CLOUD ENABLED VIRTUAL GATEWAY

• US 20120303828A1
• Filed: 05/26/2011
• Published: 11/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Digi International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Digi International Inc.
• Inventors: Young, Joel K., Zarns, Michael L., Cole, Bradford D., Fodor, Eugene F.
• Application Number:
  US13/116,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20120303828A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561

Abstract

Various embodiments include methods and systems for a cloud enabled virtual gateway. The virtual gateway can masquerade to a cloud-based application as a gateway at a geographic location. The virtual gateway can also receive a request from the cloud-based application for a device at the geographic location. The virtual gateway can then communicate with a third-party system to satisfy the request where the third-party system is communicatively coupled to the device.

Claims

1. In a virtual gateway, a method comprising:

masquerading, using one or more processors, as a gateway located at a geographic location, wherein masquerading includes presenting a cloud-facing interface to a cloud-based application and presenting a device interface to a device located at the geographic location;

receiving a request from the cloud-based application for the device at the geographic location; and

communicating with a third-party system to satisfy the request, the third-party system being communicatively coupled to the device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual gateway is in a cloud with the cloud-based application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request includes using a first protocol and communicating with the third-party system includes using a second protocol, the first protocol being different than the second protocol.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein using the second protocol includes translating, within the virtual gateway, the request in the first protocol into a request in the second protocol.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

communicatively coupling over a communications network to a second device;

receiving a request from the cloud-based application for the second device, wherein the request uses the first protocol; and

communicating with the second device to satisfy the request for the second device using a third protocol.

6. The method of claim of claim 5, wherein communicating with the second device includes:

receiving information from the second device; and

storing the information from the second device in the virtual gateway;

wherein satisfying the second request includes responding based on information from the second device stored in the virtual gateway.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein masquerading as the gateway at the geographic location includes using a network address corresponding to the geographic location and reproducing a cloud-based application facing interface of the gateway.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating includes transmitting a message from the virtual gateway to the cloud-based application in response to a reply received from the third-party system;

wherein the request includes an inquiry for information from the device.

9. The method of claim of claim 1, wherein communicating includes initiating, by the virtual gateway, one or more actions by the device based on device commands included in the request.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating includes:

receiving device information from the third-party system; and

storing the device information in the virtual gateway;

wherein satisfying the request includes using the stored device information.

11. A system comprising:

a device at a geographic location;

a third-party system communicatively coupled to the device;

a cloud-based application; and

a virtual gateway communicatively coupled to the third-party system and the cloud-based application, the virtual gateway configured to;

masquerade, to the cloud-based application, as a physical gateway at the geographic location;

receive a request, from the cloud-based application, for the device; and

communicate through the third-party system to the device in order to satisfy the request.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the virtual gateway is in a cloud with the cloud-based application.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the virtual gateway is configured to receive the request in a first protocol and the virtual gateway is configured to communicate using a second protocol with the third-party system.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the virtual gateway includes a device driver configured to communicate using the second protocol.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the device driver is configured to translate the request in the first protocol into the second protocol.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the virtual gateway further includes a second device driver, the second device driver configured to communicatively couple with a second device;

and

wherein the virtual gateway is further configured to receive a second request, from the cloud-based application, for the second device using the first protocol and to communicate, using the second device driver and a third protocol, with the second device to satisfy the second request, the third protocol being different than the first protocol and the second protocol.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the second device driver is further configured to:

receive information from the second device;

store the information from the second device; and

wherein the virtual gateway is configured to use the stored information to satisfy the second request.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the virtual gateway is configured to reproduce a cloud-based application facing interface of the physical gateway and to use a network address associated with the geographic location to masquerade as the physical gateway.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the device driver is further configured to receive a reply from the third-party system in response to the request including an inquiry for information from the device;

and

wherein the device driver is further configured to transmit a message to the cloud-based application based on the reply.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the request includes one or more device commands corresponding to one or more actions of the device;

and

wherein the device is configured to perform at least one action based on the one or more device commands.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the device driver is further configured to:

receive device information from the third-party system;

store the device information; and

wherein to satisfy the request includes the stored device information.

22. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the device or the second device are a utility meter.

23. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the device or the second device are an automation or monitoring device.

24. A machine-readable medium including instructions, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

masquerade as a gateway located at a geographic location by presenting a cloud-based application facing interface of the gateway;

communicate with a third-party system, via a device driver, to satisfy a request received from the cloud-based application for a first device at the geographic location; and

communicate with a second device at the geographic location, via a second device driver, to satisfy a second request received from the cloud-based application.

25. A system for measuring utility usage, the system comprising:

a first utility meter and a second utility meter, wherein the first utility meter and the second utility meter are located at a geographic location;

a gateway device connected to the first utility meter;

a third-party system communicatively coupled through a communications network and the gateway device to the first utility meter; and

a processor located at a remote location, wherein the processor is communicatively coupled through a communications network to the second utility meter, the third-party system, and a cloud-based application, and wherein the processor implements a virtual gateway configured to;

masquerade as a physical gateway to the second utility meter;

receive a first request for the first utility meter from the cloud-based application;

communicate the first request to the first utility meter via the third-party system and the gateway device;

receive a second request for the second utility meter from the cloud-based application; and

communicate the second request to the second utility meter.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the cloud-based application is configured to communicate the first request and the second request using a first protocol, wherein to communicate the first request to the first utility meter includes a translation of the first request into a second protocol, and wherein to communicate the second request to the second utility meter includes a translation of the second request into a third protocol.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the translation of the first request into the second protocol is performed by a first device driver of the virtual gateway, and wherein the translation of the second request into the third protocol is performed by a second device driver of the virtual gateway.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the first utility meter is configured to receive the first request, wherein the first request includes an inquiry for information, and communicate the information to the third-party system via the gateway device;

wherein the third-party system is configured to communicate the information to the virtual gateway in the second protocol; and

wherein the virtual gateway is configured to communicate the information to the cloud-based application in the first protocol.

29. A system for accessing monitoring and automation (M&

A) devices, the system comprising;

a first M&

A device and a second M&

A device located at a geographic location;

a third-party system communicatively coupled over a communications network to the first M&

A device;

a cloud-based application; and

a processor communicatively coupled over a communications network to the cloud-based application, the third-party system, and the second M&

A device, wherein the processor is located at a remote location, and wherein the processor implements a virtual gateway configured to;

implement a cloud-facing interface of the gateway device;

receive a request at the cloud-facing interface from the cloud-based application;

communicate the request to the first M&

A device via the third-party system;

communicate the request to the second M&

A device;

receive information from the first M&

A device and the second M&

A device; and

communicate the information to the cloud-based application.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the cloud-based application is configured to communicate with the virtual gateway in a first protocol.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the third-party system is configured to communicate with the virtual gateway in a second protocol;

and

wherein the third-party system is configured to communicate with the first M&

A device in a third protocol.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the virtual gateway includes a first device driver configured to translate the request and the information between the first protocol and the second protocol.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the second M&

A device is configured to communicate with the virtual gateway in a fourth protocol; and

wherein the first protocol is different than the second protocol.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the virtual gateway includes a second device driver configured to translate the request and the information between the first protocol and the second protocol.

35. The system of claim 29, wherein the request includes M&

A device instructions; and

wherein at least one of the first M&

A device or the second M&

A device are configured to execute the M&

A device instructions.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein at least one of the first M&

A device or the second M&

A device are a networked thermostat; and

wherein the networked thermostat adjusts the output of a heating or cooling system based on the M&

A device instructions.

37. A method for accessing monitoring and automation (M&

A) devices, the method comprising;

implementing, in a virtual gateway using one or more processors, a cloud facing interface of a physical gateway;

using, by the virtual gateway, a location identity of a geographic location, wherein the virtual gateway is remotely located from the geographic location;

communicating, by a cloud based application through a communications network, a request to the virtual gateway, wherein the request is for a M&

A device located at the geographic location;

communicating, by the virtual gateway through the communications network, the request to a third party system;

communicating, by the third-party system, the request to the M&

A device; and

satisfying, by the M&

A device, the request.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein satisfying the request includes returning information to the third-party system;

wherein communicating the request to the third-party system includes receiving the information at the virtual gateway; and

wherein communication the request to the virtual gateway includes receiving the information at the cloud-based application.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein communicating the request to the virtual gateway includes:

communicating, by the cloud-based application, a second request for a second M&

A device to the virtual gateway, wherein the second M&

A device is located at the geographic location and communicatively coupled to the virtual gateway via the communications network;

communicating, by the virtual gateway, the second request to the second M&

A device; and

satisfying, by the second M&

A device, the second request.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein communicating the request and the second request to the virtual gateway includes using a first protocol;

wherein communicating the request to the third-party system includes using a second protocol; and

wherein communicating the second request to the second M&

A device includes using a third protocol.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein using the second protocol includes translating, using a first device driver, the request from the first protocol to the second protocol;

and

wherein using the third protocol includes translating, using a second device driver, the second request from the first protocol to the third protocol.