DISTRIBUTED MONITORING AND CONTROL OF NETWORK COMPONENTS

• US 20130124724A1
• Filed: 11/12/2012
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JohnRyan Inc.
• Original Assignee: John Ryan Performance, Inc.
• Inventors: Madgwick, Gary Paul
• Granted Patent: US 9,049,130 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A distributed monitoring system and a computer-implemented method monitors and controls locally situated network components through a monitoring and control device or processor querying the network component operating parameters and sending control commands for controlling the parameters queried. Reports of the status of the monitored network components are periodically generated from throughout the network and sent to a remotely located status viewing station configured to generate a monitoring interface and display the operational status of the network based on the status reports. If necessary, the status viewing station automatically transmits instructions, or a user enters instructions into the status viewing station, for instructing action be taken by the monitoring and control device or processor, e.g., to adjust one or more operating parameters queried. The distributed monitoring system may be particularly useful in monitoring and managing the health of a digital signage network.

Claims

1. A distributed monitoring system for monitoring and controlling network components, the distributed monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of display devices, each display device comprising a display screen configured to display content;

a monitoring and control device comprising a memory and a processor communicatively coupled to the plurality of display devices, wherein the monitoring and control device processor executes instructions stored in the monitoring and control device memory for querying one or more parameters of the plurality of display devices and for sending control commands to one or more of the display devices for controlling the one or more parameters queried; and

a status viewing device comprising a memory, a processor and a display monitor, the status viewing device processor configured to receive status reports generated by the monitoring and control device, the status reports comprising an operational status for the one or more parameters queried, wherein the status viewing device processor executes instructions stored in the status viewing device memory to generate a monitoring interface for displaying on the display monitor the operational status of the network based on the received status reports;

wherein the status viewing device is located remotely from the monitoring and control device and from the plurality of display devices communicatively coupled to the monitoring and control device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of display devices communicatively coupled to the monitoring and control device are coupled by one or more of an RS-232 interface or a TCP/IP connection.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of display devices and the monitoring and control device are arranged within the same building.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring and control device is configured to store content and transmit the content to the display device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the monitoring and control device is further configured to query an operational status of the content stored in the monitoring and control device and generate status reports comprising the operational status of the content.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the status viewing device transmits updated content to the monitoring and control device in response to receiving the status reports.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring and control device and the display devices form a local monitoring and control environment communicatively coupled by one or more of WAN and LAN.

8. A computer-implemented method for monitoring and controlling components in a network, the method comprising:

a plurality of monitoring processors, each monitoring processor communicatively coupled to a plurality of network components, and wherein each monitoring processor is configured to;

monitor the plurality of network components by querying one or more operating parameters of the plurality of network components;

detect operating parameters of the plurality of network components based on receiving operating parameter updates from the plurality of network components;

assemble a report identifying an operational status for each of the plurality of monitored network components based on the detected operating parameters; and

transmit the report; and

a status viewing processor remotely located from the plurality of monitoring processors, wherein the status viewing processor is configured to;

receive a plurality of the transmitted reports from the plurality of monitoring processors in the network;

identify operating errors for one or more of the monitored network components; and

transmit instructions for addressing the operating error to the remotely located monitoring processor having transmitted the report with the operational status for the network component with the operating error.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein based on the instructions received from the status viewing processor, the monitoring processor is configured to:

send commands to the network component with the operating error to address the error;

detect a status of the operating parameters for the network component with the operating error; and

transmit a report to the status viewing processor indicating the instructions for addressing the operating error was successful or unsuccessful.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the status viewing processor is configured to send the plurality of monitoring processors an update for updating a configuration of the plurality of network components, and wherein the monitoring processors are further configured to send the plurality of monitored network components instructions for updating the configuration based on the update received.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein each monitoring processor is further configured to detect a status of an installation of the updates on the plurality of monitored network components and transmit a report of the status of the installation of the updates to the status viewing processor.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the detected operating parameters by the monitoring processor comprise a presence of operating parameter errors based on an absence of receipt of operating parameter updates from the network components.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the status viewing processor is further configured to generate a display listing an overview of monitored parameters within the network and an operational status of the network components for each of the monitoring processors in the network based on the plurality of reports received.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the status viewing processor is further configured to generate a display listing an operational status of each of the network components monitored by the monitoring processors based on the plurality of reports received.

15. A digital signage network configured with a distributed monitoring system for monitoring and controlling network components, the digital signage network comprising:

a plurality of local monitoring and control environments, where each monitoring and control environment includes a content player configured to transmit content to display devices within the local monitoring and control environment and a monitoring and control device, wherein the monitoring and control device is configured to;

monitor an operational status of the content player and display devices by querying the content player and display devices;

detect operating parameters of the content player and display devices based on receiving operating parameter updates therefrom;

assemble a report identifying an operational status for the local monitoring and control environment based on the detected operating parameters; and

transmit the operational status report; and

a status viewing station remotely located from the local monitoring and control environments, wherein the status viewing station comprises a processor configured to;

receive the transmitted operational status reports from each local monitoring and control environment; and

generate a display listing an operational status of each local monitoring and control environment based on the plurality of reports received.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the content player is configured to store content for multiple channels, and wherein the operational status report comprises information about an operational status of the content for each of the multiple channels.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the status viewing station processor is configured to transmit updated content and playlist schedules for updating the stored content associated with the multiple channels.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the digital signage network operates on a secure network and each local monitoring and control environment further comprises a secure distribution server, wherein the secure distribution server receives the transmitted operational status report and delivers the operational status report to the status viewing station.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the stations viewing station is further configured to:

identify operating errors for one or more of the local monitoring and control environments based on the plurality of operational status reports; and

transmit instructions to one or more of the monitoring and control devices associated with the local monitoring and control environment having the identified operating errors.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the instructions transmitted are based the status viewing station processor receiving instructions from a user.