SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INTELLIGENT AUTOMATED REMOTE MANAGEMENT OF ELECTROMECHANICAL DEVICES

• US 20100083356A1
• Filed: 09/27/2009
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Makad Energy, LLC
• Original Assignee: Makad Energy, LLC
• Inventors: Russell, Daniel R., Baker, Steven D., Steckley, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 9,210,220 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/5
• 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 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

Monitoring and control of electromechanical devices from a central data center. The data center may be located at a separate geographic location, using broadband communication channels, such as Internet or telecom channels, and wireless HAN (home area network) communications. Such electromechanical devices may comprise, for example, an HVAC system at a small-business or residential site, a grounds-maintenance sprinkler system, or a small wind or solar energy generation and storage station.

Claims

1. A system for two-way communication between a data center and an electromechanical device that is located at a remote site, the system comprising:

a device firmware disposed within the electromechanical device, the device firmware being adapted to receive and process a device control directive;

a gateway disposed at the remote site, the gateway including a gateway firmware in communication with the device firmware and adapted to initiate a plurality of data exchange communications with the data center, each data exchange communication including a data exchange request transmitted from the gateway and a data exchange response transmitted from the data center, the data exchange response including a control directive received from the data center, each data exchange communication adapted to be closed immediately upon receipt of the data exchange response, the gateway firmware being further adapted to derive a device control directive from the control directive and transmit the device control directive to the electromechanical device; and

a server hosted on the data center, the server in communication with the gateway firmware and adapted to respond to the plurality of data exchange communications, and adapted to create the control directives and transmit the data exchange response including the control directives to the gateway.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the device firmware is adapted to measure and store one or more data and is adapted to transmit the one or more data to the gateway firmware; and

the gateway firmware is adapted to receive the one or more data transmitted from the device firmware and transmit the one or more data to the data center in the data exchange request.

3. The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the gateway firmware is adapted to store at least one of the one or more data.

4. The system as set forth in claim 1, where the device firmware is also adapted to actuate an actuator defined by the device control directive.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of data exchange communications includes an authentication request transmitted from the gateway firmware, and the server is adapted to authenticate the at least one data exchange communication.

6. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the server is in communication with the gateway over a broadband network, and where the data exchange communication is transmitted using TCP/IP and a standard open port.

7. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one data exchange communication includes an encrypted communication that includes the data exchange request and the data exchange response.

8. The system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of the gateways including a first gateway disposed within a first remote site and a second gateway disposed within a second remote site; and

a plurality of the servers hosted on a plurality of the data centers including a first server and a second server,

the first server adapted to at least one of;

communicate with the first gateway,

host a first central database, and

support first auxiliary user interface applications that enable creation of first control directives, and

the second server adapted to at least one of;

communicate with the second gateway,

host a second central database, and

support second auxiliary user interface applications that enable creation of second control directives.

9. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the gateway firmware is adapted to create, manage, and maintain a local network by which the gateway is adapted to communicate with the device firmware.

10. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the gateway firmware is adapted to provision the electromechanical device with authentication credentials.

11. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the control directives are selected from a set of control directive types, the gateway firmware contains one or more control directive firmware modules each of the control directive firmware modules being adapted to execute the function of a corresponding one of the set of control directives types.

12. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the gateway firmware, in response to receiving the control directive, is adapted to receive and deploy an updated control directive firmware module.

13. The system as set forth in claim 1, comprising a plurality of the electromechanical devices, each electromechanical device corresponding to one of a plurality of electromechanical device types, wherein the gateway firmware contains a plurality of device handler firmware modules, each device handler firmware module corresponding to one electromechanical device type of the plurality of electromechanical device types, each device handler firmware module adapted to manage and control each electromechanical device of the corresponding electromechanical device type.

14. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the at least one gateway and the at least one electromechanical device are integral.

15. A system as set forth in claim 1, comprising two gateways disposed within the remote site wherein a first gateway includes a first gateway firmware in communication with the device firmware, and a second gateway includes a second gateway firmware in communication with the device firmware, the first gateway and the second gateway being adapted to collectively transition between:

a first state in which the first gateway firmware is adapted to initiate the plurality of data exchange communications with the data center, and adapted to derive the device control directive and transfer the device control directive to the electromechanical device, and

a second state in which the second gateway is adapted to initiate the plurality of data exchange communications with the data center, and adapted to derive the device control directive and transfer the device control directive to the electromechanical device.

16. A method for automatically commissioning remote devices across two or more networks, comprising:

provisioning a device having a device type of a plurality of device types on a first network of a first network type, the first network managed by a gateway;

presenting a commissioning request with device identification information to the gateway, the device identification information including the device type;

sending the commissioning request with the device identification information to a device handler source server on a second network of a second network type different from the first network type;

based on the device identification information, sending a device handler firmware module corresponding to the device type, to the gateway, the device handler firmware module selected from a plurality of device handler firmware modules;

loading the device handler firmware control module;

transmitting a commissioning acknowledgement to the device; and

receiving the commissioning acknowledgement by the device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising relaying to the gateway a network address for the device handler source server.

18. A method for detecting when a gateway at a managed site is not communicating properly, comprising:

deploying a known call-home schedule on the gateway, the call-home schedule including a late call-home interval;

receiving a first call-home;

recording the time of the receipt of the first call-home;

starting when the first call-home is received, waiting a period of time corresponding to the late call-home interval; and

recording an offline indication if a second call-home is not received before the waiting is completed.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing a notification to a user corresponding to the offline indication.

20. A method for closed loop communication using a stateless protocol, comprising:

creating a control directive and an unique corresponding control directive ID;

storing the control directive together with the control directive ID;

transmitting a data exchange response including the control directive and the control directive ID;

receiving the data exchange response;

processing the control directive;

transmitting a data exchange request including data corresponding to the processed control directive and the control directive ID;

receiving the data exchange request; and

associating the data to the stored control directive via the control directive ID.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein:

storing includes storing the control directive together with the control directive ID at the data center;

transmitting a data exchange response includes transmitting a data exchange response from the data center;

processing includes processing the control directive at the gateway; and

transmitting a data exchange request includes transmitting a data exchange request from the gateway to the data center.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein:

creating includes creating a first control directive and an unique corresponding first control directive ID and creating a second control directive and an unique corresponding second control directive ID;

storing includes storing the first control directive together with the first control directive ID and storing the second control directive together with the second control directive ID;

transmitting a data exchange response includes, in order, transmitting a first data exchange response including the first control directive and the first control directive ID and transmitting a second data exchange response including the second control directive and the second control directive ID;

receiving the data exchange response includes receiving the first data exchange response and receiving the second data exchange response;

processing includes processing the first control directive and processing the second control directive;

transmitting a data exchange request includes transmitting a first data exchange request including a first data corresponding to the processed first control directive and the first control directive ID and transmitting a second data exchange request including a second data corresponding to the processed second control directive and the second control directive ID;

receiving the data exchange request includes, in order, receiving the second data exchange request and receiving the first data exchange request; and

associating includes associating the first data to the stored first control directive via the first control directive ID and associating the second data to the stored second control directive via the second control directive ID.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein:

transmitting a data exchange request includes transmitting from a first gateway a first data exchange request including a first data corresponding to the processed control directive, the first control directive ID, and a first gateway ID corresponding to the first gateway and transmitting from a second gateway a second data exchange request including a second data corresponding to the processed control directive, the second control directive ID, and a second gateway ID corresponding to the second gateway;

receiving the data exchange request includes receiving the first data exchange request and receiving the second data exchange request; and

associating includes associating the first data to the stored control directive and the first gateway via the control directive ID and the first gateway ID, and associating also includes associating the second data to the stored control directive and the second gateway via the control directive ID and the second gateway ID.

24. A method of maintaining two-way communications with a data center, the method comprising:

providing a first set of at least one server disposed within a data center;

providing a first set of server IDs, each one of the first set of server IDs including a network address of a corresponding one of the first set of servers;

creating a first server list including the first set of server IDs;

during a first data exchange communication between a gateway of a plurality of gateways and the data center, transmitting the first server list to the gateway;

receiving the first server list;

saving the first server list on the gateway;

using the saved first server list as a call-home list to transmit a data exchange request from the gateway to one of the first set of servers;

providing a second set of at least one server disposed within the data center;

providing a second set of server IDs, each one of the second set of server IDs including a network address of a corresponding one of the second set of servers;

creating a second server list including the second set of server IDs;

during a second data exchange communication between the gateway and the data center, transmitting the second server list to the gateway;

receiving the second server list;

saving the second server list on the gateway;

using the saved second server list as a call-home list to attempt to transmit a data exchange request from the gateway to one of the first set of servers; and

bringing at least one of the second set of servers online;

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising taking at least one of the first set of servers offline.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

providing a third set of at least one server disposed within a data center;

providing a third set of server IDs, each one of the third set of server IDs including a network address of a corresponding one of the third set of servers;

creating a third server list including the third set of server IDs;

during a third data exchange communication between a second gateway of a plurality of gateways and the data center, transmitting the third server list to the second gateway;

receiving the third server list;

saving the third server list on the second gateway; and

using the saved third server list as a call-home list to transmit a data exchange request from the second gateway to one of the third set of servers;

27. A method to statefully re-commission a remote device that was previously commissioned, the remote device having a device ID, the method comprising:

storing a commissioned status including the device ID and a device state of the remote device on a gateway;

transmitting a commissioning request including the device ID from the remote device to the gateway;

receiving the commissioning request;

retrieving the stored commissioned status and the device state of the device via the device ID;

transmitting a commissioning acknowledgement including the commissioned status and the device state from the gateway to the remote device; and

receiving the commissioning acknowledgement.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein:

transmitting a commissioning request includes transmitting a commissioning request with security credentials; and

receiving the commissioning request includes validating the security credentials.