Collaborative gateway

• US 8,782,750 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2011
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Next Level Security Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Next Level Security Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Jankowski, Peter A., Petkevich, Daniel T., Kaloustian, Raffy, Dean, Brian E., Zhuang, Xihong, Anderson, Rand D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Armouche, Hadi
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOLMES, ANGELA R
• Application Number:
  US13/093,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20120272293A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: 726 4- 5, 709/224, 370/229, 370351-356, 370401-409, 382115-116, 700/17, 700/19
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0884 by delegation of authentication, e.g. a proxy authenticates an entity to be authenticated on behalf of this entity vis-à-vis an authentication entity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/14 for detecting or protecting against malicious traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data

Abstract

A method and a system for monitoring and controlling remote devices are described. The system has a gateway, a web server, and a client device. The gateway is coupled to a security device. The web server has a management application configured to communicate with the gateway. The management application has a service manager module to enable additional services from the gateway and the security device. The client device communicates with the gateway identified by the web server. The gateway aggregates monitoring data from the security device and from other security devices respectively coupled to other gateways correlated with the gateway. The client device receives the aggregated monitoring data, controls the security device coupled to the respective gateway from a web-based user interface at the client device.

Claims

1. A gateway comprising:

a processor;

an application programming interface (API) configured to interface the gateway with a client device;

an application module configured to monitor or control a security device coupled to the gateway;

a device driver configured to enable interaction of the application module with the corresponding security device;

a communication module configured to enable communication with a web server, the client device, and other gateways, to receive additional APIs, respective application modules, and respective device drivers, and to copy a configuration of the gateway to other gateways;

a remote device management module, implemented using the processor, configured to aggregate monitoring data from the security device coupled to the gateway and from other security devices respectively coupled to other gateways that are correlated with the gateway by the web server, and to enable the client device to receive the aggregated monitoring data and to control the security device coupled to the gateway and the other security devices coupled to the other gateways,

the communication module comprising;

a user authentication module configured to authenticate a user at the client device based on a user profile of the user;

a user access policy module configured to limit or grant the user at the client device access to the security device;

a web server authentication module configured to authenticate a communication between the gateway and the web server; and

a transport module configured to enable peer-to-peer communication between gateways, the client device, and the web server,

the remote device management module comprising;

an analytics module configured to analyze audio, video, and data from the security device and to generate events based on the analysis;

an event aggregation module configured to aggregate events generated from the analytics module;

an event-based control module configured to communicate a command to the security device of the corresponding gateway based on an event identified in the aggregated events based on an event configuration; and

a client-based control module configured to communicate a command to the security device of the corresponding gateway based on a command communicated from the client device.

2. The gateway of claim 1 wherein the security device comprises a camera control device, an audio control device, a switch, a HVAC system, a video device, an audio device, a biometric sensor, an access control device, a temperature sensor, an RFID device, or a motion-controlled sensor.

3. The gateway of claim 1 wherein the web server comprises a web-based gateway management application configured to identify a gateway associated with a user at the client device, to authenticate with the user at the client device, to authenticate with the identified gateway, and to correlate the identified gateway with the other gateways.

4. The gateway of claim 1 wherein the client device is configured to communicate with a first gateway identified by the web server, to receive monitoring data from a second security device coupled to a second gateway, to control the second security device coupled to the second gateway by communicating with the first gateway coupled to a first security device, the first gateway correlated with the second gateway by the web server.

5. The gateway of claim 3 wherein the web-based gateway management application comprises:

a gateway directory manager configured to identify a gateway associated with a user profile;

a user authentication module configured to authenticate with the user at the client device based on the user profile; and

a gateway authentication module configured to authenticate the identified gateway,

wherein the gateway directory manager comprises a service manager module configured to enable an add-on service to the user at the client device.

6. The gateway of claim 5 wherein the add-on service comprises remote storage, remote audio, two-way audio, dynamic backup, reporting based on the user profile, organization topology mapping, or gateway access configuration.

7. A computer-implemented method comprising:

identifying a web server from a gateway coupled to a security device, the web server comprising a management application configured to communicate with the gateway, the management application having a service manager module to enable additional services from the gateway and the security device;

aggregating monitoring data from the security device coupled to the gateway and from other security devices respectively coupled to other gateways that are correlated with the gateway by the web server;

communicating with a client device introduced by the web server by sending the aggregated monitoring data to the client device, and receiving a request from the client device to control the security device coupled to the gateway and the other security devices coupled to the other gateways from a web-based user interface at the client device;

interfacing the gateway with the client device with an application programming interface (API);

monitoring and controlling the security device coupled to the gateway with an application module;

enabling of the application module with the corresponding security device with a device driver;

receiving at the gateway additional APIs, respective application modules, and respective device drivers;

correlating the gateway with the other gateways by the web server;

copying a configuration of the gateway to the other gateways;

authenticating a user at the client device based on a user profile of the user with a user authentication module of the communication module of the gateway;

limiting or granting the user at the client device access to the security device with a user access policy module of the communication module of the gateway;

authenticating a communication between the gateway and the web server with a web server authentication module of the communication module of the gateway;

enabling peer-to-peer communication between gateways, the client device, and the web server with a transport module of the communication module of the gateway;

analyzing audio, video, and data from the security device and generating events based on the analysis with an analytics module of the remote device management module of the gateway;

aggregating events generated from the analytics module with an event aggregation module of the remote device management module of the gateway;

communicating a command to the security device of the corresponding gateway based on an event identified in the aggregated events based on an event configuration with an event-based control module of the remote device management module of the gateway; and

communicating a command to the security device of the corresponding gateway based on a command communicated from the client device with a client-based control module of the remote device management module of the gateway.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 wherein the gateway comprises a communication module and a remote devices management module, the communication module configured to enable communication with the web server, the client device, and the other gateways, the remote devices management module configured to enable the client device to monitor or control the security device coupled to the gateway.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 wherein the security device comprises a camera control device, an audio control device, a switch, a HVAC system, a video device, an audio device, a biometric sensor, an access control device, a temperature sensor, an RFID device, or a motion-controlled sensor.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 wherein the web server comprises a web-based gateway management application configured to identify a gateway associated with a user at the client device, to authenticate with the user at the client device, to authenticate with the identified gateway, and to correlate the identified gateway with the other gateways.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 wherein the client device is configured to communicate with a first gateway identified by the web server, to receive monitoring data from a second security device coupled to a second gateway, to control the second security device coupled to the second gateway by communicating with the first gateway coupled to a first security device, the first gateway correlated with the second gateway by the web server.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 further comprising:

identifying a gateway associated with a user profile with a gateway directory manager of the web-based gateway management application of the web server;

authenticating with the user at the client device based on the user profile a user authentication module of the web-based gateway management application of the web server;

authenticate the identified gateway with a gateway authentication module of the web-based gateway management application of the web server; and

enabling an add-on service to the user at the client device with a service manager module of the gateway directory manager.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 wherein the add-on service comprises remote storage, remote audio, two-way audio, dynamic backup, reporting based on the user profile, organization topology mapping, or gateway access configuration.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a set of instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, comprising:

identifying a web server from a gateway coupled to a security device,

the web server comprising a management application configured to communicate with the gateway, the management application having a service manager module to enable additional services from the gateway and the security device;

aggregating monitoring data from the security device coupled to the gateway and from other security devices respectively coupled to other gateways that are correlated with the gateway by the web server;

communicating with a client device introduced by the web server by sending the aggregated monitoring data to the client device, and receiving a request from the client device to control the security device coupled to the gateway and the other security devices coupled to the other gateways from a web-based user interface at the client device;

interfacing the gateway with the client device with an application programming interface (API);

monitoring and controlling the security device coupled to the gateway with an application module;

enabling of the application module with the corresponding security device with a device driver;

receiving at the gateway additional APIs, respective application modules, and respective device drivers;

correlating the gateway with the other gateways by the web server;

copying a configuration of the gateway to the other gateways;

authenticating a user at the client device based on a user profile of the user with a user authentication module of the communication module of the gateway;

limiting or granting the user at the client device access to the security device with a user access policy module of the communication module of the gateway;

authenticating a communication between the gateway and the web server with a web server authentication module of the communication module of the gateway;

enabling peer-to-peer communication between gateways, the client device, and the web server with a transport module of the communication module of gateway;

analyzing audio, video, and data from the security device and generating events based on the analysis with an analytics module of the remote device management module of the gateway;

aggregating events generated from the analytics module with an event aggregation module of the remote device management module of the gateway;

communicating a command to the security device of the corresponding gateway based on an event identified in the aggregated events based on an event configuration with an event-based control module of the remote device management module of the gateway; and

communicating a command to the security device of the corresponding gateway based on a command communicated from the client device with a client-based control module of the remote device management module of the gateway.