Method and Apparatus to Facilitate Receiving and Processing Status Information As Pertains to a Self-Storage Facility

• US 20090231121A1
• Filed: 12/30/2008
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Preferred Technology Systems, LLC (Assa Abloy AB)
• Original Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Inventors: Keller, Robert R. JR., Fitzgibbon, James Joseph, Daniel-Wayman, Robert, Vincent, Daniel M., Ferguson, Justen S.
• Application Number:
  US12/346,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20090231121A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/521
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2209/04 Indication location means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A central facility automatically receives status information regarding at least three different kinds of system elements and processes that status information to provide a corresponding status report. These teachings will readily accommodate a wide variety of system elements including, but not limited to, area lights, security cameras, overlooks, movable barrier status detectors, point-of-entry elements, sensors of various kinds, data communication paths, and so forth.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a self-storage facility having a plurality of self-storage units that are each accessible via a corresponding movable barrier, wherein access to given ones of the self-storage units by corresponding end users is controllable by the end user;

automatically receiving, at a central facility, status information regarding at least three of;

at least one area light at the self-storage facility;

at least one security camera for the self-storage facility;

at least one overlock at the self-storage facility;

status of at least one of the movable barriers;

a point of entry to the self-storage facility;

at least one sensor at the self-storage facility;

at least one data communication path at the self-storage facility;

processing the status information to provide a corresponding status report.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically receiving the status information comprises automatically pulling the status information from corresponding sources.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically receiving the status information comprises receiving pushed status information from corresponding sources.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically receiving the status information comprises receiving the status information via a wireless communication path.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein receiving the status information via a wireless communication path comprises receiving the status information via a wireless communication path that comprises, for at least one status information source, at least one repeater.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically receiving the status information comprises receiving the status information via a non-wireless communication path.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the status information comprises receiving at least five of:

at least one area light at the self-storage facility;

at least one security camera for the self-storage facility;

at least one overlock at the self-storage facility;

at least one status of the movable barriers;

a point of entry to the self-storage facility;

at least one sensor at the self-storage facility;

at least one data communication path at the self-storage facility.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the status information comprises receiving each of:

at least one area light at the self-storage facility;

at least one security camera for the self-storage facility;

at least one overlock at the self-storage facility;

at least one status of the movable barriers;

a point of entry to the self-storage facility;

at least one sensor at the self-storage facility;

at least one data communication path at the self-storage facility.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the status information comprises, at least in part, information regarding operational integrity of a corresponding source of the status information.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the status information to provide a corresponding status report comprises identifying status information sources that require maintenance attention.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

automatically notifying a service provider regarding contents of the corresponding status report.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein automatically notifying a service provider regarding contents of the corresponding status report comprises using at least one of:

email;

short message service (SMS);

texting;

a synthesized voice message;

a pre-recorded voice message;

a facsimile transmission;

a popup message.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein automatically notifying a service provider regarding contents of the corresponding status report comprises providing the service provider with a code.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

detecting presentation of the code by an agent of the service provider at the self-storage facility;

automatically responding to the presentation of the code by taking at least one predetermined action.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one predetermined action comprises admitting the agent into the self-storage facility.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one predetermined action comprises automatically controlling lighting at the self-storage facility to uniquely denote a particular path, from amongst a plurality of candidate paths, to thereby direct the agent to a status information source that requires the maintenance attention.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the data communication path comprises a wireless data communication path.

18. A method comprising:

at a self-storage facility having a plurality of self-storage units that are each accessible via a corresponding movable barrier, wherein access to given ones of the self-storage units by corresponding end users is controllable by the end user;

storing, at a central facility computer, computer application configuration information regarding at least three of;

at least one area light at the self-storage facility;

at least one security camera for the self-storage facility;

at least one overlock at the self-storage facility;

at least one movable barrier at the self-storage facility;

a point of entry to the self-storage facility;

at least one sensor at the self-storage facility;

automatically backing up the computer application configuration information to provide corresponding back-up data.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein storing the computer application configuration information comprises storing, at a central facility computer, computer application configuration information regarding at least five of:

at least one area light at the self-storage facility;

at least one security camera for the self-storage facility;

at least one overlock at the self-storage facility;

at least movable barrier at the self-storage facility;

a point of entry to the self-storage facility;

at least one sensor at the self-storage facility.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein storing the computer application configuration information comprises storing, at a central facility computer, computer application configuration information regarding each of:

at least one area light at the self-storage facility;

at least one security camera for the self-storage facility;

at least one overlock at the self-storage facility;

at least one movable barrier at the self-storage facility;

a point of entry to the self-storage facility;

at least one sensor at the self-storage facility.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein automatically backing up the computer application configuration information comprises backing up the computer application configuration information to an off-site storage facility.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein automatically backing up the computer application configuration information comprises backing up the computer application configuration information to an on-site storage facility.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein automatically backing up the computer application configuration information comprises automatically backing up the computer application configuration information on a scheduled basis.

24. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

detecting a fault with the central facility computer;

in response to detecting the fault, automatically reinstating the computer application configuration information using the back-up data.

25. An apparatus comprising:

at a central facility for a self-storage facility having a plurality of self-storage units that are each accessible via a corresponding movable barrier, wherein access to given ones of the self-storage units by corresponding end users is controllable by the end user;

a data interface;

a controller operably coupled to the data interface and being configured to;

automatically receive, via the data interface, status information regarding at least three of;

at least one area light at the self-storage facility;

at least one security camera for the self-storage facility;

at least one overlock at the self-storage facility;

status of at least one of the movable barriers;

a point of entry to the self-storage facility;

at least one sensor at the self-storage facility;

at least one data communication path at the self-storage facility;

process the status information to provide a corresponding status report.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the controller is configured to automatically receive the status information by automatically pulling the status information from corresponding sources.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the controller is configured to automatically receive the status information by receiving pushed status information from corresponding sources.

28. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the data interface is configured to automatically receive the status information by receiving the status information via a wireless communication path.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the data interface is configured to receive the status information via a wireless communication path by receiving the status information via a wireless communication path that comprises, for at least one status information source, at least one repeater.

30. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the data interface is configured to automatically receive the status information by receiving the status information via a non-wireless communication path.

31. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the controller is configured to receive the status information by receiving at least five of:

at least one area light at the self-storage facility;

at least one security camera for the self-storage facility;

at least one overlock at the self-storage facility;

status of at least one of the movable barriers;

a point of entry to the self-storage facility;

at least one sensor at the self-storage facility;

at least one data communication path at the self-storage facility.

32. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the controller is configured to receive the status information by receiving each of:

at least one area light at the self-storage facility;

at least one security camera for the self-storage facility;

at least one overlock at the self-storage facility;

status of at least one of the movable barriers;

a point of entry to the self-storage facility;

at least one sensor at the self-storage facility;

at least one data communication path at the self-storage facility.

33. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the status information comprises, at least in part, information regarding operational integrity of a corresponding source of the status information.

34. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the controller is configured to process the status information to provide a corresponding status report by identifying status information sources that require maintenance attention.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the controller is configured to:

automatically notify a service provider regarding contents of the corresponding status report.

36. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the controller is configured to automatically notify a service provider regarding contents of the corresponding status report by using at least one of:

email;

short message service (SMS);

texting;

a synthesized voice message;

a pre-recorded voice message;

a facsimile transmission;

a popup message.

37. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the controller is configured to automatically notify a service provider regarding contents of the corresponding status report by providing the service provider with a code.

38. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the controller is configured to:

detect presentation of the code by an agent of the service provider at the self-storage facility;

automatically respond to the presentation of the code by taking at least one predetermined action.

39. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein the at least one predetermined action comprises admitting the agent into the self-storage facility.

40. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein the at least one predetermined action comprises automatically controlling lighting at the self-storage facility to uniquely denote a particular path, from amongst a plurality of candidate paths, to thereby direct the agent to a status information source that requires the maintenance attention.

41. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the data communication path comprises a wireless data communication path.