Network based machine-to-machine system for monitoring

• US 8,761,101 B1
• Filed: 10/13/2011
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Excelfore Corp.
• Original Assignee: Excelfore Corp.
• Inventors: Crosbie, John Edward, Balakrishnan, Anoop, Acharya, Shrikant, Acharya, Shrinath
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): KRISHNAN, RAJESHWARI
• Application Number:
  US13/272,954
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 709/238, 709/242, 709/204, 709217-228, 718/105, 455435-436, 455450-454, 455465-466, 455/456.1, 455/509, 370229-240, 370/242, 370252-254, 370/311, 370328-329, 370336-338
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/25 Maintenance of established connections

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for remote monitoring of mobile computing devices. The method and systems can use cloud-type services to monitor the mobile computing devices. The cloud-type services can include a server configured to maintain a virtual link between one or more web-based computing devices and the mobile computing devices. So that, even if the mobile computing devices are not communicating with the server, the server can perform one or more actions to maintain the link between the web-based device and the mobile computing device. The cloud-type services can also include a server that authenticates the mobile computing devices, and that sends a link to the mobile computing device if the mobile computing device is authenticated, the link for use by the mobile computing device to connect to a back-end server that is separate from the server.

Claims

1. A server configured to maintain a virtual connection map between one or more web-based computing devices and one or more mobile computing devices, the server comprising:

a memory configured to store a map of logical connections of the one or more mobile computing devices; and

a processor in communication with the memory, the processor configured to;

determine a status of the logical connections of the one or more mobile computing devices;

update the map of logical connections based on the determined status;

receive a message from a web-based computing device;

identify a mobile computing device to transfer at least a part of the message;

determine whether the identified mobile computing device is currently connected based on the map;

in response to determining that the identified mobile computing device is currently connected, send the at least a part of the message for transmission to the identified mobile computing device; and

in response to determining that the identified mobile computing device is not currently connected;

send a first communication to the web-based computing device indicating that the message is being processed in order to give an appearance to the web-based computing device that the identified mobile computing device is currently connected;

send a second communication, via a first connection link, to the identified mobile computing device in order to authenticate the identified mobile computing device;

in response to sending the second communication, receive, via the first connection link, a response communication from the identified mobile computing device;

determine, based on the received response communication, whether to authenticate the identified mobile computing device;

in response to determining to authenticate the identified mobile computing device, send a second connection link to the identified mobile computing device, the second connection link being different from the first connection link and for the identified mobile computing device to activate in order to communicate, via the server, with the web-based computing device; and

communicate, via the second connection link, the at least a part of the message to the identified mobile computing device.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein, in response to determining that the identified mobile computing device is not currently connected, the processor is further configured to determine whether the lack of a current connection is scheduled or not scheduled.

3. The server of claim 1, wherein the server is included in a cloud server system.

4. The server of claim 1, wherein the message received from the web-based computing device comprises a command for the identified mobile computing device.

5. The server of claim 1, wherein the one or more mobile computing devices communicate via dedicated links through a cellular network.

6. The server of claim 1, wherein, when it is determined that the identified remote device is not currently connected, the processor is further configured to:

determine a next scheduled connection of the identified mobile computing device; and

send an out-of-turn wakeup or an emergency wakeup to the identified mobile computing device in order to reestablish connection when the next scheduled connection is not within a predetermined time.

7. The server of claim 1, wherein when it is determined that the identified remote device is not currently connected, the processor is further configured to:

determine whether the identified mobile computing device failed to communicate during its normal connection time; and

if the identified mobile computing device failed to communicate during its normal connection time, send an emergency wake up message to the identified mobile computing device to establish connection.

8. The server of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to send an emergency wake up message to the identified mobile computing device to establish connection by sending an SMS message to the identified mobile computing device.

9. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the identified mobile computing device has a current valid token;

wherein in response to determining that the identified mobile computing device does not include a current valid token, the processor is configured to;

send an authentication communication to the identified mobile computing device in order to authenticate the identified mobile computing device;

determine whether to authenticate the identified mobile computing device; and

in response to determining to authenticate the identified mobile computing device, send an updated token to the identified mobile computing device; and

wherein the processor is configured to communicate with the identified mobile computing device using the updated token.

10. The server of claim 1, wherein the message comprises a command indicative to the identified mobile computing device to perform an action immediately;

and wherein the processor is configured to wake-up the identified remote device immediately in response to receiving the command.

11. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to load balance the mobile computing devices communicating via the second connection link.

12. A method to maintain a virtual connection map between one or more web-based computing devices and one or more mobile computing devices, the method comprising:

accessing a memory storing a map of logical connections of the one or more mobile computing devices;

determining a status of the logical connections of the one or more mobile computing devices;

updating the map of logical connections based on the determined status;

receiving a message from a web-based computing device;

identifying a mobile computing device to transfer at least a part of the message;

determining whether the identified mobile computing device is currently connected based on the map;

in response to determining that the identified mobile computing device is currently connected, sending the at least a part of the message for transmission to the identified mobile computing device; and

in response to determining that the identified mobile computing device is not currently connected;

sending a first communication to the web-based computing device indicating that the message is being processed in order to give an appearance to the web-based computing device that the identified mobile computing device is currently connected;

sending a second communication, via a first connection link, to the identified mobile computing device in order to authenticate the identified mobile computing device;

in response to sending the second communication, receiving, via the first connection link, a response communication from the identified mobile computing device;

determining, based on the received response communication, whether to authenticate the identified mobile computing device;

in response to determining to authenticate the identified mobile computing device, sending a second connection link to the identified mobile computing device, the second connection link being different from the first connection link and for the identified mobile computing device to activate in order to communicate, via the server, with the web-based computing device; and

communicating, via the second connection link, the at least a part of the message to the identified mobile computing device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, in response to determining that the identified mobile computing device is not currently connected, further comprising determining whether the lack of a current connection is scheduled or not scheduled.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the communication message received from the web-based computing device comprises a command for the identified mobile computing device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more mobile computing devices communicate via dedicated links through a cellular network.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein, when it is determined that the identified remote device is not currently connected, further comprising:

determining a next scheduled connection of the identified mobile computing device; and

sending an out-of-turn wakeup or an emergency wakeup to the identified mobile computing device in order to reestablish connection when the next scheduled connection is not within a predetermined time.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein when it is determined that the identified remote device is not currently connected, further comprising:

determining whether the identified mobile computing device failed to communicate during its normal connection time; and

if the identified mobile computing device failed to communicate during its normal connection time, sending an emergency wake up message to the identified mobile computing device to establish connection.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein sending an emergency wake up message to the identified mobile computing device to establish connection comprises sending an SMS message to the identified mobile computing device.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining whether the identified mobile computing device has a current valid token;

wherein in response to determining that the identified mobile computing device does not include a current valid token;

sending an authentication communication to the identified mobile computing device in order to authenticate the identified mobile computing device;

determining whether to authenticate the identified mobile computing device; and

in response to determining to authenticate the identified mobile computing device, sending an updated token to the identified mobile computing device; and

wherein communicating with the identified mobile computing device uses the updated token.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the message comprises a command indicative to the identified mobile computing device to perform an action immediately;

and

wherein the identified remote device is woken-up immediately in response to receiving the command.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising load balancing the mobile computing devices communicating via the second connection link.