Monitoring the Health of a Home Area Network

• US 20140330955A1
• Filed: 05/03/2013
• Published: 11/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Landis+Gyr Technology, Inc. (Landis+Gyr Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Landis+Gyr Innovations Incorporated (Landis+Gyr Group AG)
• Inventors: Bishop, David Anthony, Hartman, James Paul
• Granted Patent: US 9,240,934 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/069 using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0823 Errors, e.g. transmission errors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for monitoring the health of a home area network. An example system includes multiple devices communicatively coupled via a home area network and a gateway device communicatively coupled to the devices via the home area network. The home area network is configured for communicating information regarding a resource consumed at a geographical area serviced by the home area network. The gateway device includes a processor and a computer-readable medium. The processor can execute instructions embodied in the computer-readable medium to perform operations. The operations include monitoring communication metrics describing communications among the devices via the home area network. The operations also include monitoring application-level events generated by applications executed by the devices. The operations also include generating a status indicator for the home area network based on the communication metrics and the application-level events. The status indicator describes a health of the home area network.

Claims

1. A method executed by a processor, the method comprising:

monitoring a plurality of communication metrics describing a plurality of communications among a plurality of devices communicatively coupled via a home area network, wherein the home area network is configured for communicating information regarding a resource consumed at a geographical area serviced by the home area network;

monitoring a plurality of application-level events generated by a plurality of applications respectively executed by at least some of the plurality of devices; and

generating a status indicator for the home area network based on the plurality of communication metrics and the plurality of application-level events, wherein the status indicator describes a health of the home area network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the status indicator for the home area network comprises at least one attribute associated with a consumption of the resource in the geographical area.

3. The method of claim 2,

wherein the resource provided to the geographical area comprises power;

wherein a first device of the plurality of devices is configured to execute a monitoring application for monitoring or managing a consumption of power in the geographical area;

wherein a second device of the plurality of devices is configured to execute a display application for displaying information regarding the consumption of power in the geographical area;

wherein the status indicator for the home area network comprises;

a first indicator of effectiveness for application-level events generated by the first device monitoring or managing the consumption of power in the geographical area;

a second indicator of effectiveness for application-level events generated by the second device accurately displaying the information regarding the consumption of power in the geographical area; and

a third indicator of effectiveness regarding a reliability of communication via the home area network between the first device and the second device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of communication metrics comprises at least one of:

a respective connection state for each of the plurality of devices;

a number of broadcast messages communicated via the home area network;

a number of unicast messages communicated via the home area network;

a number of unicast retries communicated via the home area network;

a number of unicast failures for the home area network; and

a number of authentication failures.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of application-level events comprises at least one of:

a respective time of use for each of at least some of the plurality of devices; and

a respective refresh time for data retrieval associated with a respective feature of the consumption of the resource in the geographical area.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising generating a graphical interface depicting the status indicator for the home area network.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing the graphical interface for display at a computing device accessible via at least one of the home area network and a data network separate from the home area network, wherein the graphical interface comprises a respective device-level indicator for each device, wherein the respective device-level indicator identifies a contribution of the device to the status indicator for the home area network.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the graphical interface is further configured to provide a respective device profile for each device, wherein the respective device profile identifies at least one hardware characteristic of the device and at least one software characteristic for software executed at the device.

9. A system comprising:

a plurality of devices communicatively coupled via a home area network, wherein the home area network is configured for communicating information regarding a resource consumed at a geographical area serviced by the home area network; and

a gateway device communicatively coupled to the plurality of devices via the home area network, the gateway device comprising;

a processor, and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium,

wherein the processor is configured for executing instructions embodied in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to perform operations comprising;

monitoring a plurality of communication metrics describing a plurality of communications among the plurality of devices via the home area network;

monitoring a plurality of application-level events generated by a plurality of applications respectively executed by at least some of the plurality of devices; and

generating a status indicator for the home area network based on the plurality of communication metrics and the plurality of application-level events, wherein the status indicator describes a health of the home area network.

10. The system of claim 9,

further comprising a server system in communication with the gateway device via a data network, wherein the data network is separate from the home area network;

wherein the server system comprises;

an additional processor, and

an additional non-transitory computer-readable medium,

wherein the additional processor is configured for executing instructions embodied in the additional non-transitory computer-readable medium to perform additional operations comprising;

receiving the status indicator for the home area network,

based on the status indicator, identifying one of the plurality of devices causing a malfunction for the home area network,

generating a control signal directing the gateway device to perform an operation resolving the malfunction, and

transmitting the control signal to the gateway device via the data network.

11. The system of claim 9,

wherein the plurality of communications among the plurality of devices via the home area network comprises data regarding a resource provided to a geographical area in which the system is positioned;

wherein the status indicator for the home area network comprises at least one attribute associated with a consumption of the resource in the geographical area.

12. The system of claim 11,

wherein the resource provided to the geographical area comprises power provided to the geographic area;

wherein the processor of the gateway device is further configured for executing a monitoring application stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to monitor or manage a consumption of power in the geographical area;

wherein a display device of the plurality of devices is configured to display information regarding the consumption of power in the geographical area;

wherein the status indicator for the home area network comprises;

a first indicator of effectiveness for application-level events generated by the gateway device monitoring or managing the consumption of power in the geographical area;

a second indicator of effectiveness for application-level events generated by the display device accurately displaying the information regarding the consumption of power in the geographical area; and

a third indicator of effectiveness regarding a reliability of communication via the home area network between the gateway device and the display device.

13. The system of claim 9,

further comprising a terminal device communicatively coupled to the gateway device via at least one of the home area network and a data network separate from the home area network;

wherein the terminal device comprises;

an additional processor, and

an additional non-transitory computer-readable medium,

wherein the additional processor is configured for executing instructions embodied in the additional non-transitory computer-readable medium to perform additional operations comprising;

obtaining the status indicator for the home area network from the gateway device, and

providing a graphical interface depicting the status indicator for the home area network.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the status indicator as depicted in the graphical interface comprises a respective device-level indicator for each device of the plurality of devices, wherein the respective device-level indicator identifies a contribution of the device to the status indicator for the home area network.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the additional processor of the terminal device is further configured to provide an additional graphical interface comprising a respective device profile for each device, wherein the respective device profile identifies at least one hardware characteristic of the device and at least one software characteristic for software executed at the device.

16. A computing system comprising:

a processor, and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium,

wherein the processor is configured for executing instructions embodied in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to perform operations comprising;

monitoring a plurality of communication metrics describing a plurality of communications among a plurality of devices via a home area network, wherein the home area network is configured for communicating information regarding a resource consumed at a geographical area serviced by the home area network;

monitoring a plurality of application-level events generated by a plurality of applications respectively executed by at least some of the plurality of devices; and

generating a status indicator for the home area network based on the plurality of communication metrics and the plurality of application-level events, wherein the status indicator describes a health of the home area network.

17. The computing system of claim 16,

wherein the plurality of communications among the plurality of devices via the home area network comprises data regarding a resource provided to a geographical area serviced by the home area network;

wherein the status indicator for the home area network comprises at least one attribute associated with a consumption of the resource in the geographical area.

18. The computing system of claim 17,

wherein the resource provided to the geographical area comprises power;

wherein a first device of the plurality of devices is configured to execute a monitoring application for monitoring or managing a consumption of power in the geographical area;

wherein a second device of the plurality of devices is configured to execute a display application for displaying information regarding the consumption of power in the geographical area;

wherein the status indicator for the home area network comprises;

a first indicator of effectiveness for application-level events generated by the first device monitoring or managing the consumption of power in the geographical area;

a second indicator of effectiveness for application-level events generated by the second device accurately displaying the information regarding the consumption of power in the geographical area; and

a third indicator of effectiveness regarding a reliability of communication via the home area network between the first device and the second device.

19. The computing system of claim 17,

wherein the plurality of communication metrics comprises at least one of:

a respective connection state for each of the plurality of devices,

a number of broadcast messages communicated via the home area network,

a number of unicast messages communicated via the home area network,

a number of unicast retries communicated via the home area network,

a number of unicast failures for the home area network, and

a number of authentication failures; and

wherein the plurality of application-level events comprises at least one of;

a respective time of use for each of at least some of the plurality of devices, and

a respective refresh time for data retrieval associated with a respective feature of the consumption of the resource in the geographical area.

20. The computing system of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured for:

generating a graphical interface depicting the status indicator for the home area network; and

providing the graphical interface for display at a computing device accessible via at least one home area network and a data network separate from the home area network, wherein the graphical interface comprises a respective device-level indicator for each device, wherein the respective device-level indicator identifies a contribution of the device to the status indicator for the home area network.