SYSTEM FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICE MONITORING

• US 20110016199A1
• Filed: 07/17/2009
• Published: 01/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Inilex Incorporated (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Inilex Incorporated (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ferguson, Scott L., Reeder, Paul, De Carlo, Phil
• Application Number:
  US12/505,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20110016199A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

The present invention relates to telemetry methods and systems and more particularly, to telemetry network connectivity systems, devices and methods. In accordance with various embodiments, a suite of software components configured to provide machine-to-machine network connectivity includes a configurable device translation server module, a complex message constructor and at least one database. In some embodiments the suite of software components, specifically the complex message constructor, may be configured to authenticate commands between an interface and the device translation server. Additionally, the suite of software components, specifically the complex message constructor, may be configured to manage messages between the interface and the device translation server. Managing messages may include initiating alerts and notifications based on a comparison of programming and substantially synchronous and stored information.

Claims

1. A suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity comprising:

a configurable interface configured to call a device instance method;

at least one device specific configurable device translation server module configured to translate between the interface to a device specific protocol utilizing a device specific network;

at least one device configured to send and receive reporting information in the device specific protocol on the device specific network to the device translation server module;

a complex message constructor configured to authenticate and manage messages; and

a database coupled to the configurable device translation server module and the complex message constructor.

2. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 1, wherein authenticating messages comprises securing communication between the device translation server module, the database and the interface, and managing messages comprises initiating alerts and notifications based on a comparison of programming and both stored device reporting information and substantially real-time device reporting information.

3. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 1, wherein the database is configured to at least one of

provide and store device configuration,

provide and store user credentials,

provide and store device specific protocol information,

provide and store device specific network information, and

provide and store device reporting information.

4. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 1, wherein the interface comprises at least one of a web application interface, a dedicated software application interface, a personal digital assistant (PDA) interface, a mobile communication device interface, an interactive voice response system, a DTMF-tone control system, and combinations thereof.

5. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 1, wherein the configurable device translation server module is configured to execute the device instance method and store the device instance method in the database wherein the device instance method includes device specific protocol information and device specific network information.

6. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 1, wherein the configurable device translation server translates between device specific protocol information and a common telemetry interface.

7. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 1, wherein the configurable device translation server is configured to select the device specific network based upon preprogrammed data.

8. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 1, wherein the database may be coupled to the configurable device translation server virtually.

9. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 1, wherein the database may be coupled to the complex message constructor virtually.

10. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 1, further comprising at least one additional device with at least one device specific configurable device translation server module configured to translate between the interface to an additional device specific protocol on an additional device specific network.

11. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 1, wherein the configurable device translation server further comprises an optimization utility configured to provide machine-to-machine communication based on network optimization factors.

12. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 11, wherein the network optimization factors further comprises at least one of a determination of network availability, a determination of backup network availability, a determination of expected network data transfer duration and a determination of expected backup network data transfer duration.

13. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 1, wherein the device specific protocol comprises one or more of XML, SOAP over HTTP, WSDL, UDDI, SMTP, binary encoding over TCP, ReFlex, GPRS, EDGE, Mobitex, CDMA, EVDO, VSAT, wired LAN, wired WAN, message queues via Microsoft Windows MSMQ.

14. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 1, wherein the device specific network comprises one or more of Skytel, USAM, Wyless, Sprint, Private LAN, T-Mobile, AT&

T, Private VPN, ReFLEX or Mobitex, WCTP, and Private WAN.

15. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 1, wherein the complex message constructor notifications based on a comparison of programming and stored device reporting information and substantially synchronous device reporting information programming comprise at least one of a determination of data trends, a determination of the device status, a determination of the device communication failure, a determination of the device operating in an unauthorized manner, a determination of a reported level deviating from an expected range, and a determination of reported data exceeding a safety condition.

16. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 1, wherein the complex message constructor notifications based on a comparison of programming and both stored device reporting information and substantially synchronous device reporting information notifications comprise at least one of notifying a user of a condition and issuing a command to a device.

17. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 1, wherein the complex message constructor is configured to allow a user to set a notification preference.

18. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 1, wherein the complex message constructor is configured to allow a user to set an escalating notification preference.

19. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 1, wherein suite of software components further comprises at least one additional database.

20. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 1, wherein the complex message constructor is configured to provide one or more of credential verification, certificate matching, authentication, discovery, encapsulated data, wrapping of private data in classes in object-oriented programming languages, protocol layering and message encryption.

21. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 1, wherein the information provided to the interface can be one or more of asynchronous, simulated synchronous and synchronous.

22. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 1, wherein the configurable device translation server, the complex message constructor and the database are replicable.

23. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 1, wherein the device configured to send remote reporting information in the device specific protocol on the device specific network to the device translation server module is passive.

24. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 1 wherein the complex message constructor and device translation server module are collocated on one server module.

25. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 1 wherein each device is identified by a user selected common name.

26. A suite of software components configured to provide a system of machine-to-machine network connectivity comprising:

at least one device specific configurable device translation server module configured to send communications, receive communications and translate between an interface to a device specific protocol on a device specific network;

a complex message constructor configured to receive messages, send messages, authenticate messages and manage messages; and

a database coupled to the complex message constructor and the device translation server.

27. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 26, wherein authenticating messages further comprises securing communication between the device translation server module, the database and the interface, and managing messages comprises initiating alerts and notifications based on a comparison of programming and both stored device reporting information and substantially real-time and reporting information.

28. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 26, wherein the database is configured to at least one of:

provide and store device configuration,

provide and store user credentials,

provide and store device specific protocol information,

provide and store device specific network information, and

provide and store device reporting information.

29. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 26, wherein the interface comprises a web application interface.

30. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 26, wherein the configurable device translation server module is configured to execute a device instance method and store the device instance method in the database wherein the device instance method includes device specific protocol information and device specific network information.

31. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 26, wherein the configurable device translation server translates between device specific protocol information and a common telemetry interface.

32. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 26, wherein the configurable device translation server is configured to select the device specific network based upon preprogrammed data.

33. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 26, wherein the database may be coupled to the configurable device translation server virtually.

34. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 26, wherein the database may be coupled to the complex message constructor virtually.

35. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 26, further comprising at least one additional device with at least one device specific configurable device translation server module configured to translate between the interface to an additional device specific protocol on an additional device specific network.

36. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 26, wherein the configurable device translation server further comprises an optimization utility configured to provide machine to machine communication based on network optimization factors.

37. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 36, wherein the network optimization factors further comprises at least one of a determination of network availability, a determination of backup network availability, a determination of expected network data transfer duration and a determination of expected backup network data transfer duration.

38. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 26, wherein the device specific protocol comprises one or more of XML, SOAP over HTTP, WSDL, UDDI, SMTP, binary encoding over TCP, ReFlex, GPRS, EDGE, Mobitex, CDMA, EVDO, VSAT, wired LAN, wired WAN, message queues via Microsoft Windows MSMQ.

39. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 26, wherein the device specific network comprises one or more of Skytel, USAM, Wyless, Sprint, Private LAN, T-Mobile, AT&

T, Private VPN, ReFLEX or Mobitex, WCTP, and Private WAN.

40. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 26, wherein the complex message constructor notifications based on a comparison of programming and stored device reporting information and substantially real-time device reporting information programming comprise at least one of a determination of data trends, a determination of the device status, a determination of the device communication failure, a determination of the device operating in an unauthorized manner, a determination of a reported level deviating from an expected range, and a determination of reported data exceeding a safety condition.

41. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 26, wherein the complex message constructor notifications based on a comparison of programming and both stored device reporting information and substantially synchronous device reporting information notifications comprise at least one of notifying a user of a condition and issuing a command to a device.

42. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 26, wherein the complex message constructor is configured to allow a user to set a notification preference.

43. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 26, wherein the complex message constructor is configured to allow a user to set an escalating notification preference.

44. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 26, wherein suite of software components further comprises at least one additional database.

45. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 26, wherein the complex message constructor is configured to provide one or more of credential verification, certificate matching, authentication, discovery, encapsulated data, wrapping of private data in classes in object-oriented programming languages, protocol layering and message encryption.

46. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 26, wherein the information provided to the interface can be one or more of asynchronous, simulated synchronous and synchronous.

47. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 26, wherein the configurable device translation server, the complex message constructor and the database are replicable.

48. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 26, wherein the device configured to send remote reporting information in the device specific protocol on the device specific network to the device translation server module is passive.

49. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 26, further comprising

a second device specific configurable device translation server module coupled to the complex message constructor;

a second complex message constructor coupled to the device translation server module; and

a second database coupled to the second complex message constructor and the second device specific configurable device translation server module.

50. The suite of software components of claim 26, wherein the complex message constructor and device translation server module are collocated on one server module.

51. The suite of software components configured to provide a system for machine-to-machine network connectivity of claim 26 wherein each device is identified by a user selected common name.