errors taking place in the convergence and automation system.

2. The convergence and automation system of claim 1, wherein said hardware further comprises at least one client connected to the network and configured to control at least a portion of the services of the plurality devices.

3. The convergence and automation system of claim 2, wherein each of said plurality of devices is selected from the group consisting of an audio device, video device, intercom device, lighting control device, security device and HVAC device.

4. The convergence and automation system of claim 2, wherein said at least one client is selected from the group consisting of a television, personal computer, personal data assistant and remote controller.

5. The convergence and automation system of claim 1, wherein said logging function comprises generating messages describing the events and errors taking place in the convergence and automation system.

6. The convergence and automation system of claim 5, wherein each of the messages comprises a time stamp component, message type component, process component, and description of event component.

7. The convergence and automation system of claim 5, wherein the messages comprise:

trace messages describing the events; and

error messages describing the errors.

8. The convergence and automation system of claim 7, wherein the trace messages comprise:

service-related messages that comprise a recording of the events related to said services performed by said devices;

discovery messages that comprise a recording of the events related to introduction and acknowledgement of new services in said software;

messaging messages that comprise a recording of the events related to communication among said devices; and

subscription management messages that comprise a recording of the events related to subscription history of said services among said devices.

9. The convergence and automation system of claim 7, wherein said error messages comprise:

configuration error messages that comprise a recording of the errors related to settings or triggering of said devices;

network error messages that comprise a recording of the errors related to failure to communicate between said hardware and software;

missing system file messages that comprise a recording of the errors related to missing necessary files; and

scripting/scheduling error messages that comprise a recording of the errors related to errors in scripts or scheduling of said scripts.

10. The convergence and automation system of claim 5, wherein said logging function further comprises filtering, sorting and searching the messages.

11. The convergence and automation system of claim 10, wherein the logging function further comprises printing a report of the messages.

12. An article comprising a machine readable medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a machine to perform a logging function to record events and errors taking place in a convergence and automation system, said convergence and automation system comprising an internet-protocol based network, hardware implemented with a web service for devices (WSD) protocol and software implemented with the WSD protocol and configured to establish communication in the hardware and perform the logging function to record the events and errors.

13. The article of claim 12, wherein the hardware comprises:

a plurality of devices connected to the network, each device being configured to perform at least one service; and

a server connected to network and configured to control the devices for converging and automating the services thereof.

14. The article of claim 13, wherein the software is configured to establish communication among the server and the devices.

15. The article of claim 14, wherein the logging function comprises generating messages describing the events and error taking places in the convergence and automation system.

16. The article of claim 15, wherein each of the messages comprises a time stamp component, message type component, process component, and description of event component.

17. The article of claim 16, wherein the messages comprise:

trace messages describing the events; and

error messages describing the errors.

18. The article of claim 17, wherein the trace messages comprise:

service-related messages that comprise a recording of the events related to the services performed by the devices;

discovery messages that comprise a recording of the events related to introduction and acknowledgement of new services in of the software;

messaging messages that comprise a recording of the events related to communication among said devices; and

subscription management messages that comprise a recording of the events related to subscription history of said services among said devices.

19. The article of claim 17, wherein the error messages comprise:

configuration error messages recording the errors related to settings or triggering of the devices;

network error messages recording the errors related to failure to communicate between the hardware and software;

missing system file messages recording the errors related to missing necessary files; and

scripting/scheduling error messages recording the errors related to errors in scripts or scheduling of the scripts.

20. The article of claim 15, wherein the logging function further comprises filtering, sorting and searching the messages.