Remote monitoring method with event-triggered warning capability

• US 7,397,383 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2006
• Issued: 07/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biolitec Pharma Marketing Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Kun-Chang, Wu, Yi-Chang, Chen, Yi-Hsun, Chan, Sen-Ta
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Phung
• Application Number:
  US11/383,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20070222628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 340/635, 340/506, 340/524, 340/691.6, 709/224, 324/555, 324/556
• US Class Current: 340/635
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/027 Alarm generation, e.g. communication protocol; Forms of alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions

Abstract

A remote monitoring method includes monitoring a plurality of components on a main board. When one of the plurality of components fails to function properly, a warning message is produced to indicate that the component is out of order. Afterward, the warning message is transmitted to a remote control device through a network medium. The remote control device then produces a plot to imitate the relative positions of the main board and the components and displays the malfunctioning component on the plot.

Claims

1. A remote monitoring method comprising:

monitoring a plurality of components on a main board;

when one of the plurality of components fails to function properly, producing a warning message to indicate that the component is out of order;

transmitting the warning message to a remote control device through a network medium;

the remote control device producing images on a plot to imitate a relative position of the main board and the plurality of components according to positions of the plurality of components on the main board; and

displaying an error message on the plot to indicate that the component is out of order.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the error message on the plot to indicate that the component is out of order comprises displaying an image representing the component in a specific way different from images representing other components on the plot.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein displaying the image representing the component in the specific way different from the images representing other components on the plot comprises flashing the image representing the component on the plot while the images representing other components are not flashing.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein displaying the image representing the component in the specific way different from the images representing other components on the plot comprises displaying the image representing the component with a color different from the images representing other components.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the error message on the plot to indicate that the component is out of order comprises only displaying images respectively representing the main board and the component on the plot.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising producing a buzz by the remote control device to indicate there is a malfunctioning component on the main board.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising producing a short message by the remote control device to indicate there is a malfunctioning component on the main board.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising producing a short message by the remote control device to indicate that the component is out of order.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the warning message to the remote control device through the network medium comprises transmitting the warning message to the remote control device through a wireless network medium.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the warning message to the remote control device through the network medium comprises transmitting the warning message to the remote control device through a wired network medium.

11. A remote monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of components on a main board;

a plurality of detectors for monitoring functional statuses of the plurality of components on the main board;

a supervisory control apparatus for monitoring states of the plurality of detectors and dispatching messages about the functional statuses of the plurality of components on the main board;

a network medium for transmitting the messages about the functional statuses of the plurality of components on the main board; and

a remote control device for receiving the messages about the functional statuses of the plurality of components, producing images on a plot to imitate a relative position of the main board and the plurality of components according to positions of the plurality of components on the main board, and displaying an error message on the plot when a component is out of order.

12. The remote monitoring system of claim 11, wherein the remote control device comprises a buzzer for producing a buzz to indicate there is a malfunctioning component on the main board.

13. The remote monitoring system of claim 11, wherein the network medium is a wireless network medium.

14. The remote monitoring system of claim 11, wherein the network medium is a wired network medium.