WIFI-TO-SERIAL ENCAPSULATION IN SYSTEMS

• US 20140126425A1
• Filed: 07/30/2013
• Published: 05/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iControl Networks, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Dana Burd, Paul J. Dawes
• Inventors: BURD, Dana, DAWES, Paul J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,051,078 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/255
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/08 Construction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/163 Real estate management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2843 Mains power line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/022 Multivendor or multi-standard integration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0226 Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• 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 67/55 : Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 : Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 : Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 : Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 : Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/26 : Special purpose or proprietary protocols or architectures network applications for proprietary or special purpose networking environments H04L67/12

Abstract

Embodiments include a device comprising an interface module for interfacing with proprietary legacy systems. The interface module comprises a data interface for interfacing with a processing component of the legacy system, where the processing component uses a proprietary protocol for processing data of the legacy system. The interface module includes a protocol module that comprises a protocol corresponding to the proprietary protocol of the legacy system, and the interface module uses the protocol to exchange data with the processing component. The interface module includes a communication device that communicates with a remote system via a wireless channel. The interface module controls communications that include passing commands from the remote system to the legacy system, and passing event data of the legacy system to the remote system.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a gateway at a location, wherein the gateway is coupled to a remote system; and

an interface device at the location, the interface device comprising a processor coupled to an interface module, a protocol module, and at least one communication device;

wherein the interface module comprises a data interface for interfacing with a processing component of a legacy system installed at a location, wherein the processing component uses a proprietary protocol for processing data of the legacy system,

wherein the protocol module comprises a protocol corresponding to the proprietary protocol, wherein the interface module uses the protocol to exchange data with the processing component,

wherein the at least one communication device communicates with at least one of the gateway and the remote system via at least one wireless channel, wherein the processor controls communications that comprise passing commands from the remote system to the legacy system, and passing event data of the legacy system to the remote system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one communication device comprises a radio frequency (RF) device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one communication device comprises a cellular communication device, wherein the cellular communication device communicates with cellular-enabled systems via a cellular network, wherein the cellular communication device comprises at least one of a third Generation (3G) device, a High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) device, an Enhanced Voice-Data Optimized (EVDO) device, and a Long Term Evolution (LTE) device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one communication device comprises a broadband communication device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one communication device comprises a WiFi communication device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one communication device comprises a Z-Wave communication device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one communication device comprises a Zigbee communication device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one communication device comprises at least one of a cellular communication device, a third Generation (3G) communication device, a High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) communication device, an Enhanced Voice-Data Optimized (EVDO) communication device, a Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication device, a broadband communication device, a WiFi communication device, a Z-Wave communication device, a Zigbee communication device, and a plain old telephone service (POTS) device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote system comprises one or more of a server, network operations center, central monitoring station, network device, personal computing device, cellular telephone, smartphone, tablet computer, personal computer.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor controls communications by controlling at least one of protocol translation, communication translation, and timing constraints of communication events.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one communication device comprises a WiFi communication device, wherein the gateway comprises a wireless access manager coupled to a gateway processor, wherein the wireless access manager establishes a communication channel with the at least one communication device, wherein the communication channel passes communications that comprise commands to the legacy system from at least one of the gateway and the remote system, and event data to at least one of the gateway and the remote system from the legacy system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one communication device comprises a second communication device that is a cellular communication device, wherein the cellular communication device establishes a second communication channel with the remote system, wherein the second communication channel passes communications that comprise commands to the legacy system from the remote system, and event data to the remote system from the legacy system.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one communication device comprises operating credentials received via the gateway.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein configuration and status data of the at least one communication device is provided via the gateway.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one communication device communicates with at least one of the gateway and the remote system, wherein the processor controls communications that comprise passing commands from at least one of the gateway and the remote system to the legacy system, and passing event data of the legacy system to at least one of the gateway and the remote system.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the gateway comprises a connection manager coupled to a gateway processor, wherein the connection manager is coupled to the remote system via a network and communicates with the remote system over the network.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the connection manager receives via the network a set of protocols corresponding to the legacy system.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the gateway comprises a protocol manager coupled to the gateway processor, wherein the protocol manager includes the set of protocols corresponding to the legacy system.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the set of protocols include the protocol, wherein the protocol module receives the protocol from the protocol manager.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the gateway comprises a device manager coupled to the gateway processor, wherein the device manager processes the commands and the event data exchanged between the remote system and the legacy system via the interface module.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the wireless access manager initiates learning of the gateway into the legacy system using the set of protocols.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the gateway includes at least one wireless device coupled to a gateway processor, wherein the protocol manager includes at least one wireless device protocol corresponding to the at least one wireless device, wherein the at least one wireless device provides at least one communication channel with at least one wireless device at the location.

23. The system of claim 11, wherein the gateway locates and enrolls the interface module as a known device.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the legacy system is a security system installed at the location, wherein the security system comprises a plurality of security system components.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the plurality of security system components comprise one or more of gateway devices, touchscreen devices, security panels, security panel processors, sensors, detectors, door contacts, window contacts, motion sensors, and glass-break detectors.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the legacy system enrolls the interface device as a known device.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the event data comprises at least one of data of the plurality of security system components, alarm condition data, and sensor data.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the processing component comprises a serial bus of a controller of the security system, wherein the proprietary protocol is a serial protocol.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the plurality of security system components is coupled to the serial bus and registered with the controller.

30. The system of claim 28, comprising a wire-based coupling between the interface module and the serial bus, wherein the wire-based coupling comprises at least one of a TTL interface, an RS-232 interface, and an RS-422 interface.

31. The system of claim 28, comprising a wireless-based coupling between the interface module and the serial bus.

32. The system of claim 28, comprising an alarm interface module coupled to the processor, wherein the alarm interface module transmits an alarm report to at least one of the gateway and the remote system.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the alarm interface module receives the alarm report from the legacy system.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein the alarm interface module receives the event data from the legacy system, wherein the event data comprises security state data of the security system, wherein the alarm interface module generates the alarm report from the security state data.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein the remote system comprises an alarm central monitoring station.

36. The system of claim 32, wherein the alarm interface module transmits the alarm report to at least one of the gateway and the remote system via at least one intermediate system.

37. The system of claim 24, wherein the interface module receives event data asynchronously transmitted by the legacy system and passes the event data to at least one of the gateway and the remote system via the at least one communication device.

38. The system of claim 24, wherein the at least one communication device receives polling requests from at least one of the gateway and the remote system and passes the polling requests to the legacy system via the interface module.

39. The system of claim 24, wherein the at least one communication device conducts polling operations on behalf of the remote system.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the event data received from the legacy system in response to the polling operations is sent to at least one of the gateway and the remote system.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein upon receiving the event data the processor buffers the event data prior to sending the event data to at least one of the gateway and the remote system.

42. The system of claim 40, wherein upon receiving the event data the processor retransmits the event data to at least one of the gateway and the remote system.

43. The system of claim 24, wherein the protocol corresponding to the proprietary protocol comprises an abbreviated command set.

44. The system of claim 24, wherein the protocol comprises a protocol translator that maps between a first set of commands of the legacy system and a second set of commands of the remote system.

45. The system of claim 24, wherein the gateway forms a security network by automatically discovering via the interface device the security system components and integrating communications and functions of the security system components into the security network via the wireless coupling.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the gateway comprises a user interface coupled to the security network, wherein the user interface allows control of the functions of the security network by a user.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein the user interface is a touchscreen device, wherein the touchscreen device includes the gateway.

48. The system of claim 45, comprising a portal coupled to the gateway, wherein the portal provides access to the communications and the functions of the security network via the remote system.

49. The system of claim 48, comprising an interface coupled to the security network, wherein the interface allows control of the functions of the security network from the remote system.

50. The system of claim 45, wherein the gateway automatically discovers the security system components and establishes and controls the communications with the security system components.

51. The system of claim 45, wherein the gateway includes a device connect component that includes definitions of the security system components.

52. The system of claim 45, wherein the security system is coupled to a central monitoring station via a primary communication link, wherein the gateway is coupled to the central monitoring station via a secondary communication link that is different than the primary communication link.

53. The system of claim 52, wherein the gateway transmits event data of the security system components to the central monitoring station over the secondary communication link.

54. The system of claim 52, wherein the gateway transmits messages comprising event data of the security system components to the remote system over the secondary communication link.

55. The system of claim 52, wherein the gateway receives control data for control of the security system components from the remote system via the secondary communication link.

56. The system of claim 52, wherein the security network comprises network devices coupled to the gateway via a wireless coupling, wherein the network devices include at least one of an Internet Protocol (IP) device, a camera, a touchscreen, a device controller that controls an attached device, and a sensor.

57. The system of claim 56, wherein the gateway automatically discovers the network devices and installs the network devices in the security network.

58. The system of claim 56, wherein the gateway controls communications between the network devices, the security system components, and the remote system.

59. The system of claim 56, wherein the gateway transmits event data of the network devices to the remote system over at least one communication link, wherein the event data comprises changes in device states of the network devices, data of the network devices, and data received by the network devices.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein the gateway receives control data for control of the network devices from the remote system via the at least one communication link.

61. The system of claim 56, wherein the remote system includes a security server at a remote location different from the location, wherein the security server is coupled to the gateway.

62. The system of claim 61, wherein the security server creates, modifies and terminates couplings between the gateway and at least one of the security system components and the network devices.

63. The system of claim 61, wherein the security server creates, modifies, deletes and configures at least one of the security system components and the network devices.

64. The system of claim 61, wherein the security server creates automations, schedules and notification rules associated with at least one of the security system components and the network devices.

65. The system of claim 61, wherein the security server manages communications with at least one of the security system components and the network devices.

66. The system of claim 56, wherein the interface device comprises a scheduling engine coupled to the processor, wherein the scheduling engine schedules automations and events of at least one of the security system components and the network devices.

67. The system of claim 1, comprising at least one proxy executed by the processor of the interface device.

68. The system of claim 67, wherein the at least one proxy includes a polling proxy, wherein the polling proxy is an intermediary between the remote system and the legacy system.

69. The system of claim 68, wherein the polling proxy at least one of processes, parses, translates protocol, adjusts timing, buffers, and queues messages exchanged between the remote system and the legacy system.

70. The system of claim 68, wherein the polling proxy comprises message polling, wherein the message polling comprises providing polling commands that prompt for messages exchanged between the interface module and the legacy system, wherein the messages include at least one of legacy system state changes, legacy system mode changes, legacy system resource changes, responses to remote system commands, message management.

71. The system of claim 68, wherein the polling proxy comprises data polling.

72. The system of claim 71, wherein the data polling comprises polling for data including at least one of internal state data and resource data of the legacy system, and data that indicates at least one of a change of state and a change of resources.

73. The system of claim 72, wherein the polling proxy compares data received during data polling to data from at least one previous query, wherein the polling proxy infers from the comparison at least one of state changes and resource changes.

74. The system of claim 67, wherein the at least one proxy includes an injection proxy running on the processor.

75. The system of claim 74, wherein the injection proxy is a transparent pass-through for a first message exchanged between the remote system and the legacy system, wherein the first message is related to a non-polling function of the legacy system, wherein in response to the first message received from the remote system the injection proxy passes the first message to the legacy system, wherein in response to the first message received from the legacy system the injection proxy passes the first message to the remote system.

76. The system of claim 75, wherein the injection proxy manages polling data of a second message exchanged between the remote system and the legacy system, wherein the second message is related to a polling function of the legacy system.

77. The system of claim 76, wherein, in response to the second message received from the remote system, the injection proxy generates a third message and sends the third message to the legacy system, wherein the third message is generated by injecting polling commands into the second message.

78. The system of claim 77, wherein, in response to the second message received from the legacy system, the injection proxy generates a fourth message and sends the fourth message to the remote system, wherein the fourth message is generated by removing polling information from the second message.

79. The system of claim 78, wherein the at least one proxy includes a rewrite proxy, wherein the rewrite proxy rewrites sequence numbers of messages that pass between the remote system and the legacy system.

80. The system of claim 79, wherein the rewrite proxy detects a sequence number of the second message is shared as the sequence number of the first message.

81. The system of claim 80, wherein the rewrite proxy rewrites sequence numbers of the first message, wherein a first sequence count corresponding to the first message between the rewrite proxy and the remote system is continuous, wherein a second sequence count corresponding to the first message between the rewrite proxy and the legacy system is continuous.

82. The system of claim 81, wherein the rewrite proxy rewrites sequence numbers of the second message, wherein a third sequence count corresponding to the second message between the rewrite proxy and the remote system is continuous, wherein a fourth sequence count corresponding to the second message between the rewrite proxy and the legacy system is continuous.