Systems and methods for programmable device installations

• US 9,917,737 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2014
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Neilson, Stuart John, Lee, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Donabed, Ninos
• Application Number:
  US14/588,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20160191318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/00 Error detection; Error correction; Monitoring error detection, correction or monitoring in information storage based on relative movement between record carrier and transducer G11B20/18; monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing G11B27/36; in static stores G11C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/00 Arrangements for software engineering testing or debugging G06F11/36; administrative, planning or organisation aspects of software project management G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0883 Semiautomatic configuration, e.g. proposals from system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0889 Techniques to speed-up the configuration process
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/24 using dedicated network management hardware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them

Abstract

According to at least one embodiment, a system including a server is provided. The server includes a memory and at least one processor coupled to the memory. The at least one processor is configured to receive configuration information encoded in a QR code, the configuration information being based on one or more values of one or more configuration options for at least one programmable device. The at least one processor is also configured to determine if the configuration information is in accord with target configuration information and transmit a message indicating whether the configuration information is in accord with the target configuration information.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one programmable device, the programmable device being configured to;

generate configuration information,

encode the configuration information into a QR code, and

display the QR code with the encoded configuration information;

a server including;

a first memory, and

at least a first processor coupled to the first memory and configured to;

receive the configuration information encoded in the QR code, the configuration information being based on one or more values of one or more configuration options for the at least one programmable device, wherein the programmable device is an uninterruptible power supply, a programmable logic controller, or a utility meter; and

a local server comprising;

a second memory including target configuration information relating to a plurality of programmable devices, and

at least a second processor configured to;

emulate the at least one programmable device using the target configuration information,

receive the configuration information encoded in the QR code,

detect whether the configuration information is in accord with the target configuration information, and

send a message to the server indicating whether the configuration information is in accord with the target configuration information; and

wherein the at least a first processor of the server is further configured to;

generate a recommendation to provide a user with information to update the programmable device in response to determining that the configuration information is not in accord with the target configuration information, the information including one or more drawings, diagrams, or text that instruct the user to fix a configuration of the programmable device,

send the recommendation to a smart device, and

transmit a message indicating whether the configuration information is in accord with the target configuration information.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the server includes a device list of programmable devices, the list including a serial number of the at least one programmable device, configuration parameters of the at least one programmable device, and an intended usage of the at least one programmable device.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the server includes third party information relating to locked registers of the at least one programmable device and factory values of the at least one programmable device.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the server is not directly connected to the at least one programmable device.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the system further comprises the smart device, the smart device being configured to:

scan the QR code;

send the QR code to the server;

receive the recommendation; and

display the one or more drawings, diagrams, or text.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the server is further configured to generate configuration instructions to configure the at least one programmable device.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the server includes diagnostic software to determine the target configuration information.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least a first processor of the server is further configured to:

receive a serial number of the at least one programmable device; and

generate installation instructions for the at least one programmable device.

9. A system comprising:

at least one programmable device including;

a first memory; and

at least a first processor coupled to the first memory and configured to;

generate configuration information, the configuration information based on one or more values of one or more configuration options,

encode the configuration information into a QR code,

display the QR code including a representation of the configuration information;

a server comprising;

a second memory, and

at least a second processor coupled to the second memory and configured to;

receive the configuration information encoded in the QR code, and

generate a recommendation to provide a user with information to update the at least one programmable device; and

a local server comprising;

a third memory including target configuration information relating to a plurality of programmable devices, and

at least a third processor configured to;

emulate the at least one programmable device using the target configuration information,

receive the configuration information encoded in the QR code;

detect whether the configuration information is in accord with the target configuration information, and

send a message to the server indicating whether the configuration information is in accord with the target configuration information; and

wherein the at least a first processor of the at least one programmable device is further configured to;

receive an update, from a smart device, based on the recommendation for the user, the recommendation being generated at the server in response to determining that the configuration information is not in accord with target configuration information, wherein the recommendation provides information including one or more drawings, diagrams, or text that instruct the user to fix a configuration of the at least one programmable device, and

wherein the at least one programmable device is an uninterruptible power supply, a programmable logic controller, or a utility meter.

10. The system according to claim 9, further comprising the smart device, the smart device configured to:

scan the QR code;

update information relating to the at least one programmable device using the QR code;

send the QR code to the server;

receive the recommendation; and

display the one or more drawings, diagrams, or text.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the at least one programmable device is not directly connected to the server.

12. A method for verifying a configuration, the method comprising acts of:

generating configuration information;

encoding, by at least one programmable device, the configuration information into a QR code;

displaying, on a display of the at least one programmable device, the QR code including the encoded configuration information;

receiving the configuration information encoded in the QR code at a server, the configuration information based on one or more values of one or more configuration options for the at least one-programmable device, wherein the at least one programmable device is an uninterruptible power supply, a programmable logic controller, or a utility meter;

emulating the at least one programmable device using target configuration information relating to a plurality of programmable devices;

receiving the configuration information encoded in the QR code at a local server;

detecting whether the configuration information is in accord with the target configuration information;

sending a message from the local server to the server indicating whether the configuration information is in accord with the target configuration information;

generating a recommendation to provide a user with information to update the at least one programmable device in response to determining that the configuration information is not in accord with the target configuration information, the information including one or more drawings, diagrams, or text that instruct the user to fix a configuration of the at least one programmable device;

sending the recommendation to a smart device;

displaying, by the smart device, the one or more drawings, diagrams, or text; and

transmitting a message indicating whether the configuration information is in accord with the target configuration information.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising acts of:

scanning, by a smart device, the QR code; and

sending, by the smart device, the configuration information.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising acts of:

scanning, by the smart device, a serial number of the at least one programmable device;

sending, by the smart device, the serial number to the server;

generating, by the server, instructions for installing the at least one programmable device; and

sending, by the server to the smart device, the instructions.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein detecting whether the configuration information is in accord with the target configuration information includes pushing the configuration information to a virtualized programmable device.