Methods for embedding device-specific data to enable remote access to real time device data

• US 8,857,704 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2013
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Logic PD, Inc. (discoverIE Group Plc)
• Original Assignee: Logic PD, Inc. (discoverIE Group Plc)
• Inventors: Larson, Kurt T., Feraru, Eugen, Tilstra, Michael, Benson, Mark, Tilstra, Matthew, Hilden, Matthew, Klein, Nick, Nelson, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Habib, Asifa
• Application Number:
  US13/739,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20130200142A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits

Abstract

The invention provides systems and methods for providing a unified single-scan user interface for accessing and managing a remotely located device throughout its life cycle, including cellular network provisioning, cloud data provider registration, initialization and activation, as well as providing end users with easy access to the device and its data. The end user simply powers the device on and the device automatically connects with the communication network and the cloud data provider. The device comes to the end user already provisioned and paired and activated with the cloud data provider and the communication network provider. The device is capable of monitoring operational and/or environmental parameters comprising physical and/or chemical data which may be monitored by a mobile device. The mobile device may also initiate modification of the manufactured device'"'"'s parameters.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining, with a mobile device having internet access and scanning capability, operational data from a remotely located device regarding the remotely located device, comprising:

manufacturing a device network radio modem;

providing provisioning and activation of the device with a communication network provider during a device manufacturing and distribution process wherein the communication network supplier supplies a network from one of the group consisting of;

a wide area network, a local area network, a personal area network and a ethernet network;

providing provisioning of the device with a cloud data services provider during the device manufacturing and distribution process;

remotely locating the device from a user within a device network, the device and device network in operative communication with the communication network supplier and the cloud data services provider;

automatically joining the device with the cloud data services provider and the communication network supplier upon power up by the end user;

obtaining device-specific data from the manufactured device;

embedding the device-specific data obtained on an optically scannable identification label;

attaching the optically scannable identification label to the manufactured device;

entering the device-specific data in a database;

scanning the optically scannable identification label with the mobile device to obtain access to the manufactured device and to view the database data regarding the remotely located device;

using the mobile device, powering up the accessed manufactured device; and

using the mobile device, communicating with the device to obtain real time operational data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the real time operational data obtained comprises physical and/or chemical parameters that are controlled by the manufactured device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the mobile device may be used to modify the physical and/or chemical parameters that are controlled by the manufactured device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the wide area communication network comprises a wireless cellular network and/or a satellite uplink network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the local area network comprises a wifi network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal area communication network comprises a Bluetooth network, a ZigBee network, a 802.15.4 network, and/or a Near Field Communication network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises a smartphone.

8. A method for obtaining, with a mobile device having internet access and scanning capability, operational data from a remotely located device regarding the environment the remotely located device is deployed within, comprising:

manufacturing a device network radio modem;

providing provisioning and activation of the device with a communication network provider during a device manufacturing and distribution process wherein the communication network supplier supplies a network from one of the group consisting of;

a wide area network, a local area network, a personal area network and a ethernet network;

providing provisioning of the device with a cloud data services provider during the device manufacturing and distribution process;

remotely locating the device from a user within a device network, the device and device network in operative communication with the communication network supplier and the cloud data services provider;

automatically joining the device with the cloud data services provider and the communication network supplier upon power up by the end user;

obtaining device-specific data from the manufactured device;

embedding the device-specific data obtained on an optically scannable identification label;

attaching the optically scannable identification label to the manufactured device;

entering the device-specific data in a database;

scanning the optically scannable identification label with the mobile device to obtain access to the manufactured device and to view the database data regarding the remotely located device;

using the mobile device, powering up the accessed manufactured device; and

using the mobile device, communicating with the device to obtain real time operational data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the mobile device may be used to modify or adjust elements of the manufactured device to adapt to the physical and/or chemical parameters in the environmental data sensed by the manufactured device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the wide area communication network comprises a wireless cellular network and/or a satellite uplink network.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the local area network comprises a wifi network.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the personal area communication network comprises a Bluetooth network, a ZigBee network, a 802.15.4 network, and/or a Near Field Communication network.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the mobile device comprises a smartphone.

14. A newly manufactured device capable of being accessed by a mobile device to view operational or environmental data when joined in a network, with further modification of operational parameters initiated by the mobile device, comprising:

a radio modem, in operative communication with a device engine and a user via QR code scanning, wherein the newly manufactured device comes to a customer having a customer'"'"'s user account; and

a data sensor, in operative communication with the radio modem,

the device having been;

activated relative to a communication network supplier wherein the communication network supplier is selected from the group consisting of a wide area network supplier, a local area network supplier, a personal area network supplier, and an ethernet network supplier;

provisioned and activated relative to a cloud data service provider, and paired with the customer'"'"'s user account, wherein the device automatically joins the network supplied by the communication network supplier when first powered up and thereby becoming a networked device capable of generating or sensing data;

obtaining device-specific data for the manufactured device;

embedding the device-specific data obtained on an optically scannable identification label;

attaching the optically scannable identification label to the manufactured device;

entering the device-specific data in a database;

scanning the optically scannable identification label with the mobile device to obtain access to the manufactured device and to view the database data regarding the remotely located device;

using the mobile device, powering up the accessed manufactured device; and

using the mobile device, communicating with the manufactured device to obtain real time operational or environmental data and, if necessary, to modify operational parameters of the manufactured device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the wide area communication network comprises a wireless cellular network and/or a satellite uplink network.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the local area network comprises a wifi network.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the personal area communication network comprises a Bluetooth network, a ZigBee network, a 802.15.4 network and/or a Near Field Communication network.

18. The device of claim 14, further comprising the customer remotely viewing data relating to the device by scanning the QR code relating to the networked device.

19. The device of claim 14, wherein the device is a gateway device comprising both cellular network and local area wireless network communication capabilities.

20. The device of claim 14, wherein the device is a gateway device comprising cellular network, wifi network, Ethernet network, and satellite uplink network communication capabilities.

21. The device of claim 14, wherein the mobile device comprises a smartphone.

22. The device of claim 14, wherein the device comprises sensor nodes with local area wireless network capability.

23. The device of claim 14, wherein the device'"'"'s data sensor comprises a sensor for monitoring one of the group consisting of:

tank level, temperature, humidity, liquid leakage, movement and vibration.

24. The device of claim 14, wherein the device'"'"'s data sensor comprises a sensor for monitoring one of the group consisting of:

distance, sound level, pressure, voltage, current, weight, and wavelength.

25. The device of claim 14, wherein the device'"'"'s data sensor comprises a sensor for monitoring velocity, acceleration, and position.

26. The device of claim 14, wherein the device'"'"'s data sensor comprises a sensor for monitoring one of the group consisting of velocity, acceleration and position.

27. The device of claim 14, wherein the device'"'"'s data sensor comprises a sensor for monitoring frequency, period and duty cycle.

28. The device of claim 14, wherein the device'"'"'s data sensor comprises a sensor for monitoring one of the group consisting of:

frequency, period and duty cycle.