Universal Abstraction Layer and Management of Resource Devices

• US 20170187831A1
• Filed: 12/29/2015
• Published: 06/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Inventors: Otting, James Marcus, Gillmore, Matthew Keith
• Application Number:
  US14/983,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20170187831A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0266 using meta-data, objects or commands for formatting management information, e.g. using eXtensible markup language [XML]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/009 specially adapted for networks, e.g. wireless sensor networks, ad-hoc networks, RFID networks or cloud networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/041 Key generation or derivation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/40 Security arrangements using identity modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/65 Environment-dependent, e.g. using captured environmental data
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

An example method of managing a resource includes receiving a request associated with one or more of at least one resource device from one or more other devices over a network; standardizing the request using standardization definitions that are universal across different types of resource devices and their associated drivers; providing the standardized request to one or more handler units associated with the one or more resource devices; receiving a response regarding the request from the one or more handler units; preparing a packaged response; and sending the packaged response to the one or more other devices that sent the request. The method may further include determining whether input information accompanying the request is valid, and if the input information accompanying the request is invalid, sending an error message to the sender of the request. Devices that incorporate such methodology are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of managing a resource, the method comprising:

receiving, by a transport module of a resource management agent executed by a processor of a resource management device, a request associated with one or more of at least one resource device communicably coupled with the resource management device, from one or more other devices over a network;

providing the request to an abstraction module for standardization and standardizing the request using standardization definitions that are universal across different types of resource devices and their associated drivers;

providing the standardized request to one or more handler units associated with the one or more resource devices;

receiving a response regarding the request at the abstraction module from the one or more handler units;

providing the response to the transport module for package preparation and preparing a packaged response; and

sending the packaged response to the one or more other devices that sent the request.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating an identity of each of the one or more other devices that sent the request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing the request to the abstraction module includes:

determining, by the abstraction module, whether input information accompanying the request is valid; and

if the input information accompanying the request is invalid, sending an error message to the one or more other devices that sent the request.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is a request for data, and the response includes at least one of:

an acknowledgement that the request was received;

requested data in accordance with standardization parameters of the standardized request;

or

an error message regarding the request.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

standardizing the received response by the abstraction module.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is a request for a configuration change of one or more of the resource devices, and the response is one of:

a confirmation that the requested configuration change was successful; and

an error message regarding the configuration change request.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the response is an error message and is at least one of:

an indication that the requested configuration change was unsuccessful;

or

an indication that input information that accompanied the configuration change request was invalid.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is a request for activation of one or more of the resource devices, and the response is one of:

a confirmation that the requested activation was successful; and

an error message regarding the activation request.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the response is an error message and is at least one of:

an indication that the requested activation was unsuccessful;

or

an indication that input information that accompanied the activation request was invalid.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is a request to observe data from one or more resource devices.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the standardized request includes instructions to continuously poll for data from one or more resource devices, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a new response at at least one of;

whenever data is retrieved from an observed resource device;

whenever a data value of an observed resource device changes;

whenever a data value of an observed resource device is in accordance with a specified observation condition;

or

a defined polling interval.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

directing one or more of the one or more handler units to poll one or more resource devices to be observed and to return a payload for each observed resource device; and

storing the returned payloads.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the directing includes sending an observation request to the one or more handler units to poll the observed resource devices at a minimum polling interval defined via a configuration file or defined by the observation request.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising, for each observed resource device:

comparing a newly returned payload with a stored payload; and

when the newly returned payload is in accordance with defined criteria, storing the newly returned payload.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein, for a large payload, the storing includes storing a hash of the large payload to avoid memory exhaustion.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer program logic stored thereon, the computer program logic including instructions to cause a resource management agent run by a processor of a resource management device to:

receive, by a transport module, a request associated with one or more of at least one resource device communicably coupled with the resource management device, from one or more other devices over a network;

provide the request to an abstraction module for standardization and standardize the request using standardization definitions that are universal across different types of resource devices and their associated drivers;

provide the standardized request to one or more handler units associated with the one or more resource devices;

receive a response regarding the request at the abstraction module from the one or more handler units;

provide the response to the transport module for package preparation and prepare a packaged response; and

send the packaged response to the one or more other devices that sent the request.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the providing the request to the abstraction module includes:

determining, by the abstraction module, whether input information accompanying the request is valid; and

if the input information accompanying the request is invalid, sending an error message to the one or more other devices that sent the request.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the request is a request for data, and the response includes at least one of:

an acknowledgement that the request was received;

requested data in accordance with standardization parameters of the standardized request;

or

an error message regarding the request.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the request is a request to observe data from one or more resource devices.

20. A resource management device comprising:

at least one processor;

a communications system communicably coupled with the at least one processor, the communications system capable of communicating with other devices over a network; and

a memory communicably coupled with the at least one processor, the memory configured to store;

at least one handler unit configured to direct one or more of at least one resource device communicably coupled with the resource management device; and

a resource management agent that includes;

a transport module configured to prepare messages for processing, the messages being at least one of received from or to be sent to one or more of the other devices over the network via the communications system; and

an abstraction module configured to standardize at least one of

requests from the transport module to be provided to the at least one handler unit;

or

responses received from the at least one handler unit to be provided to the transport module,

using standardization definitions that are universal across different types of resource devices and their associated drivers.

21. The resource management device of claim 20, wherein the resource management agent is configured to:

receive, at the transport module, a request associated with one or more of the at least one resource device from one or more of the other devices over the network via the communications system;

provide the request to the abstraction module for standardization and standardize the request;

provide the standardized request to one or more of the at least one handler unit;

receive a response regarding the request at the abstraction module from the one or more of the at least one handler unit;

provide the response to the transport module for package preparation and prepare a packaged response; and

send the packaged response to the one or more of the other devices that sent the request.

22. The resource management device of claim 21, wherein the providing the request to the abstraction module includes:

determining, by the abstraction module, whether input information accompanying the request is valid; and

if the input information accompanying the request is invalid, sending an error message to the one or more of the other devices that sent the request.

23. The resource management device of claim 20, wherein the resource management agent further includes an observation module, wherein the observation module is configured to invoke one or more handler units of the at least one handler unit to retrieve and store a payload for each observed resource device.

24. The resource management device of claim 20, wherein the at least one resource device includes one or more of:

at least one sensor or at least one actuator.

25. The resource management device of claim 20, wherein the at least one resource device is embodied in the resource management device.

26. The resource management device of claim 20, wherein the at least one resource device is external to, but communicably accessible to, the resource management device.