Communication device and a method of self-healing thereof

• US 8,065,554 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2007
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gryphonet, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Gryphonet, Ltd.
• Inventors: Herscovitz, Eli, Rapaport, Irit
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr.; Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Manoskey; Joseph D
• Application Number:
  US12/307,423
• Publication Number:
  US 20090204845A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,601 Days
• Field of Search: 714/2, 714/4, 714/25, 714/4.1, 714/4.3, 714/4.4, 455/425
• US Class Current: 714/4.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Provided a communication device and a method of self-healing thereof. The communication device is characterized by one or more operational functions and comprising one or more resources operatively coupled to at least one sensor, said sensor directly or indirectly coupled to a recovery block, wherein the device is configured to held an emergency configuration related to at least one of said operational functions and/or at least one of said resources; the sensor is configured to monitor at least one of said resources for information, indicative of at least one possibly malfunctioned resource, and to report, directly or indirectly, this information and/or derivative thereof to the recovery block; and the recovery block is configured to initiate at least one remedial action in respect of at least one of said resources in case the received information and/or derivative thereof meets a certain criterion, wherein said remedial action to be provided in accordance with the emergency configuration.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising a processor, at least one resource operatively coupled to at least one sensor, the at least one sensor coupled to a recovery block, a fault analysis block and to the processor, the fault analysis block is coupled with the recovery block, wherein:

said at least one sensor monitoring said at least one resource for information to determine whether said information meets at least one criterion of a suspicious event that is indicative of possible malfunction of said at least one resource, said at least one sensor providing content relating to said suspicious event to said fault analysis block, said fault analysis block auto-diagnosing said content to determine if said suspicious event is to be identified as a malfunction of said at least one resource, said recovery block receiving information relating to said suspicious event identified to be said malfunction of a respective one of said at least one resource and in response, initiating at least one auto-remedial action to maintain performance of said at least one resource.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one auto-remedial action is initiated with respect to said at least one resource other than that which is possibly malfunctioned.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one auto-remedial action maintains an emergency performance of said communication device, wherein said emergency performance is characterized by having at least one function less, in comparison with that in a regular state of the operation of said communication device.

4. The communication device according to claim 3, wherein said at least one auto-remedial action substantially maintains said emergency performance of respective one of said at least one resource.

5. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor includes a logical unit for processing said information indicative of said possible malfunction.

6. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said communication device further comprises an alert/status handler coupled to either one of said fault analysis block and said recovery block, said alter/status handler sends an alert to at least one predefined external system, upon identification of said suspicious event to be said malfunction.

7. The communication device according to claim 6, wherein said predefined external system is selected from a management system and a central monitoring device.

8. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one criterion of said suspicious event is selected from a list consisting of:

substantial processor load of said mobile device;

running of a processor-consuming application on said communication device;

a predefined pattern compared with monitored behavior characteristics by said at least one sensor;

a predefined function compared with monitored behavior characteristics by said at least one sensor;

a particular depletion rate of a battery of said mobile device; and

a high continuous transmission rate.

9. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one resource is selected form a list consisting of:

hardware of said communication device;

software of said communication device;

firmware of said communication device;

functional element of said communication device;

functional path of said communication device;

execution environment and processes thereof;

data sets, files and libraries of said communication device; and

remote device management agent.

10. The communication device according to claim 9, wherein said at least one sensor invokes said fault analysis block to further analyze said suspicious event in case said at least one sensor fails to receive at least part of a test signal sent through said functional path via respective one of said at least one sensor of said communication device.

11. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said monitoring is of that selected from a list consisting of:

information residing in an operating system of said communication device;

communication with said at least one resource;

executing an operation of said at least one resource and analyzing either one of a response status and output;

central processing unit (CPU) load;

accepting a signal to be received within a predefined time interval;

emulation of a process and analysis of respective responses;

free memory;

battery depletion rate;

data transmission rate;

data receiving rate;

correlation between data transmission rate and data receiving rate;

data integrity;

code integrity;

input rate to storage;

output rate to storage; and

user interface operability.

12. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said content is selected from a list consisting of:

data received from said monitoring of said at least one resource;

processed data received from said monitoring of said at least one resource;

filtered data received from said monitoring of said at least one resource; and

notification of said suspicious event.

13. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said fault analysis block identifies said suspicious event to be said malfunction according to that selected from a list consisting of:

predefined criterion;

predefined pattern; and

correlation analysis of data received from different ones of said at least one sensor.

14. The communication device according to claim 13, wherein said correlation analysis is performed according to that selected from the list consisting of:

analysis for predefined states;

analysis of predefined rules;

analysis of predefined relationships;

identification of patterns;

identification of common causes; and

identification of root causes.

15. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said fault analysis block modifies said at least one criterion according to monitored behavior of said communication device.

16. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor provides said content relating to said suspicious event directly to said recovery block.

17. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor further includes a WatchDog for registering malfunctions of said processor that result in non-responsiveness of either one of said processor and an operating system of said communication device.

18. The communication device according to claim 17, wherein said WatchDog initiates a remediation activity in case of non-reception of a predetermined periodic signal from said processor.

19. The communication device according to claim 17, wherein said WatchDog continuously receives a live indication via said monitoring by said at least one sensor, of halting of said at least one resource.

20. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said fault analysis block employs a look-up table to determine whether said suspicious event meets said at least one criterion.

21. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said auto-diagnosing is initiated by a factor that is external to said communication device.

22. The communication device according to claim 21, wherein said factor is a user of said communication device.

23. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said performance is of an emergency performance defined by an emergency configuration of said communication device, said emergency performance is selected from the list consisting of:

voice communication;

data communication;

messaging communication; and

over-the-air (OTA) management.

24. The communication device according to claim 23, wherein said auto-remedial action is selected from the list consisting of:

restore of a previous configuration of at least one resource involved in said emergency performance; and

restore of said emergency configuration of said at least one resource that is malfunctioned.

25. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said recovery block executes at least two said auto-remedial actions of escalating extent.

26. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said communication device is a cellular telephone.

27. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said auto-remedial action is selected from the list consisting of:

reset of at least one functional element of said communication device;

reset of communication device software;

reset of communication device hardware;

reboot of said communication device software gradually;

reboot entire software of said communication device;

restore a previous configuration said at least one resource that is malfunctioned;

restore a previous configuration of all of said at least one resource that malfunctioned;

restore a previous configuration of all of said at least one resource;

reinstall at least one application from a local source;

reinstall at least one application from a remote source;

reinstall at least one driver from a local source;

reinstall at least one driver from a remote source;

reinstall at least part of an operating system from a local source;

reinstall at least part of an operating system from a remote source;

reinstall the entire software of said communication device from a local source;

reinstall the entire software of said communication device from a remote source;

restore a default configuration as set by the operator of said communication device;

restore user data that is stored in said communication device; and

restore user data from a remote backup source.

28. A method for maintaining performance of at least one resource of a communication device that includes a processor, the at least one resource is operatively coupled to at least one sensor, the at least one sensor is coupled to a recovery block, to a fault analysis block and to the processor, the fault analysis block is coupled with the recovery block, the method comprising the procedures of:

monitoring said at least one resource for information, by said at least one sensor;

determining whether said information meets at least one criterion of a suspicious event that is indicative of a possible malfunction of said at least one resource;

auto-diagnosing content relating to said suspicious event by said fault analysis block to determine whether said suspicious event is to be identified as a malfunction event of said at least one resource; and

initiating at least one auto-remedial action by said recovery block, if said suspicious event is said identified as said malfunction event.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein said procedure of initiating is with respect to said at least one resource other than that which is possibly malfunctioned.

30. The method according to claim 28, wherein said procedure of initiating at least one auto-remedial action maintains an emergency performance of said communication device, wherein said emergency performance is characterized by having at least one function less, in comparison with that in a regular state of the operation of said communication device.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein said procedure of initiating said at least one auto-remedial action, substantially maintains said emergency performance of respective one of said at least one resource.

32. The method according to claim 28, further comprising a procedure of sending an alert to at least one predefined external system, by an alert/status handler, upon identification of said suspicious event to be said malfunction.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein said predefined external system is selected from a management system and a central monitoring device.

34. The method according to claim 28, wherein said at least one criterion of said suspicious event is selected from a list consisting of:

substantial processor load of said mobile device;

running of a processor-consuming application on said communication device;

a predefined pattern compared with monitored behavior characteristics by said at least one sensor;

a predefined function compared with monitored behavior characteristics by said at least one sensor;

a particular depletion rate of a battery of said mobile device; and

a high continuous transmission rate.

35. The method according to claim 28, wherein said at least one resource is selected form a list consisting of:

hardware of said communication device;

software of said communication device;

firmware of said communication device;

functional element of said communication device;

functional path of said communication device;

execution environment and processes thereof;

data sets, files and libraries of said communication device; and

remote device management agent.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein said procedure of auto-diagnosing further comprises a procedure of further analysis of said suspicious event in case said at least one sensor fails to receive at least part of a test signal sent through said functional path, via respective one of said at least one sensor of said communication device.

37. The method according to claim 29, wherein said monitoring is of that selected from a list consisting of:

information residing in an operating system of said communication device;

communication with said at least one resource;

executing an operation of said at least one resource and analyzing either one of a response status and output;

central processing unit (CPU) load;

accepting a signal to be received within a predefined time interval;

emulation of a process and analysis of respective responses;

free memory;

battery depletion rate;

data transmission rate;

data receiving rate;

correlation between data transmission rate and data receiving rate;

data integrity;

code integrity;

input rate to storage;

output rate to storage; and

user interface operability.

38. The method according to claim 29, wherein said content is selected from a list consisting of:

data received from said monitoring of said at least one resource;

processed data received from said monitoring of said at least one resource;

filtered data received from said monitoring of said at least one resource; and

notification of said suspicious event.

39. The method according to claim 29, wherein said procedure of auto-diagnosing said content is according to that selected from a list consisting of:

predefined criterion;

predefined pattern; and

correlation analysis of data received from different ones of said at least one sensor.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein said correlation analysis is performed according to that selected from the list consisting of:

analysis for predefined states;

analysis of predefined rules;

analysis of predefined relationships;

identification of patterns;

identification of common causes; and

identification of root causes.

41. The method according to claim 29, further comprising a procedure of modifying said at least one criterion according to monitored behavior of said communication device.

42. The method according to claim 29, further comprising a procedure of providing said content relating to said suspicious event by said at least one sensor, directly to said recovery block.

43. The method according to claim 29, further comprising a procedure of registering malfunctions of said processor that result in non-responsiveness of either one of said processor and an operating system of said communication device.

44. The method according to claim 29, further comprising a procedure of initiating a remediation activity in case of non-reception of a predetermined periodic signal from said processor.

45. The method according to claim 29, wherein said procedure of auto-diagnosing determines whether said suspicious event meets said at least one criterion according to a look-up table.

46. The method according to claim 29, further comprising a procedure of continuously receiving a live indication via said monitoring by said at least one sensor, of halting of said at least one resource.

47. The method according to claim 29, wherein said procedure of auto-diagnosing is initiated by a factor that is external to said communication device.

48. The method according to claim 47, wherein said factor is a user of said communication device.

49. The method according to claim 29, wherein said maintaining performance is of an emergency performance defined by an emergency configuration of said communication device, said emergency performance is selected from the list consisting of:

voice communication;

data communication;

messaging communication; and

over-the-air (OTA) management.

50. The method according to claim 49, wherein said auto-remedial action is selected from the list consisting of:

restore of a previous configuration of at least one resource involved in said emergency performance; and

restore of said emergency configuration of said at least one resource that is malfunctioned.

51. The method according to claim 29, wherein said procedure of initiating involves at least two of said at least one auto-remedial actions of escalating extent.

52. The method according to claim 29, wherein said auto-remedial action is selected from the list consisting of:

reset of at least one functional element of said communication device;

reset of communication device software;

reset of communication device hardware;

reboot of said communication device software gradually;

reboot entire software of said communication device;

restore a previous configuration said at least one resource that is malfunctioned;

restore a previous configuration of all of said at least one resource that malfunctioned;

restore a previous configuration of all of said at least one resource;

reinstall at least one application from a local source;

reinstall at least one application from a remote source;

reinstall at least one driver from a local source;

reinstall at least one driver from a remote source;

reinstall at least part of an operating system from a local source;

reinstall at least part of an operating system from a remote source;

reinstall the entire software of said communication device from a local source;

reinstall the entire software of said communication device from a remote source;

restore a default configuration as set by the operator of said communication device;

restore user data that is stored in said communication device; and

restore user data from a remote backup source.