Systems and methods for notifying of persistent states of monitored systems using distributed monitoring devices

• US 7,693,590 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2005
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nelson, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta; Kidest
• Application Number:
  US11/314,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20070142927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,567 Days
• Field of Search: 700/11, 700/80, 700114-117, 709/206, 709/219, 709/202, 709/229, 455/567, 705/412
• US Class Current: 700/80
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/00 Alarm systems in which the location of the alarm condition is signalled to a central station, e.g. fire or police telegraphic systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/002 Generating a prealarm to the central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/24 Self-calibration, e.g. compensating for environmental drift or ageing of components

Abstract

A system and method for providing notification when a state of a monitored system persists for a specified period of time utilizing distributed monitoring devices is disclosed. It is first detected, utilizing a monitoring device, that a monitored system is in a specified state. A timer within the monitoring device is initiated in response to detecting that the monitored system is in the specified state. The monitored system is monitored, utilizing the monitoring device, to determine whether the monitored system remains in the specified state. If the monitored system remains in the specified state for a specified period of time, notification is transmitted from the monitoring device to a client device via a network.

Claims

1. A method for providing notification when a state of a monitored system persists for a specified period of time, the method comprising:

detecting that a monitored system is in a specified state utilizing a monitoring device, wherein the monitoring device comprises an embedded device, wherein the embedded device is not a general purpose computer, and wherein the monitored system is incapable of transmitting or monitoring its own state;

initiating a timer within the monitoring device in response to detecting that the monitored system is in the specified state;

monitoring the monitored system, utilizing the monitoring device, to determine whether the monitored system remains in the specified state; and

if the monitored system remains in the specified state for a specified period of time, transmitting notification that the monitored system remained in the specified state for the specified period of time from the monitoring device to a client device via a network, wherein no notification is transmitted in response to detecting that the monitored system is in the specified state until after it is determined that the monitored system has remained in the specified state for the specified period of time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein if, after initiating the timer, the monitored system changes to a state other than the specified state before the specified period of time passes, the timer is reset.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the specified state requires that more than one criterion be satisfied.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving parameters at the monitoring device to define the specified state of the monitored system and the specified period of time.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing the notification by a processing device before the notification is transmitted to the client device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising processing a second notification by the processing device, wherein the second notification was transmitted to the processing device by a second monitoring device.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising transmitting a second notification from the processing device to a second client device in response to receipt of parameters from the second client device, wherein the second notification was transmitted to the processing device by the monitoring device.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising processing the notification at the processing device and transmitting the notification to a second client device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitored system and the monitoring device comprise an integrated device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the timer is initiated and begins to run before any notification is sent.

11. A system that is configured for providing notification when a state of a monitored system persists for a specified period of time, the system comprising:

a monitoring device having a processor and memory in electronic communication with each other, wherein the monitoring device comprises an embedded device, wherein the embedded device is not a general purpose computer, and wherein the monitored system is incapable of transmitting or monitoring its own state; and

instructions stored in the memory of the monitoring device, the instructions being executable to;

detect that a monitored system is in a specified state utilizing the monitoring device;

initiate a timer within the monitoring device in response to detecting that the monitored system is in the specified state;

monitor the monitored system, utilizing the monitoring device, to determine whether the monitored system remains in the specified state; and

if the monitored system remains in the specified state for a specified period of time, transmit notification that the monitored system remained in the specified state for the specified period of time from the monitoring device to a client device via a network, wherein no notification is transmitted in response to detecting that the monitored system is in the specified state until after it is determined that the monitored system has remained in the specified state for the specified period of time.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions are further executable to process the notification by a processing device before the notification is transmitted to the client device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions are further executable to process a second notification by the processing device, wherein the second notification was transmitted to the processing device by a second monitoring device.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions are further executable to transmit a second notification from the processing device to a second client device in response to receipt of parameters from the second client device, wherein the second notification was transmitted to the processing device by the monitoring device.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions are further executable to process the notification at the processing device and transmit the notification to a second client device.

16. A computer-readable medium comprising executable instructions for providing notification when a state of a monitored system persists for a specified period of time, the instructions being executable to:

detect that a monitored system is in a specified state utilizing a monitoring device, wherein the monitoring device comprises an embedded device, wherein the embedded device is not a general purpose computer, and wherein the monitored system is incapable of transmitting or monitoring its own state;

initiate a timer within the monitoring device in response to detecting that the monitored system is in the specified state;

monitor the monitored system, utilizing the monitoring device, to determine whether the monitored system remains in the specified state; and

if the monitored system remains in the specified state for a specified period of time, transmit notification that the monitored system remained in the specified state for the specified period of time from the monitoring device to a client device via a network, wherein no notification is transmitted in response to detecting that the monitored system is in the specified state until after it is determined that the monitored system has remained in the specified state for the specified period of time.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions are further executable to process the notification by a processing device before the notification is transmitted to the client device.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions are further executable to process a second notification by the processing device, wherein the second notification was transmitted to the processing device by a second monitoring device.