ON-LINE PORTAL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGEMENT OF DEVICES AND SERVICES

• US 20070268121A1
• Filed: 05/17/2007
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Daryush Vasefi, Navideh Mostajab
• Original Assignee: Daryush Vasefi, Navideh Mostajab
• Inventors: Vasefi, Daryush, Mostajab, Navideh
• Application Number:
  US11/750,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20070268121A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19682 Graphic User Interface [GUI] presenting system data to the user, e.g. information on a screen helping a user interacting with an alarm system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

An on-line device management system provides a common interface for managing devices using a single login to a website associated with the system over a public network. Users sign up for selected services including surveillance and provide information on associated user devices which include devices with different operational programming interfaces, and user and device information is stored by the system. The system communicates with the devices and controls the devices using the stored device information so that the devices send data to the system on a selected schedule. The system creates a customized interface for each user through which the user can monitor and manage building surveillance devices from a remote location at any time.

Claims

1. A method of remotely accessing and controlling devices in a building, comprising:

signing up users for at least one digital service through an on-line device management website, the digital service comprising providing each authorized user with remote access to a plurality of devices in at least one building associated with the respective authorized user;

storing data on authorized users and on devices associated with each authorized user at the website, at least some of the devices having different application programming interfaces (APIs), and the stored data including the API for each device;

communicating with each device associated with an authorized user from the website, using the API of the device;

controlling each device to send data to the website on a selected schedule;

receiving and storing data from the devices at the website; and

providing an authorized user with a customized display interface at the website, the customized display interface displaying options to the user including display options for displaying data from the devices associated with the user, the display options comprising displaying stored data from one or more selected devices and displaying real time data from one or more selected devices.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising periodically checking the operational status of each device from the website, receiving and storing device status information from the devices, and notifying the user associated with a device if a device malfunction is detected.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing a user with a device status option on the customized interface which displays stored device status information from the periodic status checks for each registered device associated with the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of signing up a user comprises offering a plurality of digital services to the user and receiving and storing information on the digital services selected by the user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the digital services comprise at least a surveillance service which provides control and monitoring of devices comprising surveillance devices.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein at least some of the surveillance devices comprise cameras.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising displaying output from at least one camera on the customized user interface via the website.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising displaying output from all cameras associated with a user simultaneously on the customized user interface for that user.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising providing a user with the options of displaying one or more camera outputs real time on the customized user interface, or displaying archived data for a selected time interval from one or more cameras on the customized user interface.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the digital services comprise at least a traffic count service and at least some of the devices comprise traffic monitoring devices, the data analysis service collecting and analyzing traffic data from the traffic monitoring devices and providing corresponding traffic reports to authorized users.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein the digital services comprise at least a building automation service and at least some of the devices comprise building automation systems.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising linking at least one automation system at a building with the website, and connecting the user associated with the automation system with an automation system control interface through the website on request, whereby the registered user can monitor and control the automation system remotely through the website.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein the digital services further comprise a personal assistant service which receives, organizes, and stores information on items purchased by a registered user.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the personal assistant service further comprises receiving and storing links to other websites associated with an authorized user, receiving and storing item warranty information and providing reminders of warranty expiry, providing links to websites for selling and buying items, receiving and storing information on utilities used by a registered user, and receiving and storing information on companies providing service on items purchased by an authorized user.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an authorized user with a device control option on the customized interface which allows user control of an associated device via the website.

16. An on-line device management system, comprising:

a first communication module which communicates with devices over a public network in order to receive data from the devices, the devices including at least some devices having different onboard programming;

a device data storage module communicating with the first communication module which stores device identifying and onboard programming information;

a device control module which uses the stored onboard programming information for each device to control the device to send data to the first communication module on a selected schedule;

an archive storage module which communicates with the first communication module and receives and stores data received from devices;

a second communication module which communicates with users accessing the on-line management system over a public network;

a user information storage module which communicates with the second communication module and stores user information, the information including user log in information, a list of devices associated with each user, and a customized user interface for each user including access to a plurality of modules selected by the respective user, one of the modules comprising a surveillance module and at least some of the devices comprising surveillance devices; and

the surveillance module comprising a surveillance display unit having a live data viewing module and archived data viewing module, the live data module displaying live data from at least one surveillance device associated with a user at the customized user interface, and the archived data module displaying archived data from at least one surveillance device for a user selected time period.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the surveillance module further comprises a device management module which checks the operational status of surveillance devices associated with a user at periodic intervals, and stores status information received in each status check.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising an uptime history storage module which stores the operational status of each registered device linked to the system in connection with each status check by the device management module.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the device management module checks the operational information received in each status check for potential malfunction of the associated device, and further comprises a user notification module which notifies a user associated with a registered device on detection of an operational malfunction of the respective registered device.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the device management module further comprises a device status link on the customized user interface and a status display which displays stored device status history on the customized user interface on selection of the device status link.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the live and archived data modules each have a single device option for displaying data from a single device and a multi-view option for displaying data from multiple devices simultaneously at the user interface.

22. The system of claim 16, further comprising an automation service module which communicates with at least one building automation system associated with a user, the customized user interface further comprising access to the automation service module, and the automation service module displaying an automation system control interface on the customized user interface on selection of the automation service by a user, whereby a user can monitor and control building equipment associated with the building automation system remotely through the on-line device management system.

23. The system of claim 16, further comprising a data analysis module which provides reports to users generated from data received and stored from traffic count devices associated with the respective users, the customized user interface including access to the data analysis module.

24. The system of claim 16, further comprising a personal assistant module which receives and stores information from users on items purchased by the users and services to which users subscribe.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the personal assistant module further comprises a calendar module which stores and tracks warranty and service information related to items purchased by a user and provides reminders to users in advance of warranty expiry dates and scheduled service dates.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the personal assistant module further comprises links to companies providing servicing and maintenance of items entered by users.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the traffic detection devices comprise cameras and the events comprise snapshots taken when motion is detected in predetermined camera areas.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the traffic count module further comprises a report generator which generates reports comparing the number of events detected in predetermined regions over predetermined time periods.

30. The system of claim 25, further comprising a user input module which allows a user to delete selected events from the total count stored for a predetermined time period.

31. The system of claim 25, further comprising a sales information input module for receiving and storing information on total sales during the predetermined time periods, and a report generator which generates reports comparing total sales during each time period to the traffic count for that time period.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising providing a control option to users at the customized user interface whereby users control selected operational characteristics of associated surveillance devices through the website.

34. The method of claim 30, further comprising periodically checking the operational status of each device from the website, receiving and storing device status information from registered devices, and notifying the user associated with a device if a device malfunction is detected.

27. An on-line traffic count system, comprising:

a first communication module which communicates with traffic detecting devices over a public network in order to receive data from the devices;

a device data storage module which communicates with the first communication module and stores device identifying and onboard programming information;

a device control module which controls the traffic detecting devices using device programming information to send detected traffic event data to the first communication module on a selected schedule;

a traffic counting module which communicates with the first communication module to receive traffic event data and which counts the number of events received from each traffic detecting device during a series of predetermined time periods;

a storage module which communicates with the first communication module and traffic counting module and stores traffic data and the traffic count over successive time periods;

a second communication module which communicates with users accessing the system over a public network; and

a customized user interface for each user including access to the traffic counting module, the traffic counting module including a display module which displays traffic count information to the user, the display module including an event display option which displays each recorded traffic event during a selected time period for a selected traffic detection device.

32. A method of managing surveillance through an on-line portal website over a public network, comprising:

receiving and storing device access data associated with a plurality of building surveillance devices at different locations in a data storage module at an on-line portal website, the access data including the internet protocol (IP) address, user login information, and onboard application programming information for each surveillance device, at least some of the surveillance devices having different onboard application programming from other surveillance devices;

communicating with the surveillance devices using the stored device access data and controlling the devices to send surveillance data to the website on a selected schedule;

storing surveillance data received from surveillance devices in an archive data storage module at the website; and

displaying data from one or more selected surveillance devices on a customized user interface on request by a user connected to the website, the data being selected from the group consisting of live data received at the website from one surveillance device, multi-view live data received at the website from any selected group of surveillance devices, stored archive data for a selected time period from one surveillance device, and multi-view archive data received at the website from any selected group of surveillance devices, the multi-view live and archive data comprising a simultaneous display on the interface of data from the selected surveillance devices.