Premises management networking

• US 8,335,842 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2005
• Issued: 12/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Icon Acquisitions LLC
• Original Assignee: iControl Networks, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Raji, Reza, Gutt, Gerald
• Primary Examiner(s): BOUTAH, ALINA A
• Application Number:
  US11/084,232
• Publication Number:
  US 20050216580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,834 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709223-225, 709217-218, 715/736, 370/351, 379/102.01, 726 11- 12, 340/3.1, 340/3.7, 340/3.71, 700/17, 700/19
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 11/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 11/012 details of the transmission means
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/15052 Communication processor, link interface
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/08 Construction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/163 Real estate management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• 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 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• 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 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2843 Mains power line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 : Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 : Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 : comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 : Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 : for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 : for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 : involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 : Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 : Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 : Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 : with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/12 : Application layer protocols, e.g. WAP [Wireless Application Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices

Abstract

Some embodiments of a method for premises management networking include monitoring premises management devices connected to a gateway at a premises; controlling premises management devices connected to the gateway at the premises; receiving, at the premises, an uplink-initiation signal associated with a network operations center server; and in response to the uplink-initiation signal, initiating, from the gateway at the premises, communications between the gateway and the network operations center server; and communicating, during the communications between the gateway and the network operations center server, information associated with the premises management devices.

Claims

1. A method for premises management networking of a premises management system, the method comprising:

monitoring premises management devices connected to a gateway at a premises, wherein the premises management devices form a plurality of networks, wherein each network of the plurality of networks comprises a plurality of premises management devices forming an autonomous network that is separate and distinct from any other network of the plurality of networks;

controlling the premises management devices, the controlling comprising the gateway selectively forming and controlling an associative binding between the plurality of networks;

obtaining an assigned server address, and using the assigned server address for all subsequent uplink connections unless the assigned server address is changed later by the system;

initiating, by the gateway, all communications with a network operations center server using the assigned server address; and

communicating, during the communications between the gateway and the network operations center server, information associated with the premises management devices, wherein the assigned server address is an address associated with the network operations center server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the uplink-initiation signal is received via telephone.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the uplink-initiation signal is received via broadband connection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the gateway initiates communications between the gateway and the network operations center server with at least an HTTP message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the gateway initiates communications between the gateway and the network operations center server with at least an XML message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the premises management devices manage energy of the premises.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the premises management devices manage security of the premises.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the premises management devices manage safety of the premises.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of networks includes a security network and an Internet Protocol (IP) device network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of networks includes a security network and an energy control network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of networks includes an Internet Protocol (IP) device network and an energy control network.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of networks includes a security network, an Internet Protocol (IP) network, and an energy control network.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of networks includes a legacy security system, wherein the gateway is connected to a controller of the legacy security system.

23. The premises management networking gateway of claim 9, wherein the plurality of networks includes a security network and an energy control network.

14. A premises management networking gateway of a premises management system, the gateway including a computer readable medium having data, instructions or a combination thereof for managing a premises network, comprising:

non-transitory computer readable medium having data, instructions or a combination thereof for monitoring premises management devices connected to the gateway at a premises, wherein the premises management devices form a plurality of networks, wherein each network of the plurality of networks comprises a plurality of premises management devices forming an autonomous network that is separate and distinct from any other network of the plurality of networks;

non-transitory computer readable medium having data, instructions or a combination thereof for controlling the premises management devices, the controlling comprising the gateway selectively forming and controlling an associative binding between the plurality of networks;

non-transitory computer readable medium having data, instructions or a combination thereof for obtaining an assigned server address, and using the assigned server address for all subsequent uplink connections unless the assigned server address is changed later by the system;

non-transitory computer readable medium having data, instructions or a combination thereof for initiating, by the gateway, all communications with a network operations center server using the assigned server address; and

non-transitory computer readable medium having data, instructions or a combination thereof for communicating, during the communications between the gateway and the network operations center server, information associated with the premises management devices, wherein the assigned server address is an address associated with the network operations center server.

15. The premises management networking gateway of claim 14, wherein the uplink-initiation signal is received via telephone.

16. The premises management networking gateway of claim 14, wherein the uplink-initiation signal is received via broadband connection.

17. The premises management networking gateway of claim 14, wherein the gateway initiates communications between the gateway and the network operations center server with at least an HTTP message.

18. The premises management networking gateway of claim 14, wherein the gateway initiates communications between the gateway and the network operations center server with at least an XML message.

19. The premises management networking gateway of claim 14, wherein the premises management devices manage energy of the premises.

20. The premises management networking gateway of claim 14, wherein the premises management devices manage security of the premises.

21. The premises management networking gateway of claim 14, wherein the premises management devices manage safety of the premises.

22. The premises management networking gateway of claim 14, wherein the plurality of networks includes a security network and an Internet Protocol (IP) device network.

24. The premises management networking gateway of claim 14, wherein the plurality of networks includes an Internet Protocol (IP) device network and an energy control network.

25. The premises management networking gateway of claim 14, wherein the plurality of networks includes a security network, an Internet Protocol (IP) network, and an energy control network.