Extensible sensor monitoring, alert processing and notification system and method

• US 7,095,321 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2004
• Issued: 08/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Primm, Michael, Jefts, Richard Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope, Daryl C
• Application Number:
  US10/823,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20040201471A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340/507, 340/517, 340/3.1, 340/540
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19671 Addition of non-video data, i.e. metadata, to video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19676 Temporary storage, e.g. cyclic memory, buffer storage on pre-alarm
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1968 Interfaces for setting up or customising the system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19682 Graphic User Interface [GUI] presenting system data to the user, e.g. information on a screen helping a user interacting with an alarm system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19691 Signalling events for better perception by user, e.g. indicating alarms by making display brighter, adding text, creating a sound
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19697 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/14 checking the detection circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/183 Single detectors using dual technologies G08B13/1672, G08B13/2448, G08B13/2494 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/186 Fuzzy logic; neural networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail

Abstract

In a particular embodiment, the disclosure is directed to a system including a data management system configured to receive sensor data associated with a sensor, a monitoring system coupled to the data management system, and an alert handling system responsive to the data management system and configured to access an alert profile associated with an error object provided by the monitoring system. The monitoring system is configured to provide the error object in response to a monitoring algorithm associated with the sensor data received by the data management system.

Claims

1. A system for use with a sensor, the system comprising:

a data management system configured to receive sensor data associated with the sensor and to receive logic associated with the sensor from the sensor, the logic being used to manage the sensor data;

a monitoring system coupled to the data management system, the monitoring system being configured to receive the logic from the data management system and to provide an error object associated with the sensor data in accordance with the logic; and

an alert handling system responsive to the data management system and configured to access an alert profile associated with the error object provided by the monitoring system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the error object includes a severity indicator and an initial time.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert profile associates an error object with a sequence of actions.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a policy class definition, the policy class definition configurable to apply the logic to the sensor data, the logic being accessible by the monitoring system to selectively produce the error object.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert handling system is configured to interpret the alert profile to apply program logic to the error object and to selectively access an alert action definition.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the alert action definition is configured to produce an alert notification.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the alert action definition is configured to access a capture definition.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the alert handling system is configured to interpret the capture definition to capture data associated with the alert action definition.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the captured data is attached to a notification message associated with the alert action definition.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising a capture storage manager, the capture storage manager configured to manage storage of the captured data associated with the alert action definition.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising persistent storage directed by the capture storage manager.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a web-based interface configured to access the data management system.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the data management system comprises a journal-based data management system.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the alert handling system is configured to implement a response in accordance with instructions in the associated alert profile.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the error object is set to a resolved state in accordance with the monitoring logic.

16. A monitoring appliance for use with a sensor, the monitoring appliance comprising:

a processor; and

a memory responsive to the processor, the memory including;

computer implemented instructions operable by the processor to implement a data management system configured to receive sensor data associated with the sensor and to receive logic associated with the sensor from the sensor, the logic being used to manage the sensor data;

computer implemented instructions operable by the processor to implement a monitoring system coupled to the data management system, the monitoring system being configured to receive the logic from the data management system and to provide an error object associated with the sensor data in accordance with the logic; and

computer implemented instructions operable by the processor to implement an alert handling system responsive to the data management system and configured to access an alert profile associated with the error object provided by the monitoring system.

17. The monitoring appliance of claim 16, further comprising a network interface responsive to the processor.

18. The monitoring appliance of claim 16, wherein the alert handling system initiates a communication via the network interface in accordance with the associated alert profile.

19. The monitoring appliance of claim 16, further comprising a sensor interface responsive to the processor and configured to receive the sensor data.

20. The monitoring appliance of claim 16, further comprising a camera interface responsive to the processor and configured to receive image data associated with an action associated with the alert profile.

21. The monitoring appliance of claim 16 wherein the memory further comprises computer implemented instructions operable by the processor to cause the alert handling system to implement a response in accordance with instructions in the associated alert profile.

22. An interface comprising:

a sensor interface configured to receive logic including condition logic and sensor data from a sensor;

an alert action interface configured to receive data associated with an alert action;

an alert profile interface configured to associate an alert profile sequence with an alert profile, the alert profile sequence associated with the alert action, the alert profile responsive to an error object created in accordance with the condition logic; and

a sensor configuration interface configured to associate the condition logic with sensor data, the condition logic configured to produce the error object in response to the sensor data.

23. The interface of claim 22, further comprising a condition logic interface configured to establish the condition logic.

24. The interface of claim 22, further comprising an alert profile sequence interface configured to associate the alert action with the alert profile sequence.

25. The interface of claim 22, further comprising a scheduling interface configured to receive scheduling information.

26. The interface of claim 25, wherein the scheduling information is associated with the alert action.

27. A method of alert processing for use with a sensor, the method comprising:

receiving logic including condition logic associated with the sensor from the sensor;

generating an error object in response to a change in sensor data in accordance with the logic;

initiating an alert profile sequence in response to the error object; and

performing an alert action in response to the alert profile sequence.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising capturing data in accordance with capture logic associated with the alert action.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising sending a portion of the data in a notification associated with the alert action.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the data is video data.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the data is audio data.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein the data is sensor data.

33. The method of claim 27, further comprising registering the error object with a data management system.

34. The method of claim 27, further comprising updating the sensor data in a data management system.

35. The method of claim 27, wherein the error object includes an error time and a severity level.

36. The method of claim 27, further comprising changing a severity level associated with the error object in response to a further change in the sensor data.

37. The method of claim 27, wherein the alert profile sequence includes a relative start time, an interval, and a number of repetitions.

38. The method of claim 27, wherein generating the error object includes comparing the sensor data to at least two threshold values.

39. The method of claim 27, wherein generating the error object includes determining a severity level in accordance with the monitoring logic.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the alert action is associated with the severity level.

41. The method of claim 27, wherein generating the error object includes evaluating data associated with at least two sensors in accordance with the monitoring logic.

42. The method of claim 27, further comprising performing a second alert action in response to the alert profile sequence.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the second alert action is performed concurrently with the alert action.

44. The method of claim 27, wherein the alert action includes a schedule.

45. The method of claim 27, wherein generating the error object includes applying conditional logic to sensor data wherein the conditional logic has an associated schedule.

46. The method of claim 27 wherein performing an alert action further comprises performing an alert action in accordance with instructions in the associated alert profile.

47. The method of claim 27 further comprising resolving the error object in accordance with the monitoring logic.

48. The method of claim 27 further comprising

capturing data in accordance with capture logic associated with the alert action;

storing the captured data in a memory configured to be accessed via a network connection; and

sending a portion of the data in a notification associated with the alert action; and

retrieving the captured data via the network connection.