System and method for remote asset management

Abstract

A system for autonomously monitoring and managing consumer device assets includes a plurality of consumer device assets registered with a remote computer server platform. The remote computer server platform is configured to execute software applications for monitoring and managing the consumer device assets. The consumer device assets communicate operational status information and consumer usage information to the remote computer server platform automatically as a result of pre-programmed conditions and/or instructions received from the remote computer server platform. The remote computer server platform monitors the consumer device assets by processing the operational status information and consumer usage information automatically according to preprogrammed conditions. Based upon the results of processing at least some of the received consumer usage information, the remote computer server platform manages the consumer device assets by communicating management instructions that cause the stored data content files of one or more assets to be automatically modified.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for managing a remote asset management system comprising a fixed remote operator center comprising a remote system server service platform, said remote asset management system further comprising a network of programmable wireless modules communicating via a standard radio communication protocol, each of said programmable wireless modules being linked to one or a plurality of fixed or mobile assets to be remotely managed wherein programs, commands, parameters, and status data pass through said network of programmable wireless modules, each of said programmable wireless modules further comprising an identification module, a telecommunications chipset comprising an antenna to communicate via a mobile telecommunications infrastructure said telecommunication chipset further comprising means for communicating via a standard wireless telecommunication network, said programmable wireless modules may further comprise means indicating the current mode of operation of said programmable wireless module, a data processing means comprising a micro-controller and a software module, a FLASH memory and a memory module and further comprising a power supply being supplied externally or via a battery, said method of managing said remote asset management system including:
 remotely programming by a remote system server service administrator said network of programmable wireless modules at said remote system server service platform via said standard radio communication protocol and/or via a LAN, with one or a plurality of same or different remote assets management applications or personal security applications, causing said programmable wireless modules to pass the data to and from one or a plurality of said linked fixed or mobile assets for configuring, testing, monitoring and/or controlling said network of fixed or mobile assets, and   servicing by said remote system server service administrator a plurality of subscribers by remotely managing a different set or subsets of fixed or mobile assets on behalf of each of said plurality of subscribers, said remote system server service platform being further linked to one or a plurality of fixed and/or mobile local system server service platform, servicing by a local system server service administrator at said local system server service platform part of said plurality of subscribers for remotely managing one or a plurality of said subsets of fixed or mobile assets on behalf of said remote system server service platform further comprising one of said programmable wireless module and a computer integrating operating, planning and management functions modules,   each of said one or a plurality of local system server service platforms further communicating to said remote system server service platform via said standard radio communication protocol and/or via a LAN or a web page or by E-mail.   
     
     
         2 . A method for managing a remote asset management system according to  claim 1  wherein each of said one or a plurality of local system server service platforms being a master for managing one or a plurality of slave programmable wireless modules forming one of said subsets of fixed or mobile assets each dedicated to the same global task of remotely monitoring one or a plurality of said same or different assets according to one of said applications wherein said subsets of fixed or mobile assets sharing measured data in order to synchronize their actions to globally achieve said application. 
     
     
         3 . A method for managing a remote asset management system according to  claim 2  wherein said step of remotely programming said network of programmable wireless modules further comprising the steps of;
 remotely initiating by said local or remote system server service administrator said respective set or subsets of said programmable wireless modules by sending to said identification module of each of said programmable wireless modules a unique encrypted code (PUK), and testing said respective set or subsets of said programmable wireless modules and responding to said local or remote system server service administrator by an acknowledgement signal, and further putting each of said programmable wireless modules in a programming mode, 
 broadcasting a first list of one or a plurality of hierarchical privileged access codes to each set or subsets of said programmable wireless modules, said access codes being either mobile or fixed telephone numbers and/or PC or IP addresses, of different authorized personnel and/or subscribers to remotely access said set or subsets of said programmable wireless modules and their linked one or a plurality of same or different fixed or mobile assets, and 
 broadcasting a second list of one or a plurality of telephone numbers and/or PC or IP addresses of same or different authorized personnel and/or subscribers for said programmable wireless module to be called either on request and/or periodically according to a programmed period and/or in case of emergency for transmitting formatted status and alarm reports according to said remote assets management application requirements, and further putting each of said programmable wireless modules in an asset initiating mode, and 
 broadcasting a third list of the data type and capabilities of same or different one or a plurality of fixed or mobile assets wherein said data types being asset type and/or model number and/or OS type and/or power supply and/or battery supply and/or duty cycle parameters of wake up versus sleep mode duration and/or enabled or disabled asset functionality and/or location data and/or service history and/or location history and/or performance optimization and/or security lock-down features and of said commands and said parameters information wherein said parameters information being about corresponding services, maintenance, operating modes and emergency procedures, and 
 testing each of said fixed or mobile assets each responding by an acknowledgement signal to said programmable wireless modules to which each of said fixed or mobile assets is linked which report it to said local or remote system server service administrator, wherein said received and transmitted encrypted digital data are in the form of a data call or by GPRS or of one or concatenated short messages of the SMS sort or E-mails, and further 
 putting each of said programmable wireless modules in one of a plurality of operating modes, wherein 
 in-between active operating modes said programmable wireless modules puts itself in a sleeping mode and awakes by a predetermined request from an administrator or periodically according to a programmed period or by a predetermined condition or alert or alarm condition from one of said fixed or mobile assets. 
 
     
     
         4 . A method for managing a remote asset management system according to  claim 3  wherein said step of programming each of said set or subsets of fixed or mobile assets further comprising the steps of;
 said fixed or mobile local or remote system server service platform sending encrypted digital data in the form of a data call or via GPRS or in the form of one or a plurality of concatenated short messages of the SMS sort or E-mails to said respective set or subsets of programmable wireless modules, 
 receiving by said programmable wireless module said encrypted digital data comprising commands and requests for said fixed or mobile assets and an encrypted security code, authenticating said received encrypted security code against authorized personnel or subscriber codes from said stored first list for granting access and/or control of all or a selected number of authorized asset appliances according to said privilege level, and 
 downloading said commands and corresponding parameters from said third list and said request to one or a plurality of said fixed or mobile assets to which each of said programmable wireless modules is wirelessly linked and/or wired, wherein said commands indicate a period to automatically transmit data and the actual fixed or mobile assets configuration and the actual operating mode in order to implement said management application or personal security application requirements, and further 
 putting each of said one or a plurality of fixed or mobile assets in one of a plurality of operating modes, and further 
 providing each service being technical or administrative or security or medical or to the subscribers with the unique status data they need and for archiving and processing said status data automatically in real time at one of said local or remote system server service platform. 
 
     
     
         5 . A method for managing a remote asset management system according to  claim 4  comprising the steps of;
 periodically or when requested by a local or remote network administrator, polling said respective set or subsets of fixed or mobile assets by said programmable wireless module to which one or a plurality of said fixed or mobile assets are attached for sending said status data and/or alarm condition history according to a request from said fixed or mobile local or remote system server service platform wherein said status data information are formatted in XML to be directly workable into a dedicated spreadsheet documents and/or web pages (GPRS) for either technical diagnosis and/or maintenance planning and/or billing and/or balance sheet and/or schedule of assets and/or ordering goods and 
 said fixed or mobile assets further sending to said programmable wireless module to which they are linked either by means of a blue tooth or an infrared or an ultrasonic or sound or a wired connection, hardware status data through an analogue and/or a digital port further connecting said programmable wireless module to a remote asset interface module communicating with one or a plurality of said fixed or mobile assets, via a wired or wireless connection for maintenance purposes, operational status data for administrative purpose, and alarms indicating an out of range condition in said actual operating mode, 
 automatically receiving by said programmable wireless module said fixed or mobile assets said requested or said periodically sent status data and/or alarm condition from said fixed or mobile assets according to said command indicating the period for sending data or according to a command to define said alarm condition, 
 said programmable wireless module further encrypting said digital data for appropriately sending said data via said standard radio communication protocol and/or via a LAN either via a web page or E-mail, 
 storing in a storage device and/or transmitting said encrypted digital data in the form of a data call or via GPRS or in the form of one or a plurality of concatenated short messages of the SMS sort or E-mail or web page (GPRS) to prioritized numbers and/or PC or IP addresses stored in said second list, to report formatted functional status data in real time either to said fixed and/or mobile local system server service platform for maintenance purposes and online following up of a controlled process, or to said remote system server service platform for technical supervision and management purposes, and 
 reporting said alarm with priority when said alarm occurs or any fixed or mobile asset hardware anomaly information requiring an intervention in real time to one or more numbers and/or PC or IP addresses from said second list and/or to said fixed or mobile local or remote system server service platform in order to allow respective maintenance officer and/or security officer and/or administrator and/or subscribers to intervene appropriately.