Monitoring and control systems and methods

• US 8,781,633 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2010
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: VMI Acquisitions, LLC
• Original Assignee: DiMi Telematics, Inc. (Bespoke Extracts, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fata, Roberto, Rhodes, Brahm, Bronson, Steve D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US12/798,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20100274366A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,554 Days
• Field of Search: 700/1, 700/17, 700/25, 700/28, 700/275, 700/276, 700/71, 705/26, 705/37, 340/573.1, 340/870.17, 709/224, 709/230, 708/322
• US Class Current: 700/276
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3048 where the topology of the computing system or computing system component explicitly influences the monitoring activity, e.g. serial, hierarchical systems
• 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 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

A system and a method for controlling and monitoring a system within a facility are disclosed. The system includes a facility component configured to include at least one control point configured to be disposed within a facility and to monitor and control at least one element of the system within the facility; a network component configured to be communicatively coupled to the facility component and configured to process information received from the at least one control point; a remote client component configured to be communicatively coupled to the network component and configured to provide monitoring and control of the facility via the network component and the facility component. The remote client component is configured to receive processed data from the network component and generate instructions to the control point via the network component.

Claims

1. A system for controlling and monitoring a plurality of different types of systems within a building, comprising:

a building component including a plurality of control points configured to be disposed within a building and to monitor and control a plurality of elements of the plurality of different types of systems within the building;

a network component configured to be communicatively coupled to said building component and configured to process information received from said plurality of control points; and

a remote client component configured to be communicatively coupled to said network component and configured to provide monitoring and control of the building via said network component and said building component;

wherein said remote client component is configured to receive processed data from said network component and generate a plurality of instructions to said plurality of control points via said network component, said received processed data is indicative of an operation of each element in the plurality of elements of the plurality of different types of systems and an operation of each system in the plurality of different types of systems, wherein each instruction in said plurality of instructions for controlling at least one element in the plurality of elements is generated based on a combination of said received processed data and is dependent on at least one instruction to and said received processed data indicative of an operation of at least another element in the plurality of elements.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said building component is configured to monitor and control a plurality of systems within a plurality of buildings.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the systems are characterized by the plurality of control points configured to communicate data concerning operation of the plurality of control points to said remote client component;

wherein said network component is configured to monitor and control operation of the plurality of control points based on the communicated data and based on instructions received from said remote client component.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said network component is configured to include an application server configured to receive and process data from said building component and to provide said processed data to said remote client component.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein a user manually monitors and controls operation of the system within the building via said network component and said building component.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein data generated by the network component is configured to be stored in a first database.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein after a predetermined period of time, the data stored in the first database is transferred to a second database.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein data stored in the first and second databases is used to generate at least one report.

9. A method for controlling and monitoring a plurality of different types of systems within a building using a communications system having

a building component configured to include a plurality of control points configured to be disposed within a building and to monitor and control a plurality of elements of the plurality of different types of systems within the building;

a network component configured to be communicatively coupled to said building component and configured to process information received from said plurality of control points; and

a remote client component configured to be communicatively coupled to said network component and configured to provide monitoring and control of the building via said network component and said building component;

wherein said remote client component is configured to receive processed data from said network component and generate a plurality of instructions to said plurality of control points via said network component, said received processed data is indicative of an operation of each element in the plurality of elements of the plurality of different types of systems and an operation of each system in the plurality of different types of systems, wherein each instruction in said plurality of instructions for controlling at least one element in the plurality of elements is generated based on a combination of said received processed data and is dependent on at least one instruction to and said received processed data indicative of an operation of at least another element in the plurality of elements, the method comprising;

establishing communication between the plurality of systems within the building and the network component;

establishing communication between the network component and the remote client component;

receiving information from the user concerning operation of the plurality of systems within the building; and

using the network component and the building component, monitoring and controlling operation of the plurality of systems within the building based on the received information.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said building component is configured to monitor and control a plurality of systems within a plurality of building.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of systems are characterized by the plurality of control points configured to communicate data concerning operation of the plurality of control points to said remote client component;

wherein said network component is configured to monitor and control operation of the plurality of control points based on the communicated data based on instructions received from said remote client component.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein said network component is configured to include an application server configured to receive and process data from said building component and to provide said processed data to said remote client component.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the user manually monitors and controls operation of the plurality of systems within the building via said network component and said building component.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein data generated by the network component is configured to be stored in a first database.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein after a predetermined period of time, the data stored in the first database is transferred to a second database.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein data stored in the first and second databases is used to generate at least one report.

17. A computer program product stored on a computer-readable medium, for use with a computer configured to monitor and control a plurality of different types of systems within a building using a communications system having

a building component configured to include a plurality of control points configured to be disposed within a building and to monitor and control a plurality of elements of the plurality of different types of systems within the building;

a network component configured to be communicatively coupled to said building component and configured to process information received from said plurality of control points; and

a remote client component configured to be communicatively coupled to said network component and configured to provide monitoring and control of the building via said network component and said building component;

wherein said remote client component is configured to receive processed data from said network component and generate a plurality of instructions to said plurality of control points via said network component, said received processed data is indicative of an operation of each element in the plurality of elements of the plurality of different types of systems and an operation of each system in the plurality of different types of systems, wherein each instruction in said plurality of instructions for controlling at least one element in the plurality of elements is generated based on a combination of said received processed data and is dependent on at least one instruction to and said received processed data indicative of an operation of at least another element in the plurality of elements, the computer program product comprising computer-readable instructions for causing the computer to;

establish communication between the plurality of systems within the building and the network component;

establish communication between the network component and the remote client component;

receive information from a user concerning operation of the system within the building;

using the network component and the building component, monitor and control operation of the plurality of systems within the facility based on the received information.