Electronic message delivery system utilizable in the monitoring of remote equipment and method of same

• US 6,147,601 A
• Filed: 05/24/1999
• Issued: 11/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Heat-Timer Corporation
• Inventors: Shprecher, Daniel, Sandelman, David
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US09/317,235
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340/511, 340/539, 340/825.06, 340/825.36, 340/825.49, 700/17
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/57 using telephone networks
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0769 Readable error formats, e.g. cross-platform generic formats, human understandable formats
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/007 with remote control systems remote control in general G08C

Abstract

A system and method for monitoring remote equipment are provided. A sensor is in communication with a piece of remote equipment, and an interface unit, having a message generating mechanism, is connected to the sensor. A central computer server is in communication with the interface unit and is adapted to receive messages generated by the interface unit. When the sensor detects an exception condition in the piece of remote equipment, the interface unit generates an incoming exception message and forwards the message to the server. The server forwards at least one outgoing exception message to at least one predetermined user-defined communication device based on the incoming exception message. Multiple outgoing exception messages may be forwarded to multiple communication devices in accordance with a user-defined message profile, or a single outgoing exception message may be forwarded in response to receipt of multiple incoming exception messages. The message profile is remotely configurable by the user.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring remote equipment comprising the steps of:

a) determining a state of at least one parameter of at least one piece of the remote equipment;

b) communicating a message indicative of the state from the piece of remote equipment to a computer server as an incoming message;

c) enabling a user to remotely configure or modify a user-defined message profile containing outgoing message routing instructions, the user-defined message profile being storable on the computer server;

d) determining whether an incoming message is an incoming exception message indicative of improper operation of the piece of remote equipment;

e) if it is determined in step d) that an incoming message is an incoming exception message, forwarding at least one outgoing exception message based on the incoming message to at least one user-defined communication device specifiable in the user-defined message profile,

wherein the user can remotely configure or modify the user-defined message profile by remotely accessing the computer server.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step b) further comprises the step of communicating a plurality of incoming messages to the computer server via one of a plurality of different communication media.

3. A method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of normalizing the incoming messages into a uniform format to create normalized messages, wherein the outgoing exception messages are generated based on the normalized messages.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter is at least one of an exception condition and a normal status condition.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein step (e) further comprises the step of determining whether an incoming message is a normal status message indicative of proper operation of the piece of remote equipment.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the remote configuring or modifying of the message profile enabled in step c) is performed by the user via the Internet.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the remote configuring or modifying of the message profile enabled in step c) further comprises the steps of:

1) selecting at least one type of user-defined communication device to which outgoing exception messages are to be forwarded;

2) selecting specific user-defined communication devices of the types selected in step

     1); and

3) determining the content of the outgoing exception messages forwarded in step d).

8. A method according to claim 5, wherein if the incoming message is determined in step d) to be a normal status message from the remote equipment indicating proper operation of the equipment, the method further comprises the step of f) storing the normal status message in a normal status memory.

9. A method according to claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

g) providing a main list having information identifying all pieces of the remote equipment being monitored;

k) comparing the contents of the normal status memory with the main list to determine whether a normal status message was not communicated within a predetermined period of time for any pieces of the remote equipment being monitored; and

l) generating an outgoing exception message in accordance with the message profile for each piece of equipment identified in step k) as not having sent a normal status message.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the computer server includes a database in which a plurality of message profiles may be stored, and wherein the remote configuring or modifying of the message profile enabled in step c) is performed by the user via the Internet.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one remote communication devices specifiable by the message profile include at least one of a facsimile machine, an e-mail receiving device, a cellular telephone, a beeper, a pager, a PCS device, and a telephone.

12. A method according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of communication media of step b) includes at least one of a cellular telephone network, radio transmissions, telephone lines, and the Internet.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein step e) further comprises forwarding multiple outgoing exception messages to multiple user-defined communication devices in response to a single incoming message in accordance with the user-defined message profile.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein step e) further comprises forwarding a single outgoing exception message to a user-defined communication device in response to multiple incoming messages in accordance with the user-defined message profile.

15. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of storing a plurality of user-defined message profiles on the computer server.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein the remote equipment includes heating, ventilating, and cooling equipment.

17. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step b) further comprises the step of communicating in the incoming message an identification code of the piece of remote equipment to which the incoming message pertains.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein said step e) further comprises the step of forwarding the identification code in the outgoing exception message to the at least one user-defined communication device in accordance with the user-defined message profile.

19. A method according to claim 1, wherein step c) further comprises the step of enabling selection of different user-defined communication devices to receive outgoing exception messages at different time periods in accordance with the message profile, the message profile being definable to have the exception messages forwarded to different specified remote communication devices at different times.

20. A method according to claim 9, wherein step e) further comprises the step of enabling selection of different user-defined communication devices to receive outgoing exception messages at different time periods.

21. A method according to claim 5, wherein each normal status message includes operational information concerning the piece of remote equipment to which the normal status message pertains.

22. A system for monitoring remote equipment, comprising:

a sensor in local communication with a piece of remote equipment, said sensor detecting a state of at least one parameter of the piece of remote equipment;

an interface unit, locally connected to said sensor, said interface unit having a message generating mechanism; and

a computer server in remote communication with said interface unit, said server adapted to receive messages generated by said interface unit, said computer server having a user interface, a user being capable of remotely accessing said computer server via said user interface to remotely configure a user-defined message profile containing outgoing message routing instructions,

wherein when said sensor detects an exception condition in the piece of remote equipment, said interface unit generates an incoming exception message indicative of the exception condition and forwards said message to said server,

and wherein said server forwards at least one outgoing exception message to at least one predetermined user-defined remote communication device based on said incoming exception message as specified in said user-defined message profile.

23. A system according to claim 22, wherein said message generating mechanism of the interface unit forwards said incoming exception messages to said computer server via at least one of a plurality of communication media, said media comprising at least one of a cellular telephone network, radio transmissions, telephone lines, and the Internet.

24. A system according to claim 23, said server comprising a normalization module, wherein said server receives said incoming exception messages from said interface unit and said normalization module normalizes said incoming exception messages into a uniform format to create normalized messages, wherein said outgoing exception messages are generated based on said normalized messages.

25. A system according to claim 22, wherein said sensor monitors at least one parameter of said piece of remote equipment, wherein the at least one parameter is at least one of an exception condition and a normal status condition.

26. A system according to claim 22, said system monitoring a plurality of pieces of equipment, each piece having an identification code, said server further comprising:

a first memory on which equipment identification codes of all monitored equipment are stored;

a second memory in which communication device identification codes of all of said user-defined communication remote devices are stored, said communication device identification codes being configured in a plurality of said user-defined message profiles.

27. A system according to claim 26, wherein said user interface is in communication with said second memory so that users can create or edit said user-defined message profiles remotely from said server.

28. A system according to claim 27, wherein said user interface enables a user to configure a user-defined message profile to select at least one type of communication device to which outgoing exception messages are to be forwarded, select specific user-defined communication devices of the types selected, and determine the content of said outgoing exception messages forwarded by said server to said user-defined communication devices.

29. A system according to claim 22, wherein said remote communication devices include at least one of a facsimile machine, an e-mail receiving device, a cellular telephone, a beeper, a pager, a PCS device, and a land line telephone.

30. A system according to claim 26, wherein said interface unit periodically generates a normal status message if said sensor to which said interface unit is connected detects a normal status condition indicative of proper operation of said respective piece of equipment to which said sensor is connected, said normal status message including an equipment identification code of said respective piece of equipment.

31. A system according to claim 30, said server further comprising:

a third memory for storing said normal status messages;

a comparator processor in communication with said first and third memories adapted to identify which of said pieces of monitored remote equipment having an identification code stored in said first memory did not communicate a normal status message stored in said third memory within a predetermined period of time; and

a server message generator in communication with said comparator processor adapted to generate an outgoing exception message for each piece of equipment identified by said comparator processor, said outgoing exception message being forwarded by said server to at least one of said user-defined communication devices specified by at least one of said user-defined message profiles.

32. A system according to claim 30, said server further comprising a normalization module, wherein said server receives said incoming exception messages from said interface unit and said normalization module normalizes said incoming exception messages into a uniform format to create normalized messages, wherein said outgoing exception messages are generated based on said normalized messages.

33. A system according to claim 26, said interface unit comprising a plurality of remote interface units, wherein each of said plurality of remote interface units is locally respectively connected to a single piece of said remote pieces of equipment.

34. A system according to claim 26, said interface unit comprising a plurality of remote interface units, wherein each of said plurality of interface units is locally connected to a plurality of sensors which are in turn respectively connected to a number of said remote pieces of equipment.

35. A system according to claim 26, wherein said user-defined message profiles are each remotely configurable by a user to cause said server to forward a plurality of said outgoing exception messages in response to receipt of a single incoming exception message in accordance with the user-defined message profile.

36. A system according to claim 26, wherein said user-defined message profiles are each remotely configurable by a user to cause said server to forward a single of said outgoing exception messages in response to receipt of multiple incoming exception messages in accordance with the user-defined message profile.

37. A system according to claim 31, wherein said computer server is adaptable to forward a plurality of said outgoing exception messages for each piece of equipment identified by said comparator processor in accordance with the user-defined message profile.

38. A system according to claim 22, wherein said incoming exception message comprises exception information and identification information concerning said piece of remote equipment.

39. A system according to claim 38, wherein said outgoing exception message comprises exception information and identification information concerning said piece of remote equipment to which said normal status message pertains.

40. A system according to claim 30, wherein said normal status message further comprises operational information of said piece of remote equipment to which said normal status message pertains.

41. A system according to claim 31, said computer server further comprising a fourth memory upon which outgoing exception messages are stored.

42. A method for monitoring remote equipment comprising the steps of:

a) determining a state of at least one parameter of at least one piece of the remote equipment;

b) communicating a message indicative of the state to a computer server as an incoming message, the incoming message having a respective incoming format;

c) normalizing the incoming message to form a corresponding normalized message having a predetermined uniform format;

d) storing the normalized message in a normalized message database on the computer server;

e) determining from the incoming message whether at least one exception message related to the incoming message is to be sent to at least one remote communication device specified by a plurality of message profiles stored at the computer server;

f) if it is determined in step e) that at least one exception message related to the incoming message is to be sent, deriving the at least one exception message from the stored normalized message corresponding to the related incoming message and the message profiles, the at least one exception message derived thereby having a respective format suitable for reception by the at least one remote communication device to which the at least one exception message is to be sent; and

g) sending the at least one exception message derived in step f) to the at least one remote communication device specified by the message profiles,

wherein the message profiles may be created or modified at least in part by a user by remote access of the computer server.

43. A system for monitoring remote equipment, comprising:

a sensor in communication with a piece of the remote equipment for detecting the state of at least one parameter thereof;

an interface unit, coupled to said sensor, said interface unit having a message generating mechanism for generating messages indicative of the state of the at least one parameter of the piece of the remote equipment; and

a computer server in communication with said interface unit, said server comprising;

a message interface for receiving messages generated by said interface unit;

a message normalizer for normalizing each one of the messages received from the interface unit to form corresponding normalized messages having a predetermined uniform format;

a normalized message database for storing normalized messages, including normalized messages from the message normalizer;

a message profile database for storing a plurality of message profiles;

a message processor for determining from each one of the messages received from the interface unit whether at least one exception message related to the received message is to be sent to at least one remote communication device specified by the message profiles;

an exception message generator for deriving the at least one exception message determined to be sent by the message processor to the at least one remote communication device, the at least one exception message being derived from a normalized message corresponding to the related message received from the interface unit and the message profiles, the at least one exception message derived thereby having at least one respective format suitable for reception by the at least one remote communication device to which the at least one exception message is to be sent;

a message interface for sending the at least one exception message derived by the exception message generator to the at least one remote communication device specified by the message profiles; and

a user interface for enabling a user at a remote location to create or modify at least a portion of the message profiles in the message profile database,

wherein when said sensor detects an exception condition in the piece of remote equipment, said interface unit generates an incoming message indicative of the exception condition and forwards said message to said server.