MACHINE TO MACHINE ARCHITECTURE

• US 20110200052A1
• Filed: 05/10/2010
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Mungo, Fabio, Franco, Andrea, Paterlini, Emilio
• Granted Patent: US 9,497,070 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0266 using meta-data, objects or commands for formatting management information, e.g. using eXtensible markup language [XML]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0273 using web services for network management, e.g. simple object access protocol [SOAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/028 for synchronisation between service call and response
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

A machine-to-machine communication platform provides a flexible system for device control and solution hosting. In particular, the communication platform hosts and manages third party vertical solutions that interact with external devices. A third party gateway provides the third parties with access to the communication platform so that the third parties may define, configure, and monitor custom vertical solutions that are locally hosted in the communication platform. The communication platform provides a communication manager that implements a device independent communication facility for communicating with the external devices. As a result, the communication platform connects to, communicates with, and controls virtually any external device.

Claims

1. A machine-to-machine communication platform, comprising:

a vertical solution gateway in communication with a vertical solution hosted and managed in the machine-to-machine communication platform;

an orchestration layer in communication with the vertical solution interface;

a third party gateway in communication with the orchestration layer, the third party gateway operative to provide remote third party access for vertical solution management for the vertical solution;

a communication manager in communication with the orchestration layer, the communication manager implementing a device independent communication facility for communicating with external devices; and

a network interface between the communication manager and the external devices.

2. The communication platform of claim 1, where the communication manager comprises communication adapters for the external devices.

3. The communication platform of claim 2, where the communication adapters are operable to convert data received from the external devices into a standardized format message used in the communication platform.

4. The communication platform of claim 3, where the communication adapters are further operable to deliver the standardized format message to the vertical solution.

5. The communication platform of claim 1, further comprising:

an event handler in communication with the orchestration layer, the event handler operative to receive events generated by the external devices.

6. The communication platform of claim 5, where the event handler comprises an event rules repository and an event generator.

7. The communication platform of claim 6, where the event handler further comprises an event manager accessible through the third party gateway for creation of custom vertical solutions hosted in the communication platform for a third party.

8. A method for machine to machine communication, comprising:

implementing a vertical solution gateway operable to communicate with a vertical solution hosted and managed in the machine-to-machine communication platform;

implementing an orchestration layer in communication with the vertical solution interface;

implementing a third party gateway in communication with the orchestration layer, and providing remote third party access for vertical solution management for the vertical solution through the third party gateway;

implementing a communication manager in communication with the orchestration layer to provide a device independent communication facility for communicating with external devices; and

implementing a network interface between the communication manager and the external devices.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising installing communication adapters for the external devices in the communication manager.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising using the communication adapters to convert data received from the external devices into a standardized format message used in the communication platform.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising using the communication adapters to deliver the standardized format message to the vertical solution.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

implementing an event handler in communication with the orchestration layer, the event handler operative to receive events generated by the external devices.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising implementing, in the event handler, an event rules repository and an event generator.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising implementing, in the event handler, an event manager accessible through the third party gateway for creation of custom vertical solutions hosted in the communication platform for a third party.

15. A product comprising a machine readable medium and a logic on the medium that when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:

implement a vertical solution gateway operable to communicate with a vertical solution hosted and managed in the machine-to-machine communication platform;

implement an orchestration layer in communication with the vertical solution interface;

implement a third party gateway in communication with the orchestration layer, and providing remote third party access for vertical solution management for the vertical solution through the third party gateway;

implement a communication manager in communication with the orchestration layer to provide a device independent communication facility for communicating with external devices; and

implement a network interface between the communication manager and the external devices.

16. The product of claim 15, where the logic, when executed, further causes the processor to install communication adapters for the external devices in the communication manager.

17. The product of claim 16, where the logic, when executed, further causes the processor to use the communication adapters to convert data received from the external devices into a standardized format message used in the communication platform.

18. The product of claim 17, where the logic, when executed, further causes the processor to use the communication adapters to deliver the standardized format message to the vertical solution.

19. The product of claim 15, where the logic, when executed, further causes the processor to implement an event handler in communication with the orchestration layer, the event handler operative to receive events generated by the external devices.

20. The product of claim 19, where the logic, when executed, further causes the processor to implement, in the event handler, an event rules repository and an event generator.