Remote access gateway configurable control system

• US 9,954,968 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2015
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Wang, Bo, Lemire, Patrick, Lv, Cherry
• Primary Examiner(s): Hartman, Jr., Ronald
• Application Number:
  US14/827,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20150350359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25168 Domotique, access through internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31348 Gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/102 Gateways arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways, H04L12/66
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/145 avoiding end of session, e.g. keep-alive, heartbeats, resumption message or wake-up for inactive or interrupted session
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/00 Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level

Abstract

A remote access gateway configurable control system. There may be a series of control commands to set or adjust a gateway device'"'"'s running parameters and modify the behavior of the device or start process action. There may be configuration commands for remote control of the device and server commands for unattended devices.

Claims

1. A gateway control system for residential building equipment comprising:

a gateway device;

heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment connected to the gateway device; and

a remote access mechanism connected to the gateway device and an internet cloud, the remote access mechanism is configured to;

configure operation of the gateway device by setting running parameters of the gateway device;

monitor the operation of the gateway device;

obtain information about the gateway device and current running status of the gateway device based at least in part from the monitoring of the gateway device; and

modify a behavior of the gateway device by adjusting the running parameters based at least in part on the information about the gateway device and the current running status of the gateway device; and

wherein signals, for configuring and/or controlling the gateway, are provided from the internet cloud to the remote access mechanism.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

commands from a service application of the remote access mechanism to the internet cloud remotely configure and/or control the gateway device and/or affect the behavior of the gateway device or start a process action; and

for each command, the service application should receive a response.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein a command is selected from a group consisting of command, reset, send ping set or stop, cause registration, encryption mode, sync to host, device information, system configuration, clear fault, configuration file, firmware upgrade, stop parameter, and close data session.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the service application sends a keep-alive message periodically to ensure that a data circuit is kept open; and

the keep-alive message is sent even if there is a command pending for or from the gateway device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein modifying the behavior of the gateway device includes:

identifying a message sending behavior of the gateway device based at least in part from the information about the gateway device and the current running status of the gateway device and adjusting the message sending behavior based at least in part on the identification of the message sending behavior;

identifying that the gateway device has been hacked based at least in part on the information about the gateway device and the current running status of the gateway device and resetting the gateway device based at least in part on the identification that the gateway device has been hacked; and

identifying an encryption mode of the gateway device based at least in part on the information about the gateway device and the current running status of the gateway device and adjusting the encryption mode of the gateway device based at least in part on the identification of the encryption mode.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the gateway device communicates wirelessly to a host; and

the host is an item selected from a group consisting of thermostats, outdoor sensors, indoor sensors, and controllers for air handlers, air conditioners, heaters, and humidifiers.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the gateway device has communications with a server;

the communications comprise one or more data sessions and/or an asynchronous message; and

when a session is opened to activate a gateway device, a service application can request a data session to send a registration command.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein modifying the behavior of the gateway device includes:

identifying irregular operation of the gateway device based at least in part from the information about the gateway device and the current running status of the gateway device;

determining the gateway device has been hacked based at least in part on the identified irregular operation of the gateway device; and

resetting the gateway device by adjusting the running parameters in response to the determination that the gateway device has been hacked.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein a service application of the remote access mechanism sends a data session request to a server infrastructure to establish a connection between the gateway device and the server.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an item selected from a group consisting of a phone, web page, an electronic communication pad, a computer and a network comprises the remote access mechanism; and

wherein;

the item is connected to the internet cloud; and

the item can provide commands to the gateway device.

11. An approach for gateway control for residential equipment comprising:

providing a gateway device;

connecting heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment to the gateway device; and

connecting a remote access mechanism to the gateway device, an internet cloud and a network, the remote access mechanism is configured to;

configure operation of the gateway device by setting running parameters of the gateway device;

monitor the operation of the gateway device;

obtain information about the gateway device and current running status of the gateway device at least partially from the monitoring of the gateway device; and

modify a behavior of the gateway device by adjusting the running parameters based at least in part on the information about the gateway device and the current running status of the gateway device; and

wherein;

signals for configuring the operation and/or controlling the operation of the gateway are provided from the internet cloud or network to the remote access mechanism;

commands from a service application of the remote access mechanism to the internet cloud remotely configure and/or control the operation of the gateway device and/or affect a behavior of the gateway device or start a process action; and

for each command, the service application should receive a response.

12. The approach of claim 11, wherein a command is selected from a group consisting of command, reset, send ping set or stop, cause registration, encryption mode, sync to host, device information, system configuration, clear fault, configuration file, firmware upgrade, and close data session.

13. The approach of claim 11, wherein the service application sends a keep-alive message periodically to ensure that a data circuit is kept open.

14. The approach of claim 11, wherein:

the gateway device communicates wirelessly to a host; and

the host is an item selected from a group consisting of thermostats, outdoor sensors, indoor sensors, and controllers for air handlers, air conditioners, heaters, and humidifiers.

15. The approach of claim 11, wherein modifying the behavior of the gateway device includes:

identifying a message sending behavior of the gateway device based at least in part from the information about the gateway device and the current running status of the gateway device and adjusting the message sending behavior based at least in part on the identification of the message sending behavior;

identifying that the gateway device has been hacked based at least in part on the information about the gateway device and the current running status of the gateway device and resetting the gateway device based at least in part on the identification that the gateway device has been hacked; and

identifying an encryption mode of the gateway device based at least in part on the information about the gateway device and the current running status of the gateway device and adjusting the encryption mode of the gateway device based at least in part on the identification of the encryption mode.

16. A gateway control system for residential equipment comprising:

a gateway device; and

heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment connected to the gateway device;

a service application communicatively coupled to the gateway device and configured to;

configure operation of the gateway device by setting running parameters of the gateway device;

monitor the operation of the gateway device;

obtain information about the gateway device and current running status of the gateway device based at least in part from the monitoring of the gateway device; and

modify a behavior of the gateway device by adjusting the running parameters based at least in part on the information about the gateway device and the current running status of the gateway device; and

wherein;

the gateway is connected to a network; and

signals, for configuring and/or controlling the gateway, are provided from the network.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein commands from the service application to the network remotely configure and/or control the gateway device;

and/or affect a behavior of the gateway device or start a process action.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein modifying the behavior of the gateway device includes:

identifying a message sending behavior of the gateway device based at least in part from the information about the gateway device and the current running status of the gateway device and adjusting the message sending behavior based at least in part on the identification of the message sending behavior;

identifying that the gateway device has been hacked based at least in part on the information about the gateway device and the current running status of the gateway device and resetting the gateway device based at least in part on the identification that the gateway device has been hacked; and

identifying an encryption mode of the gateway device based at least in part on the information about the gateway device and the current running status of the gateway device and adjusting the encryption mode of the gateway device based at least in part on the identification of the encryption mode.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein modifying the behavior of the gateway device includes:

identifying irregular operation of the gateway device based at least in part from the information about the gateway device and the current running status of the gateway device;

determining the gateway device has been hacked based at least in part on the identified irregular operation of the gateway device; and

resetting the gateway device by adjusting the running parameters in response to the determination that the gateway device has been hacked.

20. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

an item selected from a group consisting of a phone, web page, an electronic communication pad, and a computer comprises the service application; and

wherein;

the item is connected to the network; and

the item can provide commands via the network to the gateway device.