Network device management technology

• US 9,929,929 B1
• Filed: 05/04/2015
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Slavin, Alison Jane
• Primary Examiner(s): Won, Michael Y
• Application Number:
  US14/703,799
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 709224, 709223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2823 Reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network device-related reporting H04L43/065; arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0677 Localisation of faults
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• 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

Abstract

Techniques are described for providing network device management. In some implementations, a native mobile device application enables use of a mobile device to add new devices to a network, remove devices from a network, change network and device profile settings, troubleshoot a network, provide an interface into network devices, communications, diagnostics, etc., and provide remote access to the network for installation, programming, troubleshooting, and inclusion.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring network devices located at properties, the system comprising:

a monitoring system that is configured to monitor multiple geographically separated properties for a user, each of the multiple properties including multiple, different types of networked devices;

a native mobile device network application loaded onto a mobile device, the native mobile device network application including instructions that, when executed by the mobile device, cause the mobile device to perform operations comprising;

tracking the multiple, different types of networked devices and association of networked devices with the multiple geographically separated properties, the multiple, different types of networked devices including at least;

a first networked device within a particular geographic property of the multiple geographically separate properties for the user that uses a first short-range communication protocol and performs a first type of functionality, and

a second networked device within the particular geographic property of the multiple geographically separate properties for the user that uses a second short-range communication protocol and performs a second type of functionality, the second communication protocol being different than the first communication protocol and the second type of functionality being different than the first type of functionality;

based on the tracking of the multiple, different types of networked devices, detecting status of the multiple, different types of networked devices; and

providing a standardized interface for managing the multiple, different types of networked devices, the standardized interface providing a standardized display of the detected status of the multiple, different types of networked devices and providing standardized control elements that enable control of the multiple, different types of networked devices,

wherein providing the standardized interface for managing the multiple, different types of networked devices comprises;

identifying the multiple geographically separated properties for the user that are monitored by the monitoring system;

causing display of the multiple geographically separated properties on the standardized interface in a manner that enables the user to select one or more of the multiple geographically separated properties, where the multiple geographically separated properties are caused to be displayed as selectable controls that each represent one of the multiple geographically separated properties;

receiving a selection of the selectable control that represents the particular geographic property from among the multiple selectable controls that represent the multiple geographically separated properties; and

in response to receiving the selection of the selectable control that represents the particular geographic property from among the multiple selectable controls that represent the multiple geographically separated properties,

displaying, on the standardized interface and in a first group of networked devices within the geographic property that have the same type of the first networked device, a representation of the first networked device that indicates the first short-range communication protocol that the first networked device uses, and

displaying, on the standardized interface and in a second group of networked devices within the geographic property that have the same type of the second networked device, a representation of the second networked device on the standardized interface that indicates the second short-range communication protocol that the second networked device uses which is different than the first short-range communication protocol.

2. The system of claim 1:

wherein the multiple, different types of networked devices include a security system device that is part of a security system that monitors at least one of the multiple properties and that performs functionality related to the security system, an appliance device that is associated with an appliance located at least one of the multiple properties and performs functionality related to controlling the appliance, and a computer network device that is part of a local computer network at at least one of the multiple properties and that performs functionality related to the local computer network;

wherein tracking the multiple, different types of networked devices comprises tracking the security system device, the appliance device, and the computer network device;

wherein detecting status of the multiple, different types of networked devices comprises detecting status of the security system device, the appliance device, and the computer network device; and

wherein providing the standardized interface for managing the multiple, different types of networked devices comprises providing a standardized interface for managing the security system device, the appliance device, and the computer network device.

3. The system of claim 1:

wherein the multiple, different types of networked devices include a first device configured to communicate using a Z-Wave protocol, a second device configured to communicate using a ZigBee protocol, a third device configured to communicate using a Bluetooth protocol, and a fourth device configured to communicate over a wireless local area network based on an IEEE 802.11 standard;

wherein tracking the multiple, different types of networked devices comprises tracking the first device, the second device, the third device, and the fourth device;

wherein detecting status of the multiple, different types of networked devices comprises detecting status of the first device, the second device, the third device, and the fourth device; and

wherein providing the standardized interface for managing the multiple, different types of networked devices comprises providing a standardized interface for managing the first device, the second device, the third device, and the fourth device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the native mobile device network application configures the mobile device to operate as a Z-Wave controller that is capable of including and removing Z-Wave devices on a Z-Wave network.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first networked device and the second networked device each include reduced display capabilities as compared to the mobile device on which the native mobile device network application is loaded.

6. The system of claim 5:

wherein the first networked device and the second networked device each do not have any display capabilities; and

wherein providing the standardized interface for managing the multiple, different types of networked devices comprises providing a visual display for managing the first networked device and the second networked device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein providing the standardized interface for managing the multiple, different types of networked devices comprises providing a standardized interface that includes a user identification portion that indicates a user identifier for the user whose network devices are currently being displayed in the standardized interface, that includes a properties portion that displays a listing of properties associated with the user identified in the user identification portion that are selectable such that the user selects one of the properties listed in the properties portion to cause display of network devices located at the selected property, and that includes a control that, when selected, causes display of all network devices located at all of the multiple properties.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein providing the standardized interface for managing the multiple, different types of networked devices comprises providing a standardized interface with a diagnose control that enables a user to initiate a diagnosis process for one or more of the multiple, different types of networked devices by selecting the diagnose control.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein providing the standardized interface for managing the multiple, different types of networked devices comprises providing a standardized interface with a configure control that enables a user to configure settings for one or more of the multiple, different types of networked devices by selecting the configure control.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein providing the standardized interface for managing the multiple, different types of networked devices comprises providing a standardized interface with a statistics control that enables a user to display statistics for one or more of the multiple, different types of networked devices by selecting the statistics control.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein providing the standardized interface for managing the multiple, different types of networked devices comprises providing a standardized interface with a remove control that enables a user to remove one or more of the multiple, different types of networked devices from a network by selecting the remove control.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein providing the standardized interface for managing the multiple, different types of networked devices comprises providing a standardized interface with an add control that enables a user to add a networked device to a network by selecting the add control.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein providing the standardized interface for managing the multiple, different types of networked devices comprises providing a standardized interface with a report control that enables a user to initiate a report generation process that aggregates status data for the multiple, different types of networked devices and combines the status data for the multiple, different types of networked devices in a report.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein providing the standardized interface for managing the multiple, different types of networked devices comprises providing a standardized interface with an update control that enables a user to initiate an automatic update process that automatically updates a network of devices located at the property.

15. The system of claim 1:

wherein the monitoring system is configured to perform operations comprising;

detecting a problem with one of the multiple, different types of networked devices, and

in response to detecting the problem, sending an alert to the native mobile device network application identifying the detected problem and the networked device associated with the detected problem; and

wherein the native mobile device network application further includes instructions that, when executed by the mobile device, cause the mobile device to perform operations comprising;

receiving the alert identifying the detected problem and the networked device associated with the detected problem;

establishing a local connection with the networked device associated with the detected problem; and

performing, using the established connection, diagnosis operations based on the detected problem.

16. The system of claim 15:

wherein sending the alert to the native mobile device network application identifying the detected problem and the networked device associated with the detected problem comprises;

identifying authorization information needed by the native mobile device network application to establish a connection with the networked device associated with the detected problem, and

sending the identified authorization information to the native mobile device network application in addition to the alert; and

wherein establishing the local connection with the networked device associated with the detected problem comprises establishing the local connection with the networked device associated with the detected problem using the identified authorization information.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein in response to receiving the selection of one of the geographically separated multiple properties, identifying networked devices associated with the selected one of the multiple geographically separated properties comprises:

in response to receiving the selection of one of the geographically separated multiple properties, identifying networked devices located within the selected one of the multiple geographically separated properties.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein causing display of the identified networked devices on the standardized interface, where the networked devices are displayed grouped by the type of the networked devices comprises:

providing in the standardized interface a security network device portion that lists all security network devices within the selected one of the multiple geographically separated properties, an appliance portion that lists all appliances within the selected one of the multiple geographically separated properties, and a computer network portion that lists all network devices associated with a computer network within the selected one of the multiple geographically separated properties.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein causing display of the identified networked devices on the standardized interface, where the networked devices are displayed grouped by the type of the networked devices comprises:

causing display of the identified networked devices on the standardized interface, where each networked device is displayed with a corresponding current status for the networked device, a network identifier for the networked device, and a communication protocol for the networked device.

20. The system of claim 1, the operations comprising:

in response to receiving the selection of the selectable control that represents the particular geographic property from among the multiple selectable controls that represent the multiple geographically separated properties, establishing a first connection between the mobile device and the first networked device within the particular geographic property using the first short-range communication protocol and a second connection between the mobile device and the second networked device within the particular geographic property using the second short-range communication protocol; and

obtaining statuses of the first networked device and second networked device over the first connection and the second connection,

wherein the representation of the first networked device includes information from the status obtained by the mobile device through the connection between the mobile device and the first networked device over the first short-range communication protocol,

wherein the representation of the second networked device includes information from the status obtained by the mobile device through the connection between the mobile device the second networked device over the second short-range communication protocol.