초록 ▼

A method is described which provides for managing intelligent equipment that is deployed remotely. The capabilities of managing such distributed assets include both infrastructural capabilities to establish and maintain connection through a variety of wired and wireless mechanisms and application mo

A method is described which provides for managing intelligent equipment that is deployed remotely. The capabilities of managing such distributed assets include both infrastructural capabilities to establish and maintain connection through a variety of wired and wireless mechanisms and application modules that provide distributed asset management capabilities.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A method of communicating between a server and an asset comprising the steps of: queuing one or more request messages in a queue on the server; logging the one or more request messages on the server; detecting a fault at the asset requiring interactivity; in response to

The invention claimed is: 1. A method of communicating between a server and an asset comprising the steps of: queuing one or more request messages in a queue on the server; logging the one or more request messages on the server; detecting a fault at the asset requiring interactivity; in response to the fault, sending one or more polling messages from the asset to the server; sending one of the one or more request messages to the asset in response to the one or more polling messages; sending a responsive message from the asset to the server, the responsive message corresponding to said one of the request messages that has been sent to the asset; receiving the responsive message at the server and reconciling the responsive message with the corresponding one of the request messages; and continuing to send request messages to the asset until the queue is empty. 2. The method of claim 1 in which the step of sending one or more polling messages comprises sending the one or more polling messages at an interval shorter than a predetermined interval at which the asset sends periodic polling messages to the server. 3. The method of claim 2 in which the predetermined interval is set by the server. 4. The method of claim 1 in which the server is configured to send one or more of the request messages to the asset in response to any message from the asset received by the server. 5. The method of claim 1 in which said one of the one or more request messages includes a request for establishing an interactive session and the responsive message from the asset establishes an open connection through which subsequent messages are sent. 6. The method of claim 1 in which the asset comprises a gateway device that provides protocol or address translation to other assets. 7. The method of claim 6 in which the gateway device maintains a schedule and interacts with the other assets as required to satisfy the schedule. 8. In a server that operates in a network that includes remote assets, a method of communicating between the server and a remote asset, comprising: queuing one or more request messages in a queue on the server; logging the one or more request messages on the server; receiving a polling message from the remote asset, the polling message having been sent by the remote asset in response to detection of a fault at the remote asset that requires interactivity with the server; sending one of the one or more request messages to the remote asset in response to the polling message; receiving a responsive message from the remote asset and reconciling the responsive message with said one of the one or more request messages that has been sent to the remote asset; and continuing to send request messages to the remote asset until the queue is empty. 9. The method of claim 8 in which the server is configured to send one or more of the request messages to the remote asset in response to any message received by the server from the remote asset. 10. The method of claim 8 in which said one of the one or more request messages includes a request for establishing an interactive session with the remote asset and the responsive message establishes an open connection through which subsequent messages are sent. 11. The method of claim 8 in which the remote asset comprises a gateway device that provides protocol or address translation to other remote assets of the network. 12. The method of claim 11 in which the gateway device maintains a schedule and interacts with the other remote assets as required to satisfy the schedule. 13. In an asset that operates in a network that includes other assets and a remote server, a method of communicating between the asset and the remote server, comprising: sending a polling message to the remote server, the polling message having been sent by the asset in response to detection of a fault at the asset that requires interactivity with the remote server; receiving a request message from the remote server in response to the remote server having received the polling message, the request message being one of one or more request messages that have been: queued in a queue on the remote server; and logged on the remote server; sending a responsive message to the remote server, such that the remote server can reconcile the responsive message with the request message that has been received by the asset; and continuing to receive request messages from the remote server until the queue is empty. 14. The method of claim 13 in which the remote server is configured to send one or more of the request messages to the asset in response to any message received by the remote server from the asset. 15. The method of claim 13 in which the request message received from the remote server in response to the remote server having received the polling message includes a request for establishing an interactive session with the asset and the responsive message establishes an open connection through which subsequent messages are sent. 16. The method of claim 13 in which the asset comprises a gateway device that provides protocol or address translation to other assets of the network. 17. The method of claim 16 in which the gateway device maintains a schedule and interacts with the other assets as required to satisfy the schedule. 18. In a server that operates in a network that includes remote assets, a method of communicating between the server and a remote asset, comprising: queuing one or more request messages in a queue on the server; logging the one or more request messages on the server; receiving a polling message from the remote asset, sending one of the one or more request messages to the remote asset in response to the polling message, said one of the one or more request messages including a request for establishing an interactive session with the remote asset; receiving a responsive message from the remote asset, the responsive message establishing an open connection through which subsequent messages are sent; reconciling the responsive message with said one of the one or more request messages that has been sent to the remote asset; and continuing to send request messages to the remote asset until the queue is empty. 19. The method of claim 18 wherein the received polling message is one of a plurality of polling messages that are sent to the server from the remote asset at a predetermined interval. 20. The method of claim 18 wherein polling message has been sent by the remote asset in response to detection of a fault at the remote asset that requires interactivity with the server. 21. The method of claim 18 in which the remote asset comprises a gateway device that provides protocol or address translation to other remote assets of the network. 22. The method of claim 21 in which the gateway device maintains a schedule and interacts with the other remote assets as required to satisfy the schedule. 23. In an asset that operates in a network that includes other assets and a remote server, a method of communicating between the asset and the remote server, comprising: sending a polling message to the remote server; receiving a request message from the remote server in response to the remote server having received the polling message, the request message including a request for establishing an interactive session with the asset, the request message being one of one or more request messages that have been: queued in a queue on the remote server; and logged on the remote server; sending a responsive message to the remote server, such that the remote server can reconcile the responsive message with the request message that has been received by the asset, the responsive message establishing an open connection through which subsequent messages are sent; and continuing to receive request messages from the remote server until the queue is empty. 24. The method of claim 23 wherein sending the polling message is performed by sending the polling message as one of a plurality of polling messages that are sent to the remote server at a predetermined interval. 25. The method of claim 23 wherein sending the polling message is performed in response to detecting a fault at the asset that requires interactivity with the remote server. 26. The method of claim 23 in which the asset comprises a gateway device that provides protocol or address translation to other assets of the network. 27. The method of claim 26 in which the gateway device maintains a schedule and interacts with the other assets as required to satisfy the schedule.