Backup-instructing broadcast to network devices responsive to detection of failure risk

• US 9,348,689 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2014
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kim, Ryan Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): MCCARTHY, CHRISTOPHER S
• Application Number:
  US14/508,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20160098309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/004 Error avoidance G06F11/07 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0754 by exceeding limits
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/079 Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1441 Resetting or repowering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1461 Backup scheduling policy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3058 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring environmental properties or parameters of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring of power, currents, temperature, humidity, position, vibrations thermal management in cooling arrangements of a computing system G06F1/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 Threshold
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for detecting failure-risk events at devices and facilitating local and/or remote data back-up and/or device operations. In some instances, a device characterizes a stimulus sensed at the device or an operation of a component of the device. A determination is made that a failure-risk condition is satisfied based on the characterization. In response to determining that the failure-risk condition is satisfied, the device initiates a data backing up of data in a non-volatile reserved memory or facilitates transmission of an alert communication from the device to another device.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a detector configured to characterize a physical stimulus or an operation of a component of the device;

one or more data processors; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing instructions which, when executed on the one or more data processors, cause the one or more data processors to perform actions including;

determining that a failure-risk condition is satisfied, wherein the determination is made based on the characterization of the physical stimulus or operation of the component of the device; and

in response to determining that the failure-risk condition is satisfied, facilitating transmission to an other device of an alert communication that includes an instruction to the other device to back up data or to adjust a setting, wherein the device and the other device are part of a same local area network, wherein facilitating transmission of the alert communication to the other device includes broadcasting the alert, and wherein the alert communication corresponds to an indication that the failure-risk condition is satisfied.

2. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the actions further include using a reserve power source of the device to perform the facilitating transmission of the alert communication.

3. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the transmission is according to a first transmission protocol and wherein the actions further include:

facilitating a second transmission of the alert communication, wherein the second transmission is according to a second transmission protocol that uses more energy than the first transmission protocol, and wherein the second transmission occurs after the first transmission.

4. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the instruction is to adjust the setting, and wherein the setting is one defined based on user input or learned.

5. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the facilitating the transmission of the alert communication to the other device includes transmitting the alert communication to the other device.

6. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the determination that the failure-risk condition is satisfied is made based on the characterization of the physical stimulus, wherein the characterization of the physical stimulus includes a sensor reading, and wherein the alert communication includes the sensor reading.

7. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the actions further include, in response to determining that the failure-risk condition is satisfied:

facilitating transmission of another alert communication to a mobile access device, wherein the device and the mobile access device are associated with a same local area network, and wherein the other alert communication also corresponds to an indication that the failure-risk condition is satisfied.

8. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the instruction is to adjust the setting, and wherein the setting is a device state, an intensity setting, or an interaction setting.

9. A computer-implemented method comprising:

characterizing a stimulus sensed at a device or an operation of a component of the device;

determining that a failure-risk condition is satisfied, wherein the determination is made based on the characterization of the stimulus or the operation of the component of the device; and

in response to determining that the failure-risk condition is satisfied, facilitating transmission, from the device to an other device, of an alert communication that includes an instruction to the other device to back up data or to adjust a setting, wherein facilitating transmission of the alert communication to the other device includes broadcasting the alert, wherein the device and the other device are part of a same local area network, and wherein the alert communication corresponds to an indication that the failure-risk condition is satisfied.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising using a reserve power source of the device to perform the facilitating transmission of the alert communication.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the transmission is according to a first transmission protocol and wherein the actions further include:

facilitating a second transmission of the alert communication, wherein the second transmission is according to a second transmission protocol that uses more energy than the first transmission protocol, and wherein the second transmission occurs after the first transmission.

12. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the instruction is to adjust the setting, and wherein the setting is one defined based on user input or learned.

13. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the facilitating the transmission of the alert communication to the other device includes transmitting the alert communication to the other device.

14. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the determination that the failure-risk condition is satisfied is made based on the characterization of the physical stimulus, wherein the characterization of the physical stimulus includes a sensor reading, and wherein the alert communication includes the sensor reading.

15. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising, in response to determining that the failure-risk condition is satisfied:

facilitating transmission of another alert communication to a mobile access device, wherein the device and the mobile access device are associated with a same local area network, and wherein the other alert communication also corresponds to an indication that the failure-risk condition is satisfied.

16. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the instruction is to adjust the setting, and wherein the setting is a device state, an intensity setting, or an interaction setting.

17. A computer-program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, including instructions configured to cause one or more data processors to perform actions including:

determining that a failure-risk condition is satisfied, wherein the determination is made based on a characterization of a stimulus sensed at a device or of an operation of a component of the device; and

in response to determining that the failure-risk condition is satisfied, facilitating transmission of an alert communication from the device to an other device, wherein the device and the other device are part of a same local area network, wherein facilitating transmission of the alert communication to the other device includes broadcasting the alert, and wherein the alert communication corresponds to an indication that the failure-risk condition is satisfied and includes an instruction to the other device to back up data or adjust a setting.

18. The computer-program product as recited in claim 17, wherein the actions further include using a reserve power source of the device to perform the facilitating transmission of the alert communication.

19. The computer-program product as recited in claim 17, wherein the transmission is according to a first transmission protocol and wherein the actions further include:

facilitating a second transmission of the alert communication, wherein the second transmission is according to a second transmission protocol that uses more energy than the first transmission protocol, and wherein the second transmission occurs after the first transmission.

20. The computer-program product as recited in claim 17, wherein the instruction is to adjust the setting, and wherein the setting is one defined based on user input or learned.

21. The computer-program product as recited in claim 17, wherein the determination that the failure-risk condition is satisfied is made based on the characterization of the physical stimulus, wherein the characterization of the physical stimulus includes a sensor reading, and wherein the alert communication includes the sensor reading.

22. The computer-program product as recited in claim 17, wherein the instruction is to adjust the setting, and wherein the setting is a device state, an intensity setting, or an interaction setting.

23. A device comprising:

a detector configured to characterize a physical stimulus or an operation of a component of the device;

one or more data processors; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing instructions which, when executed on the one or more data processors, cause the one or more data processors to perform actions including;

determining that a failure-risk condition is satisfied, wherein the determination is made based on the characterization of the physical stimulus or operation of the component of the device; and

in response to determining that the failure-risk condition is satisfied;

facilitating transmission to an other device of an alert communication that includes an instruction to the other device to hack up data or to adjust a setting, wherein the device and the other device are part of a same local area network, wherein the transmission is according to a first transmission protocol, and wherein the alert communication corresponds to an indication that the failure-risk condition is satisfied; and

facilitating a second transmission of the alert communication, wherein the second transmission is according to a second transmission protocol that uses more energy than the first transmission protocol, and wherein the second transmission occurs after the first transmission.

24. The device as recited in claim 23, wherein the actions further include using a reserve power source of the device to perform the facilitating transmission of the alert communication.

25. The device as recited in claim 23, wherein the instruction is to adjust the setting, and wherein the setting is one defined based on user input or learned.

26. The device as recited in claim 23, wherein the facilitating the transmission of the alert communication to the other device includes transmitting the alert communication to the other device.

27. The device as recited in claim 23, wherein the determination that the failure-risk condition is satisfied is made based on the characterization of the physical stimulus, wherein the characterization of the physical stimulus includes a sensor reading, and wherein the alert communication includes the sensor reading.

28. The device as recited in claim 23, wherein the actions further include, in response to determining that the failure-risk condition is satisfied:

facilitating transmission of another alert communication to a mobile access device, wherein the device and the mobile access device are associated with a same local area network, and wherein the other alert communication also corresponds to an indication that the failure-risk condition is satisfied.

29. The device as recited in claim 23, wherein the instruction is to adjust the setting, and wherein the setting is a device state, an intensity setting, or an interaction setting.

30. A computer-implemented method comprising:

characterizing a stimulus sensed at a device or an operation of a component of the device;

determining that a failure-risk condition is satisfied, wherein the determination is made based on the characterization of the stimulus or the operation of the component of the device; and

in response to determining that the failure-risk condition is satisfied;

facilitating transmission, from the device to an other device, of an alert communication that includes an instruction to the other device to back up data or to adjust a setting, wherein the device and the other device are part of a same local area network, wherein the transmission is according to a first transmission protocol, and wherein the alert communication corresponds to an indication that the failure-risk condition is satisfied; and

facilitating a second transmission of the alert communication, wherein the second transmission is according to a second transmission protocol that uses more energy than the first transmission protocol, and wherein the second transmission occurs after the first transmission.

31. The method as recited in claim 30, further comprising using a reserve power source of the device to perform the facilitating transmission of the alert communication.

32. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein the instruction is to adjust the setting, and wherein the setting is one defined based on user input or learned.

33. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein the facilitating the transmission of the alert communication to the other device includes transmitting the alert communication to the other device.

34. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein the determination that the failure-risk condition is satisfied is made based on the characterization of the physical stimulus, wherein the characterization of the physical stimulus includes a sensor reading, and wherein the alert communication includes the sensor reading.

35. The method as recited in claim 30, further comprising, in response to determining that the failure-risk condition is satisfied:

facilitating transmission of another alert communication to a mobile access device, wherein the device and the mobile access device are associated with a same local area network, and wherein the other alert communication also corresponds to an indication that the failure-risk condition is satisfied.

36. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein the instruction is to adjust the setting, and wherein the setting is a device state, an intensity setting, or an interaction setting.

37. A computer-program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, including instructions configured to cause one or more data processors to perform actions including:

determining that a failure-risk condition is satisfied, wherein the determination is made based on a characterization of a stimulus sensed at a device or of an operation of a component of the device; and

in response to determining that the failure-risk condition is satisfied;

facilitating transmission to an other device of an alert communication from the device to an other device, wherein the device and the other device are part of a same local area network, wherein the transmission is according to a first transmission protocol, and wherein the alert communication corresponds to an indication that the failure-risk condition is satisfied and includes an instruction to the other device to back up data or adjust a setting; and

facilitating a second transmission of the alert communication, wherein the second transmission is according to a second transmission protocol that uses more energy than the first transmission protocol, and wherein the second transmission occurs after the first transmission.

38. The computer-program product as recited in claim 37, wherein the actions further include using a reserve power source of the device to perform the facilitating transmission of the alert communication.

39. The computer-program product as recited in claim 37, wherein the instruction is to adjust the setting, and wherein the setting is one defined based on user input or learned.

40. The computer-program product as recited in claim 37, wherein the determination that the failure-risk condition is satisfied is made based on the characterization of the physical stimulus, wherein the characterization of the physical stimulus includes a sensor reading, and wherein the alert communication includes the sensor reading.

41. The computer-program product as recited in claim 37, wherein the instruction is to adjust the setting, and wherein the setting is a device state, an intensity setting, or an interaction setting.