Communication adapter for collecting information about a system being monitored

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10469308-B2
Application number	US-201615766110-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 7, 2016
Priority date	Oct 19, 2015
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

A communication adapter for transmitting information about a system being monitored, such as a multi-water-heater system, to a remote management apparatus and collecting information about the system being monitored allows the location of an abnormality in communication to be easily identified even when the adapter is communicably connected to the remote management apparatus via a communication relay unit, thereby improving the reliability of the information collection process. The communication adapter 11 includes a function for detecting an abnormality in communication between the communication adapter 11 and system being monitored 1 , a function for detecting an abnormality in communication between the communication adapter 11 and communication relay unit 12 , and a function for detecting an abnormality in communication between the communication relay unit 12 and remote management apparatus 6.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A communication adapter collecting information about a system being monitored by communicating with the system being monitored and communicating with a remote management apparatus via a communication relay unit, comprising:
a first abnormality detection means adapted to detect an abnormality in communication between the communication adapter and the system being monitored;
a second abnormality detection means adapted to detect an abnormality in communication between the communication adapter and the communication relay unit; and
a third abnormality detection means adapted to detect an abnormality in communication between the communication relay unit and the remote management apparatus.

2. The communication adapter according to claim 1 , wherein the third abnormality detection means is adapted to detect the abnormality in communication between the communication relay unit and the remote management apparatus if a response by the communication relay unit to a data transmission request addressed to the remote management apparatus contains information indicating that abnormality in communication.

3. The communication adapter according to claim 1 , further comprising a notifier adapted to distinguishably indicate the abnormalities in communication detected by the first to third abnormality detection means.

4. The communication adapter according to claim 1 , wherein the first abnormality detection means is configured, when it detects the abnormality in communication between the communication adapter and the system being monitored, to transmit information indicating that that abnormality in communication has occurred to the remote management apparatus.

5. A communication adapter collecting information about a system being monitored by communicating with the system being monitored and communicating with a remote management apparatus via a communication relay unit, comprising a control unit adapted to detect an abnormality in communication between the communication adapter and the system being monitored; to detect an abnormality in communication between the communication adapter and the communication relay unit; and to detect an abnormality in communication between the communication relay unit and the remote management apparatus.

6. The communication adapter according to claim 5 , wherein the control unit is adapted to detect the abnormality in communication between the communication relay unit and the remote management apparatus if a response by the communication relay unit to a data transmission request addressed to the remote management apparatus contains information indicating that abnormality in communication.

7. The communication adapter according to claim 5 , further comprising a notifier adapted to distinguishably indicate the abnormalities in communication detected by the control unit.

8. The communication adapter according to claim 5 , wherein the control unit is configured, when it detects the abnormality in communication between the communication adapter and the system being monitored, to transmit information indicating that that abnormality in communication has occurred to the remote management apparatus.

Assignees

• Noritz Corp

Inventors

• Inoue Tomoharu
• Sugioka Masayuki
• Maekawa Yoshihiko
• Yamashita Tsuyoshi
• TAWADA Naoki
• Ono Masaru

Classifications

• H04Q9/00

  Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom · CPC title

• H04L12/2825

  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 title

• H04L2012/285

  Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators · CPC title

• H04L41/0677

  Localisation of faults · CPC title

• H04L41/0631 Primary

  using root cause analysis; using analysis of correlation between notifications, alarms or events based on decision criteria, e.g. hierarchy, tree or time analysis · CPC title