Methods for managing remote devices over an instant messaging network and systems thereof

• US 7,583,189 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2007
• Issued: 09/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PTC Inc.
• Original Assignee: John T. Canosa
• Inventors: Canosa, John T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland; Donnie L
• Application Number:
  US11/726,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20080231414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 340/531
• US Class Current: 340/531
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/026 using e-messaging for transporting management information, e.g. email, instant messaging or chat
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0273 using web services for network management, e.g. simple object access protocol [SOAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users

Abstract

A method and system for managing one or more devices includes identifying at least one condition related to one of one or more devices to initiate an instant message communication between one of the one or more devices and one of one or more computing systems. An instant message service is invoked based on the identified condition and an instant message is generated based on the identified condition. The generated instant message is provided at the one of the computing systems in which the instant message communication has been initiated.

Claims

1. A method for managing one or more devices, the method comprising:

identifying at least one condition related to one of one or more devices to initiate an instant message communication between one of the one or more devices and one of one or more computing systems;

invoking an instant message service based on the identified condition;

generating an instant message based on the identified condition; and

providing the generated instant message at the one of the computing systems in which the instant message communication has been initiated.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising identifying a presence of one or more devices and one or more computing systems on a network, wherein the invoking is based on the identified presence of the one or more devices and the one or more computing systems.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the identifying a presence further comprises autonomously announcing the presence of at least one of the devices and the computing systems on the network.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the identified condition comprises at least one of a fault condition and an abnormal condition at one of the one or more devices and wherein the generated instant message provides a report of the at least one of a fault condition and an abnormal condition.

5. The method as set forth in claim 4 further comprising identifying one or more of the computing systems on a buddy list associated with the device associated with the identified condition, wherein the providing the instant message is provided to the one or more of the computing systems identified on the buddy list, and wherein the invoking invokes the one or more of the computing systems identified on the buddy list based on a SOAP encoded message in the instant message.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the identified condition comprises a request from one of the computing systems to retrieve one or more values for one or more parameters at one of the devices.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6 further comprising obtaining the one or more values for the one or more parameters at the one of the devices and wherein the generated instant message contains the obtained one or more values.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the identified condition comprises a request from one of the computing systems for one or more diagnostics at one of the devices.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8 further comprising:

running the one or more requested diagnostics; and

obtaining data from the running, wherein the generated instant message contains the obtained data from the requested diagnostics.

10. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the providing the instant message further comprises providing at least one of a plurality of characteristics in a display of the instant message based on the content of the instant message.

11. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising recording audit information based on the generated message.

12. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for managing one or more devices comprising machine executable code which when executed by at least one processor, causes the processor to perform steps comprising:

identifying at least one condition related to one of one or more devices to initiate an instant message communication between one of the one or more devices and one of one or more computing systems;

invoking an instant message service based on the identified condition;

generating an instant message based on the identified condition; and

providing the generated instant message at the one of the computing systems in which the instant message communication has been initiated.

13. The medium as set forth in claim 12 further comprising identifying a presence of one or more devices and one or more computing systems on a network, wherein the invoking is based on the identified presence of the one or more devices and the one or more computing systems.

14. The medium as set forth in claim 13 wherein the identifying a presence further comprises autonomously announcing the presence of at least one of the devices and the computing systems on the network.

15. The medium as set forth in claim 12 wherein the identified condition comprises at least one of a fault condition and an abnormal condition at one of the one or more devices and wherein the generated instant message provides a report of the at least one of a fault condition and an abnormal condition.

16. The medium as set forth in claim 15 further comprising identifying one or more of the computing systems on a buddy list associated with the device associated with the identified condition, wherein the providing the instant message is provided to the one or more of the computing systems identified on the buddy list, and wherein the invoking invokes the one or more of the computing systems identified on the buddy list based on a SOAP encoded message in the instant message.

17. The medium as set forth in claim 12 wherein the identified condition comprises a request from one of the computing systems to retrieve one or more values for one or more parameters at one of the devices.

18. The medium as set forth in claim 17 further comprising obtaining the one or more values for the one or more parameters at the one of the devices and wherein the generated instant message contains the obtained one or more values.

19. The medium as set forth in claim 12 wherein the identified condition comprises a request from one of the computing systems for one or more diagnostics at one of the devices.

20. The medium as set forth in claim 19 further comprising:

running the one or more requested diagnostics; and

obtaining data from the running, wherein the generated instant message contains the obtained data from the requested diagnostics.

21. The medium as set forth in claim 12 wherein the providing the instant message further comprises providing at least one of a plurality of characteristics in a display of the instant message based on the content of the instant message.

22. The medium as set forth in claim 12 further comprising recording audit information based on the generated instant message.

23. A system for managing one or more devices, the system comprising:

an identification system that identifies at least one condition related to one of one or more devices to initiate an instant message communication between one of the one or more devices and one of one or more computing systems;

an invocation system that invokes an instant message service based on the identified condition;

a messaging system that generates an instant message based on the identified condition; and

a display system that provides the generated instant message at the one of the computing systems in which the instant message communication has been initiated.

24. The system as set forth in claim 23 wherein the identification system identifies a presence of one or more devices and one or more computing systems on a network, wherein the invocation system invokes based on the identified presence of the one or more devices and the one or more computing systems.

25. The system as set forth in claim 24 wherein the identification system further comprises an autonomous notification system that autonomously announces the presence of at least one of the devices and the computing systems on the network.

26. The system as set forth in claim 23 wherein the identified condition comprises at least one of a fault condition and an abnormal condition at one of the one or more devices and wherein the generated instant message provides a report of the at least one of a fault condition and an abnormal condition.

27. The system as set forth in claim 26 wherein the identification system identifies one or more of the computing systems on a buddy list associated with the device associated with the identified condition, wherein the display system provides the instant message to the one or more of the computing systems identified on the buddy list, and wherein the invocation system invokes the one or more of the computing systems identified on the buddy list based on a SOAP encoded message in the instant message.

28. The system as set forth in claim 23 wherein the identified condition comprises a request from one of the computing systems to retrieve one or more values for one or more parameters at one of the devices.

29. The system as set forth in claim 28 further comprising a parameter processing system that obtains the one or more values for the one or more parameters at the one of the devices and wherein the messaging system generates the instant message with the obtained one or more values.

30. The system as set forth in claim 23 wherein the identified condition comprises a request from one of the computing systems for one or more diagnostics at one of the devices.

31. The system as set forth in claim 30 further comprising a diagnostic processing system that runs the one or more requested diagnostics and obtains data from the diagnostics which are run, wherein the generated instant message contains the obtained data from the requested diagnostics.

32. The system as set forth in claim 23 wherein the display system provides at least one of a plurality of characteristics in the display of the instant message based on the content of the instant message.

33. The system as set forth in claim 23 further comprising an audit system that records audit information based on the generated instant message.