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

• US 6,462,654 B1
• Filed: 08/17/2001
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• 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:
  US09/932,552
• Time in Patent Office: 417 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340/511, 340/539, 340/3.1, 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 11/49 ensuring correct operation, e.g. by trial operation or configuration checks
• 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: G06F 11/0784 Routing of error reports, e.g. with a specific transmission path or data flow
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/005 Alarm destination chosen according to a hierarchy of available destinations, e.g. if hospital does not answer send to police station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/007 Details of data content structure of message packets; data protocols
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

A system and method for monitoring remote equipment are provided. An interface unit, having a message generating mechanism, is capable of receiving signals from sensors. A central computer server is in communication with the interface unit and is adapted to receive and preferably store messages generated by the interface unit from a variety of different data transports. If a sensor detects an exception condition in a piece of remote equipment, the sensor transmits a signal to the interface unit, and 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. The interface unit may in addition or instead transmit normal status messages if the equipment and/or interface unit is functioning properly. The message profile is remotely configurable by the user.

Claims

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

a) attaching an interface unit to at least one piece of remote equipment;

b) communicating a message indicative of a state of the interface unit 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 has not been received by the computer server from the interface unit indicative of improper operation of the interface unit; and

e) if it is determined in step d) that an incoming message has not been received from the interface unit, forwarding at least one outgoing exception message based on the lack of 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 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.

3. A method according to claim 2, 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.

4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

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

h) 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

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

5. 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.

6. 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 interface unit to which the incoming message pertains.

7. A method according to claim 6, 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.

8. A method according to 2, wherein each normal status message includes operational information concerning the interface unit to which the normal status message pertains.

9. A system for monitoring remote equipment, comprising:

an interface unit, locally connected to at least one piece of remote equipment, 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 if an exception condition is detected in said interface unit, said message generating mechanism generates an incoming exception message indicative of the exception condition and forwards said incoming exception 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.

10. A system according to claim 9, 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.

11. A system according to claim 9, said system monitoring a plurality of pieces of equipment, each piece connected to one of a plurality of interface units, each of said plurality of interface units having an identification code, said server further comprising:

a first memory on which equipment identification codes of all interface units 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.

12. A system according to claim 11, 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.

13. A system according to claim 12, 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.

14. A system according to claim 9, 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.

15. A system according to claim 11, wherein each of said interface units periodically generates a normal status message if said interface unit is functioning properly, said normal status message including an identification code indicative of said interface unit.

16. A system according to claim 15, said server further comprising:

a third memory for storing said normal status messages;

means for comparing the normal status memory with the main list and for identifying which of said interface units 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

means for generating and forwarding a server message generator in communication with said comparator processor adapted to generate an outgoing exception message for each of said interface units identified by said comparing and identifying means, 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.

17. A system for monitoring remote equipment, comprising:

an interface unit, locally connected to at least one piece of remote equipment, said interface unit having a message generating mechanism for periodically sending a normal status message if said interface unit is functioning properly; and

a computer server in remote communication with said interface unit, said server adapted to receive said normal status 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 if a normal status message is not received by said server within a predetermined interval, said server forwards at least one outgoing exception message to at least one predetermined user-defined remote communication device based on the lack of said normal status message as specified in said user-defined message profile.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein said message generating mechanism of the interface unit forwards said normal status 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.

19. A system according to claim 17, said system monitoring a plurality of pieces of equipment, each piece having its own of a plurality of interface units, each of said plurality of interface units having an identification code, said server further comprising:

a first memory on which identification codes of all of said interface units are stored;

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

20. A system according to claim 19, 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.

21. A system according to claim 20, 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.

22. A system according to claim 17, 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.

23. A system according to claim 19, wherein said normal status message includes an identification code indicative of said interface unit.

24. A system according to claim 23, said server further comprising:

a third memory for storing said normal status messages;

means for comparing the normal status memory with the main list and for identifying which of said interface units 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

means for generating and forwarding a server message generator in communication with said comparing and identifying means adapted to generate an outgoing exception message for each of said interface units identified by said comparing and identifying means, 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.

25. 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 for periodically sending a normal status message if the piece of remote equipment is functioning properly; and

a computer server in remote communication with said interface unit, said server adapted to receive said normal status 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 if a normal status message is not received by said server within a predetermined interval, said server forwards at least one outgoing exception message to at least one predetermined user-defined remote communication device based on the lack of said normal status message as specified in said user-defined message profile.

26. A system in accordance with claim 25, wherein said sensor is built-in to the remote equipment being monitored.

27. A system for remotely monitoring equipment having at least one built-in sensor which detects a state of at least one parameter of the equipment, comprising:

an interface unit, locally connected to the equipment and in communication with the built-in 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 if the built-in 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 if said incoming exception message is generated.

28. A system for remotely monitoring equipment having at least one built-in sensor which detects a state of at least one parameter of the equipment, comprising:

an interface unit, locally connected to the equipment and in communication with the built-in sensor, said interface unit having a message generating mechanism for periodically sending a normal status message if the equipment and/or said interface unit are functioning properly; and

a computer server in remote communication with said interface unit, said server adapted to receive said normal status 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 if a normal status message is not received by said server within a predetermined interval, said server forwards at least one outgoing exception message to at least one predetermined user-defined remote communication device based on the lack of said normal status message as specified in said user-defined message profile.