Reporting the state of an apparatus to a remote computer

• US 6,757,714 B1
• Filed: 07/28/2000
• Issued: 06/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PTC Inc.
• Original Assignee: Axeda (PTC Inc.)
• Inventors: Hansen, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, Jack B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu, Thong
• Application Number:
  US09/627,201
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/224, 709/218, 709/104, 709/203, 709/217, 709/228, 709/204, 700/9, 714/4, 702/130, 379/67, 379/28, 379/114, 379/115, 368/251, 370/216, 717/146
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3068 where the reporting involves data format conversion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3086 where the reporting involves the use of self describing data formats, i.e. metadata, markup languages, human readable formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet

Abstract

The state of an apparatus is reported to a remote computer using an embedded device in the apparatus. The embedded device detects the state, generates an electronic mail message that reports the state using a self-describing computer language, and sends the electronic mail message to the remote computer. The remote computer receives the electronic mail message and extracts the state of the embedded device from the message.

Claims

1. A method performed by a device associated with an apparatus to report a state of the apparatus to a remote computer that cannot directly address the device, the method comprising:

detecting the state of the apparatus, wherein detecting is performed by monitoring variables associated with the apparatus, the monitoring occurring independently of communications from the remote computer;

generating a message that reports the state of the apparatus using a self-describing computer language, wherein generating is performed periodically or in response to a deviation in the state; and

sending the message to the remote computer;

wherein the deviation is indicative of an error condition in the apparatus, and wherein the error condition comprises one or more variables that deviate from an acceptable value or a predetermined range of acceptable values.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the state comprises receiving the variables from the apparatus.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises an electronic mail message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the state comprises:

obtaining an identifier for the apparatus; and

reading the variables from the apparatus using the identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the deviation in the state.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining comprises comparing the state received from the apparatus to a previous state of the apparatus.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the self-describing computer language comprises eXtensible Markup Language (XML).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is generated using a predefined template, the message being generated by:

obtaining one or more variables relating to the apparatus; and

inserting the one or more variables into the template.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the state of the apparatus is included as part of a body of the message.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the state of the apparatus is included as part of an attachment to the message.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is embedded in the apparatus.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the message includes past states of the apparatus.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the message includes a unique identifier that corresponds to the apparatus.

14. A method, performed by a computer, for obtaining a state of an apparatus from a device associated with the apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving a message from the device that reports the state of the apparatus using a self-describing computer language, the message being independent of communications initiated by the computer, the message being received from a network that includes the device and that is not directly addressable by the computer, the message being received periodically or in response to a deviation in the state; and

extracting the state of the apparatus from the message;

wherein deviation is indicative of an error condition in the apparatus, and wherein the error condition comprises one or more variables that deviate from an acceptable value or a predetermined range of acceptable values.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the self-describing computer language comprises eXtensible Markup Language (XML).

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising passing the state of the apparatus to a customer relationship management system.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the device is embedded in the apparatus.

18. A computer program stored on a computer-readable medium for use by a device associated with an apparatus to report a state of the apparatus to a remote computer that cannot directly address the device, the computer program comprising instructions that cause the device to:

detect the state of the apparatus, wherein detecting is performed by monitoring variables associated with the apparatus, the monitoring occurring independently of communications from the remote computer;

generate a message that reports the state of the apparatus using a self-describing computer language, wherein generating is performed periodically or in response to a deviation in the state; and

send the message to the remote computer;

wherein the deviation is indicative of an error condition in the apparatus, and wherein the error condition comprises one or more variables that deviate from an acceptable value or a predetermined range of acceptable values.

19. The computer program of claim 18, wherein detecting the state comprises receiving the variables from the apparatus.

20. The computer program of claim 18, wherein the message comprises an electronic mail message.

21. The computer program of claim 18, wherein detecting the state comprises:

obtaining an identifier for the apparatus; and

reading the variables from the apparatus using the identifier.

22. The computer program of claim 18, further comprising instructions that cause the device to:

determine the deviation.

23. The computer program of claim 22, wherein determining comprises comparing the state received from the apparatus to a previous state of the apparatus.

24. The computer program of claim 18, wherein the self-describing computer language comprises eXtensible Markup Language (XML).

25. The computer program of claim 18, wherein the message is generated using a predefined template, the message being generated by:

obtaining one or more variables relating to the apparatus; and

inserting the one or more variables into the template.

26. The computer program of claim 18, wherein the state of the apparatus is included as part of a body of the message.

27. The computer program of claim 18, wherein the state of the apparatus is included as part of an attachment to the message.

28. The computer program of claim 18, wherein the device is embedded in the apparatus.

29. The computer program of claim 18, wherein the message includes past states of the apparatus.

30. The computer program of claim 18, wherein the message includes a unique identifier that corresponds to the apparatus.

31. A computer program stored on a computer-readable medium for use by a computer to obtain a state of an apparatus from a device associated with the apparatus, the computer program comprising instructions that cause a processor in the computer to:

receive a message from the device that reports the state of the apparatus using a self-describing computer language, the message being independent of communications initiated by the computer, the message being received from a network that includes the device and that is not directly addressable by the computer, the message being received periodically or in response to a deviation in the state; and

extract the state of the apparatus from the message;

wherein the deviation is indicative of an error condition in the apparatus, and wherein the error condition comprises one or more variables that deviate from an acceptable value or a predetermined range of acceptable values.

32. The computer program of claim 31, wherein the self-describing computer language comprises eXtensible Markup Language (XML).

33. The computer program of claim 31, further comprising instructions that cause the processor to pass the state of the apparatus to a customer relationship management system.

34. The computer program of claim 31, wherein the device is embedded in the apparatus.

35. A device associated with an apparatus for reporting a state of the apparatus to a remote computer that cannot directly address the device, the device comprising circuitry which:

detects the state of the apparatus, wherein detecting is performed by monitoring variables associated with the apparatus, the monitoring occurring independently of communications from the remote computer;

generates a message that reports the state of the apparatus using a self-describing computer language, wherein generating is performed periodically or in response to a deviation in the state; and

sends the message to the remote computer;

wherein the deviation is indicative of an error condition in the apparatus, and wherein the error condition comprises one or more variables that deviate from an acceptable value or a predetermined range of acceptable values.

36. The device of claim 35, wherein detecting the state comprises receiving the variables from the apparatus.

37. The device of claim 35, wherein the message comprises an electronic mail message.

38. The device of claim 35, wherein detecting the state comprises:

obtaining an identifier for the apparatus; and

reading the variables from the apparatus using the identifier.

39. The device of claim 35, wherein the circuitry determines the deviation.

40. The device of claim 39, wherein determining comprises comparing the state received from the apparatus to a previous state of the apparatus.

41. The device of claim 35, wherein the self-describing computer language comprises eXtensible Markup Language (XML).

42. The device of claim 35, wherein the message is generated using a predefined template, the message being generated by:

obtaining one or more variables relating to the apparatus; and

inserting the one or more variables into the template.

43. The device of claim 35, wherein the state of the apparatus is included as part of a body of the message.

44. The device of claim 35, wherein the state of the apparatus is included as part of an attachment to the message.

45. The device of claim 35, wherein the circuitry comprises a memory which stores executable instructions and a processor which executes the instructions.

46. The device of claim 35, wherein the circuitry comprises one or more of an application-specific integrated circuit and a programmable gate array.

47. The device of claim 35, wherein the device is embedded in the apparatus.

48. The device of claim 35, wherein the message includes past states of the apparatus.

49. The device of claim 35, wherein the message includes a unique identifier that corresponds to the apparatus.

52. The first apparatus of claim 49, wherein the circuitry passes the state of the second apparatus to a customer relationship management system.

53. The first apparatus of claim 49, wherein the circuitry comprises a memory which stores executable instructions and a processor which executes the instructions.

54. The first apparatus of claim 49, wherein the circuitry comprises one or more of an application-specific integrated circuit and a programmable gate array.

50. A first apparatus for obtaining a state of a second apparatus from a device associated with the second apparatus, the first apparatus comprising circuitry which:

receives a message from the device that reports the state of the second apparatus using a self-describing computer language, the message being independent of communications initiated by the first apparatus, the message being received from a network that includes the device and that is not directly addressable by the first apparatus, the message being received periodically or in response to a deviation in the state; and

extracts the state of the second apparatus from the message;

wherein the deviation is indicative of an error condition in the second apparatus, and

wherein the error condition comprises one or more variables that deviate from an acceptable value or a predetermined range of acceptable values.

51. The first apparatus of claim 50, wherein the self-describing computer language comprises eXtensible Markup Language (XML).

55. The first apparatus of claim 50, wherein the device is embedded in the second apparatus.

56. A system comprising:

a first device comprising circuitry which generates a message reporting a state of an apparatus using a self-describing computer language, wherein reporting is performed following monitoring of variables associated with the apparatus, the reporting occurring independently of instructions received from a second device, and wherein generating is performed periodically or in response to a deviation in the state, the deviation being indicative of an error condition in the apparatus and the error condition comprising one or more variables that deviate from an acceptable value or a predetermined range of acceptable values; and

the second device, which can communicate with the first device but which cannot directly address the first device, the second device comprising circuitry which receives the message from the first device and which relays content from the message to an external system.

57. The system of claim 56, wherein the circuitry in the second device extracts the state of the apparatus from the message.

58. The system of claim 56, wherein the first device is embedded in the apparatus and the second device comprises a remote computer.

59. The system of claim 56, wherein the message includes a history log providing past states of the apparatus.