Remote monitoring system

• US 9,166,870 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2012
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric IT Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric IT Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Denis, Arnaud, Politte, Maureen, Calabio, Randy, Nguyen, Hoai
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R
• Application Number:
  US13/430,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20120331133A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/223, 709/229, 702/57, 702 60- 65, 702/188
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/147 for predicting network behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps

Abstract

A method for monitoring and reporting information regarding status of a power supply/management device operated by a user comprises detecting the status of the device using a monitoring device having an application interface configured to communicate over a communication network, generating a status update indication using a self-describing computer language and sending the status update indication over the communication network to a remote computer, and associating the user with the status update information for the remote device using the remote computer.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of remotely monitoring an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), the method comprising:

detecting, by a management device implemented in hardware and included within the UPS, an operational condition of the UPS;

generating, by the management device, status update information using a self-describing computer language, the status update information describing the operational condition of the UPS and including at least one of a load percentage, a temperature, and a humidity;

sending, by the management device, the status update information to a first remote computer via a communication network;

receiving, by the management device, at least one command for the UPS via the communication network, the at least one command being configured to change at least one characteristic of the UPS; and

changing the at least one characteristic of the UPS based on the at least one command and configuration information associated with the UPS.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by a second remote computer, registration information descriptive of an owner of the UPS and identifying the UPS;

generating, by the second remote computer, registration update information using the registration information, the registration update information being formatted in the self-describing computer language; and

sending, by the second remote computer, the registration update information to the first remote computer via the communication network.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, by the first remote computer, the status update information;

receiving, by the first remote computer, the registration update information; and

associating, by the first remote computer, the status update information with the owner described in the registration information.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein associating the status update information with the owner includes associating the UPS with the owner.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein sending the status update information includes sending the status update information via an HTTP post and sending the registration update information includes sending the registration update information via an HTTP post.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein generating the status update information includes formatting the status update information in eXtensible Markup Language (XML) and generating the registration update information includes formatting the registration update information in XML.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

identifying an upgrade plan for the UPS; and

presenting the upgrade plan to a user associated with the owner.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing sequences of instruction to remotely monitor an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), the sequences of instruction including a first sequence of instructions that instruct at least one processor to:

detect an operational condition of the UPS;

generate status update information using a self-describing computer language, the status update information describing the operational condition of the UPS and including at least one of a load percentage, a temperature, and a humidity;

send the status update information to a first remote computer via a communication network

receive at least one command for the UPS via the communication network, the at least one command being configured to change at least one characteristic of the UPS; and

transmit one or more commands to the UPS, the one or more commands being based on the at least one command and configuration information associated with the UPS.

9. The computer readable medium according to claim 8, wherein the sequences of instruction include a second sequence of instructions that instruct at least one processor to:

receive registration information descriptive of an owner of the UPS and identifying the UPS;

generate registration update information using the registration information, the registration update information being formatted in the self-describing computer language; and

send the registration update information to the first remote computer via the communication network.

10. The computer readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the sequences of instruction include a third sequence of instructions that instruct at least one processor to:

receive the status update information;

receive the registration update information; and

associate the status update information with the owner described in the registration information.

11. The computer readable medium according to claim 10, wherein the third sequence of instructions associates the status update information with the owner by associating the UPS with the owner.

12. The computer readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the first sequence of instructions sends the status update information via an HTTP post and the second sequence of instructions sends the registration update information via an HTTP post.

13. The computer readable medium according to claim 12, wherein the first sequence of instructions formats the status update information in eXtensible Markup Language (XML) and the second sequence of instructions formats the registration update information in XML.

14. A remote monitoring hardware system comprising:

an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) including;

a first communication interface configured to communicate with a management device; and

at least one management device coupled to the first communications interface, the at least one management device including;

a second communications interface configured to communicate with a communications network; and

at least one hardware processor coupled to the communications network via the second communications interface, the at least one hardware processor being configured to;

detect an operational condition of the UPS via the first communications interface, the operational condition including at least one of a load percentage, a temperature, and a humidity;

generate status update information using a self-describing computer language, the status update information describing the operational condition of the UPS;

send the status update information to a first remote computer via the communication network;

receive at least one command for the UPS via the second communications interface, the at least one command being configured to change at least one characteristic of the UPS; and

transmit one or more commands to the UPS via the first communications interface, the one or more commands being based on the at least one command and configuration information associated with the UPS.

15. The remote monitoring system according to claim 14, further comprising a second remote computer configured to:

receive registration information descriptive of an owner of the UPS and identifying the UPS;

generate registration update information using the registration information, the registration update information being formatted in the self-describing computer language; and

send the registration update information to the first remote computer via the communication network.

16. The remote monitoring system according to claim 15, further comprising the first remote computer, the first remote computer being configured to:

receive the status update information;

receive the registration update information; and

associate the status update information with the owner described in the registration information.

17. The remote monitoring system according to claim 16, wherein the first remote computer is configured to associate the status update information with the owner by associating the UPS with the owner.

18. The remote monitoring system according to claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send the status update information via an HTTP post and the second remote computer is configured to send the registration update information via an HTTP post.

19. The remote monitoring system according to claim 18, wherein the self-describing computer language includes eXtensible Markup Language (XML).

20. The remote monitoring system according to claim 19, wherein the first remote computer includes a promotions module configured to:

identify an upgrade plan for the UPS; and

present the upgrade plan to a user associated with the owner.