REMOTE MONITORING SYSTEM

• US 20080215727A1
• Filed: 03/07/2008
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Calabio, Randy, Denis, Arnaud, Politte, Maureen, Nguyen, Hoai
• Granted Patent: US 8,145,748 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• 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 for providing a remote monitoring service to a customer, the method comprising:

providing an interface to a remote monitoring system, the interface being available over a network, the remote monitoring system including a computer readable medium and being located at a first geographic location;

receiving, from the customer via the interface, registration information including a company profile and an identifier of at least one monitored device, the at least one monitored device being located at a second geographic location remote from the first geographic location;

storing, on the computer readable medium, an association of the at least one monitored device with the company profile;

validating the registration information; and

providing, via the interface, a result of validating the registration information to the customer.

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

receiving, at the remote monitoring system, status information associated with the at least one monitored device, the status information describing an operational condition of the at least one monitored device;

storing the status information on the computer readable medium; and

providing, by the remote monitoring system, the status information to a first user at a third geographic location remote from the first geographic location and the second geographic location.

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

determining, by the at least one monitored device, that an event associated with the at least one monitored device should be escalated;

generating, by the at least one monitored device, escalation information;

including, by the at least one monitored device, the escalation information in the status information; and

providing, by the at least one monitored device, the status information.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising escalating the status information.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein escalating the status information comprises escalating the status information according to an escalation rule.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein providing, by the remote monitoring system, the status information to the first user comprises:

aggregating the status information by at least one device group, the at least one device group including a plurality of devices having a common functional device type, the aggregated status information including information associated with a device in an anomalous state; and

presenting, to the first user in a display of a computer system, the aggregated status information.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein providing, by the remote monitoring system, the status information to the first user further comprises presenting, to the first user in the display, an identifier of the device in an anomalous state.

8. The method according to claim 2, wherein providing, by the remote monitoring system, the status information to a first user comprises:

presenting, to the first user in a display of a computer system, historical monitored device status information;

presenting, to the first user in the display of the computer system, current monitored device status information for a plurality of monitored devices, the monitored device status information aggregated into device group representations, at least one device group representation including information about a device operating in an anomalous state;

detecting a mouse pointer hovering over the representation including information about a device operating in an anomalous state; and

presenting, to the user in the display, an identifier of the device operating in an anomalous state.

9. The method according to claim 2 further comprising:

receiving, from a second user, a query that when executed groups the at least one monitored device according to a value of at least one common characteristic, the query having at least one parameter defining the value;

receiving, from a third user, an input identifying the query and the at least one parameter; and

executing the query using the parameter.

10. The method according to claim 2, further comprising providing, by the remote monitoring system, the status information to a customer relationship management (CRM) system.

11. The method according to claim 2, wherein receiving, at the remote monitoring system, status information comprises receiving status information indicating the need to replace the at least one monitored device.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising providing, to a system supporting hardware replacement orders, the status information indicating the need to replace the at least one monitored device.

13. The method according to claim 2, wherein receiving, at the remote monitoring system, status information comprises receiving status information indicating a geographical location of a monitored device, and the method further comprises presenting the status to a second user in the context of a geographical representation, the status being located in the representation at the geographical location of the monitored device.

14. The method according to claim 3, wherein providing, by the at least one monitored device, the status information comprises providing, by the at least one monitored device, status information indicating a geographical location of the monitored device.

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

determining, based on the status information, at least one replacement device for the at least one monitored device; and

presenting an indicator of the at least one replacement device to a second user.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein determining, based on the status information, the at least one replacement device comprises determining at least one replacement device based on a product roadmap.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein determining, based on the status information, the at least one replacement device comprises determining at least one replacement device based on a sales promotion.

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

receiving configuration information defining a plurality of device commands available for remote execution by the remote monitoring system, each of the plurality of device commands being capable of changing a characteristic of the at least one monitored device; and

providing an interface to remotely execute each of the plurality of device commands according to the configuration information.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising transmitting the configuration information from a CRM system.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein providing the interface to the remote monitoring system comprises:

presenting, to the customer in a display, an input that allows the user to enter company information;

presenting, to the customer in the display, an input that allows the user to enter facility information;

presenting, to the customer in the display, an input that allows the user to enter contact information;

presenting, to the customer in the display, an input that allows the user to enter user information;

presenting, to the customer in the display, an input that allows the user to associate a contact with a monitored device; and

presenting, to the customer in the display, an input that allows the user to enter reporting preference information;

wherein receiving, from the customer via the interface, registration information comprises;

accepting, in the display, the company information provided by the customer;

storing the company information;

accepting, in the display, the facility information provided by the customer;

storing the facility information;

accepting, in the display, the contact information provided by the customer;

storing the contact information;

accepting, in the display, the user information provided by the customer;

storing the user information;

accepting, in the display, the association provided by the customer;

storing the association;

accepting, in the display, the reporting preference information provided by the customer;

storing the reporting preference information; and

wherein validating the registration information comprises validating the company profile against a set of validation rules.

21. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing the company profile to a CRM system.

22. A remote monitoring system comprising:

a computer readable medium;

an input configured to receive, from a customer, registration information including a company profile and an identifier of at least one monitored device;

a processor coupled to the computer readable medium and the interface and configured to store an association of the at least one monitored device with the company profile and to validate the company profile; and

an output coupled to the processor and configured to provide a result of the validation of the company profile.

23. A computer readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instruction including instructions that will cause a processor to

provide an interface to a remote monitoring system, the interface being available over a network, the remote monitoring system including a computer readable medium and being located at a first geographic location;

receive, from the customer via the interface, registration information including a company profile and an identifier of at least one monitored device, the at least one monitored device being located at a second geographic location remote from the first geographic location;

store, on the computer readable medium, an association of the at least one monitored device with the company profile;

validate the registration information; and

provide, via the interface, a result of validating the registration information to the customer.

24. A support session apparatus for use with computer equipment comprising:

an element operable by a user to establish an interactive communication session between a support entity and the user; and

an interface configured to transmit to the support entity operational information associated with the computer equipment.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the support session apparatus is included with a monitored device.

26. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the support session apparatus is included with an enclosure housing at least one monitored device.

27. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the support session apparatus is included with a management device.