Automation control system having digital logging

• US 7,496,627 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2007
• Issued: 02/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Exceptional Innovation, Inc. (ST Holdings Topco LLC)
• Original Assignee: Exceptional Innovation, LLC (ST Holdings Topco LLC)
• Inventors: Moorer, Seale, Eichensehr, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu; Jinsong
• Application Number:
  US11/686,884
• Publication Number:
  US 20070220142A1
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 709/214, 709/215, 709/216, 345/733, 345/759, 715/2.2, 715/3.2
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0736 in functional embedded systems, i.e. in a data processing system designed as a combination of hardware and software dedicated to performing a certain function testing or monitoring of automated control systems G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0769 Readable error formats, e.g. cross-platform generic formats, human understandable formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0781 Error filtering or prioritizing based on a policy defined by the user or on a policy defined by a hardware/software module, e.g. according to a severity level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0686 Additional information in the notification, e.g. enhancement of specific meta-data
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them

Abstract

A convergence and automation system includes (a) an internet-protocol based network, (b) hardware implemented with a web service for devices (WSD) protocol, wherein the hardware includes a plurality of devices connected to the network, each device being configured to perform at least one service, and a server connected to network and configured to control the devices for converging and automating the services thereof; and (c) software implemented with the WSD protocol and configured to establish communication among the sever and the devices and perform a logging function to record events and errors taking places in the convergence and automation system.

Claims

1. A convergence and automation system, comprising:

an Internet-protocol (IP) based network; and

hardware implemented with a web service for devices (WSD) protocol, said hardware comprising;

a plurality of devices connected to the network, each device being configured to perform at least one service; and

a server connected to the network and configured to control the plurality of devices to converge and automate the at least one service;

said hardware being configured to establish communication among the server and the plurality of devices and perform a logging function to record an event and an error occurring in the convergence and automation system,

wherein said logging function comprises generating a message describing the event and error occurring in the convergence and automation system,

wherein said message comprises;

a trace message describing the event; and

an error message describing the error,

wherein said error message comprises;

a configuration error message comprising a record of an error related to a setting or a triggering of at least one of the plurality of devices;

a network error message comprising a record of an error related to a communicate failure between the hardware and the software;

a missing system file message comprising a record of an error related to a missing file; and

a scripting/scheduling error message comprising a record of an error related to a script or a scheduling of the script.

2. The convergence and automation system of claim 1, said hardware further comprising at least one client connected to the network and configured to control at least a portion of the at least one service.

3. The convergence and automation system of claim 2, wherein each of said plurality of devices is selected from the group comprising an audio device, a video device, an intercom device, a lighting control device, a security device and a heating ventilation air conditioning (HVAC) device.

4. The convergence and automation system of claim 2, wherein said at least one client is selected from the group comprising a television, a personal computer, a personal data assistant and a remote controller.

5. The convergence and automation system of claim 1, wherein said message comprises a time stamp component, a message type component, a process component, and a description of event component.

6. The convergence and automation system of claim 1, wherein the trace message comprises:

a service-related message comprising a record of an event related to said at least one service;

a discovery message comprising a record of an event related to introduction and acknowledgement of a new service in said software;

a messaging message comprising a record of an event related to communication among said plurality of devices; and

a subscription management message comprising a record of an event related to a subscription history of said at least one service.

7. The convergence and automation system of claim 1, said logging function further comprising filtering, sorting and searching said message.

8. The convergence and automation system of claim 7, wherein the logging function further comprises printing a report of said message.

9. A computer readable storage medium having a stored computer program embodying instructions, which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a logging function to record an event and an error occurring in a convergence and automation system, said convergence and automation system comprising an Internet-protocol (IP) based network and hardware implemented with a web service for devices (WSD) protocol, the computer readable storage medium comprising:

instructions for establishing communication in the hardware based on the WSD protocol; and

instructions for performing the logging function to record the event and the error, wherein said hardware comprises;

a plurality of devices connected to the network, each of the plurality of devices being configured to perform at least one service; and

a server connected to the network and configured to control the plurality of devices for converging and automating the at least one service,

wherein said instructions for establishing communication in the hardware comprise instructions for establishing communication among the server and the plurality of devices,

wherein said instructions for performing the logging function comprise instructions for generating a message describing the event and the error,

wherein said message comprises a time stamp component, a message type component, a process component, and a description of event component,

wherein said message comprises;

a trace message describing the event; and

an error message describing the error,

wherein said error message comprises;

a configuration error message recording an error related to a setting or a triggering of the plurality of devices;

a network error message recording an error related to a communicate failure between the hardware and software;

a missing system file message recording an error related to a missing file; and

a scripting/scheduling error message recording an error related to a script or a scheduling of the script.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, the trace message comprising:

a service-related message comprising a record of an event related to the at lest on service;

a discovery message comprising a record of an event related to introduction and acknowledgement of a new service in the software;

a messaging message comprising a record of an event related to communication among said plurality of devices; and

a subscription management message comprising a record of an event related to a subscription history of said at least one service.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, the logging function further comprising filtering and searching the message.