MANAGING APPLICATION FAILURES IN A SYSTEM OF DOMESTIC APPLIANCES

• US 20130187750A1
• Filed: 06/20/2011
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Blache, Fabrice, Demottie, Christophe, Martigne, Patricia
• Granted Patent: US 9,709,981 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/3.44
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0259 characterized by the response to fault detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality

Abstract

A method of managing a system provides a minimum service in the system. The system includes a set of pieces of equipment including data-gathering equipment and/or equipment that is to be controlled, the pieces of equipment being connected to a management module via respective first communications links. The management module is suitable for determining a control command as a function of data received from at least one piece of data-gathering equipment via a first communications link and for transmitting the control command to at least one piece of equipment that is to be controlled. The method is adapted to detect an absence of application signaling activity from the management module over a predetermined time period and to trigger a minimum service by sending an alert message to at least one piece of equipment of the system.

Claims

1. A method of managing a system comprising a management module and a set of pieces of equipment connected to the management module via respective first communications links, said set comprising at least one piece of equipment that is to be controlled and at least one piece of data-gathering equipment, said management module being configured for determining at least one control command as a function of data received from at least one piece of data-gathering equipment via the first communications link and for transmitting said at least one control command that has been determined to at least one piece of equipment that is to be controlled;

wherein the method comprises the following steps;

monitoring application signaling activity from said management module;

detecting an absence of application signaling activity over a predetermined time period; and

triggering a minimum service by sending an alert message to at least one piece of equipment of the system in the event of detecting an absence of application signaling activity.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring step comprises a step of receiving operating messages from the management module, and wherein activity is detected as being absent in the event of not receiving an operating message over a predetermined time period.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring step comprises a step of regularly sending a monitoring message, and wherein activity is detected as being absent in the event of not receiving a message in response to said monitoring message within the predetermined time period.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first communications link is a wireless link over which the step of transmitting an alert message is performed in broadcast mode.

5. A method of providing a minimum service in a system comprising a management module and a set of pieces of equipment connected to the management module via respective first communications links, said set including at least one piece of equipment that is to be controlled and at least one piece of data-gathering equipment, said at least one piece of data-gathering equipment being configured for transmitting data to said management module via the first communications link, the method comprising the following steps:

receiving an alert message; and

on receiving the alert message, transmitting or receiving at least one command message for at least one piece of equipment that is to be controlled via a second communications link.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the transmission step is preceded by a step of activating said second communications link with said at least one piece of equipment that is to be controlled.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the second activation link remains activated until a connection request message is received from the management module.

8. A detection device comprising:

monitoring means for monitoring application signaling activity from a management module, which is connected to a set of pieces of equipment via respective first communications links, said set comprising at least one piece of equipment that is to be controlled and at least one piece of data-gathering equipment, said management module being configured for determining at least one control command as a function of data received from at least one piece of data-gathering equipment via the first communications link and for transmitting said at least one control command that has been determined to at least one piece of equipment that is to be controlled;

detection means for detecting an absence of application signaling activity over a predetermined time period; and

trigger means for triggering a minimum service by transmitting an alert message to at least one piece of equipment of the system in the event of detecting an absence of application signaling activity.

11. The device according to claim 8, wherein the device further comprises:

the data gathering equipment, which comprises transmission means suitable for transmitting at least one result of measurements to the management module via the first communications link.

9. A device for providing a minimum service in a system comprising a management module and a set of pieces of equipment connected to the management module via respective first communications links, said set including at least one piece of equipment that is to be controlled and at least one piece of data-gathering equipment, said at least one piece of data-gathering equipment being configured for transmitting data to said management module via the first communications link, the device comprising:

receiver means for receiving an alert message; and

communications means suitable for transmitting or receiving at least one command message for at least one piece of equipment that is to be controlled via a second communications link, after receiving the alert message.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the communications means further comprise means for activating said second communications link with said at least one piece of equipment that is to be controlled.

16. The device according to claim 9, wherein the device further comprises:

the data-gathering equipment, which comprises transmission means suitable for transmitting at least one result of measurements to the management module via the first communications link.

12. Equipment that is to be controlled, the equipment comprising:

receiver means suitable for receiving at least one control command coming from a management module via a first communications link;

receiver means for receiving an alert message; and

receiver means for receiving at least one control message coming from a piece of data-gathering equipment via a second communications link after receiving the alert message.

13. A system comprising:

a management module;

a set of pieces of equipment connected to the management module via respective first communications links, said set comprising at least one piece of equipment that is to be controlled and at least one piece of data-gathering equipment, said module being configured to determine at least one control command as a function of data received from at least one piece of data-gathering equipment and to transmit said at least one control command that has been determined to at least one piece of equipment that is to be controlled;

at least one detection device comprising;

monitoring means for monitoring application signaling activity from the management module;

detection means for detecting an absence of application signaling activity over a predetermined time period; and

trigger means for triggering a minimum service by transmitting an alert message to at least one piece of equipment of the system in the event of detecting an absence of application signaling activity; and

at least one device for providing a minimum service, the device comprising;

receiver means for receiving the alert message; and

communications means for transmitting or receiving at least one command message for at least one piece of equipment that is to be controlled via a second communications link, after receiving the alert message.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device comprising a computer program stored thereon and including instructions for implementing steps of managing a system when loaded and executed by a processor, the system comprising a management module and a set of pieces of equipment connected to the management module via respective first communications links, said set comprising at least one piece of equipment that is to be controlled and at least one piece of data-gathering equipment, said management module being configured for determining at least one control command as a function of data received from at least one piece of data-gathering equipment via the first communications link and for transmitting said at least one control command that has been determined to at least one piece of equipment that is to be controlled;

wherein the instructions comprise;

instructions that configure the processor to monitor application signaling activity from said management module;

instructions that configure the processor to detect an absence of application signaling activity over a predetermined time period; and

instructions that configure the processor to trigger a minimum service by sending an alert message to at least one piece of equipment of the system in the event of detecting an absence of application signaling activity.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device comprising a computer program product stored thereon and including instructions for implementing steps of a method for providing a minimum service in a system when loaded and executed by a processor, the system comprising a management module and a set of pieces of equipment connected to the management module via respective first communications links, said set including at least one piece of equipment that is to be controlled and at least one piece of data-gathering equipment, said at least one piece of data-gathering equipment being configured for transmitting data to said management module via the first communications link, wherein the instructions comprise:

instructions that configure the processor to receive an alert message; and

instructions that configure the processor to, on receiving the alert message, transmit or receive at least one command message for at least one piece of equipment that is to be controlled via a second communications link.