Preemptive Maintenance for a Client-Server Masquerading Network

• US 20180213573A1
• Filed: 01/20/2017
• Published: 07/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sure-Fi Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sure-Fi Inc.
• Inventors: Hall, David R., Hall, Mark, Boswell, Craig
• Granted Patent: US 10,356,831 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/00 Power management, e.g. TPC [Transmission Power Control], power saving or power classes gain control in transmitters or power amplifiers H03G3/3042
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A method for controlling communication between a remote device and a control server includes sending, over a long range radio communication link, to a number of remote devices, a number of reduced packets, each of the number of reduced packets causing each of the number of remote devices to generate a reduced response packet, the reduced response packet indicating a status of each of the number of remote devices, receiving, from a number of responding remote devices, a number of actual reduced response packets to identify when a remote device is in a report state, examining status data related to each of the number of remote devices, the status data comprising a number of attributes include a remote device reduced packet, a remote device reduced response packet, and a number of remote device attributes, when a fault is detected, generating a remote devices fault report, and transmitting, to a control server, a remote device fault report.

Claims

1. A method for controlling communication between a remote device and a control server, the method comprising:

sending, over a long range radio communication link, to a number of remote devices, a number of reduced packets, each of the number of reduced packets causing each of the number of remote devices to generate a reduced response packet, the reduced response packet indicating a status of each of the number of remote devices;

receiving, from a number of responding remote devices, a number of actual reduced response packets to identify when a remote device is in a report state;

examining status data related to each of the number of remote devices, the status data comprising a number of attributes include a remote device reduced packet, a remote device reduced response packet, and a number of remote device attributes;

when a fault is detected, generating a remote devices fault report; and

transmitting, to a control server, a remote device fault report.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a number of factors that influence communication with remote devices.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a factor that influences communication with remote devices includes weather.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein a factor that influences communication with remote devices includes the distance to remote devices.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein a factor that influences communication includes obstacles interfering with communication with remote devices.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a value of service performed by remote devices.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein examining status data related to each of the number of remote devices further comprises examining the value of served performed by each of the number of remote devices.

8. An apparatus for controlling remote devices, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a network interface, communicatively connected to the processor;

a long range radio communication interface communicatively connected to the processor, the wireless communication interface communicating with a number of remote devices;

a non-transitory storage medium communicatively connected to the processor, the non-transitory storage medium storing medium comprising;

a send module, to send, over a long range radio communication interface, to a number of remote devices, a number of reduced packets, each of the reduced packets causing each of the number of remote devices to generate a reduced response packet, the reduced response packet indicating a status of each of the number of remote devices;

a receive module, to receive, from a number of responding remote devices, a number of actual reduced response packets to identify when a remote device is in a report state;

an examine module, to examine status data related to each of the number of remote devices, the status data comprising a number of attributes include a remote device reduced packet, a remote device reduced response packet, and a number of remote device attributes;

a generate module, to generate, when a fault is detected, a remote devices fault report; and

a transmit module, to transmit, to a control server using the network interface, a remote device fault report.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a long range radio communication interface communicates over distances longer than wifi communication.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein network interface and the long range radio communication interface use a single radio antenna for communication.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising an interference identification module, the interference identification module identifying factors that interfere with communication with a remote device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the factors that interfere with communication with a remote device are at least one of weather, distance, and radio communication obstacles.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a remote device attribute identification module, the remote device attribute identification module identifying attributes of a remote device.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the remote device attributes include a type associated with each remote device.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the remote device attributes include a task performed by each remote device.

16. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a remote device reset module, the remote device reset module sending a series of messages using the long range radio communication interface to reset a remote device.

17. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a remote device amplify module, the remote device amplify module sending a series of messages using the long range radio communication interface to cause a remote device to amplify a radio response signal.

18. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a remote device stabilize module, the remote device stabilize module sending a series of messages using the long range radio communication interface to cause a remote device to enter a stable state.