Method for configuring a monitoring program for at least two connected devices

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for setting up a monitoring program for at least two connected devices.The parameterization method implements the following steps: a) selection by an operator of a symbol proposed by a graphical interface and creation of an object associated with the symbol; then b) display by the graphical interface of a form, allowing the operator to enter a reference of the connected device, represented by the symbol selected in step a); c) identification of the communication protocol used by the connected device, based on the reference in the form and from a database, the database listing several references of connected devices, the database associating a type of communication protocol with each reference; d) assignment to the object associated with the symbol, of the type of communication protocol identified in step c); e) transmission of the object to a monitoring program so that the monitoring program can communicate with the connected device.

Description

Title of the invention: Method for configuring a monitoring program for at least two connected devices. Technical field to which the invention relates

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of nautical centers and, more particularly, a method of supervising connected devices enabling the proper functioning of a nautical center. Technological background

[0002] Managing a nautical center is a complex exercise due to the many systems necessary for its proper functioning.

[0003] In a water sports center, water quality is ensured by a water treatment system. This system consists of circulation pumps, motorized valves, sophisticated filters, and disinfection devices. Sensors are also distributed at various points in the system to allow for enhanced monitoring of water quality through the measurement of critical parameters such as pH level, chlorine level, and other parameters.

[0004] To simplify the management of this complex system, the various devices mentioned above are designed to communicate with a dedicated supervisory program. This supervisory program advantageously allows an operator to control and act on all of these connected devices from a single screen.

[0005] In addition, the supervisory program has the ability to make automated adjustments, thus allowing the system to be adapted in real time in order to maintain optimal water quality, without requiring constant intervention from the operator.

[0006] The use of a monitoring program therefore presents tangible advantages for the management of a nautical center, considerably simplifying the monitoring and control of the connected devices composing the water treatment system.

[0007] However, it should be noted that implementing a monitoring program in a water sports center can also present significant challenges. Indeed, the connected devices constituting a water treatment system can vary considerably from one water sports center to another.

[0008] In reality, several brands of motorized valves, pH level sensors, or other similar components can be used within the same water treatment system, and may also differ from one nautical center to another. Furthermore, there is no universally accepted standard regarding the type of protocol for communication to be used by connected devices in the context of a nautical center.

[0009] Consequently, the communication protocol adopted by a connected device may vary depending on its manufacturer. For example, depending on the country of manufacture of a motorized valve, the communication protocol accepted by that valve may be type A, while a motorized valve from another brand may use a type B communication protocol. This diversity of communication protocols presents a major challenge when implementing a supervisory program such as the one described above.

[0010] In practice, for each nautical center, it is necessary to adapt the programming code of the supervisory program so that it can communicate with each connected device, according to the specific communication protocol accepted by each connected device. This adaptation of the programming code requires a significant investment of time and, consequently, generates considerable costs for the implementation of a supervisory program in a nautical center.

[0011] The invention aims to solve this problem, by proposing a method for setting up a program for monitoring connected devices, allowing easier adaptability and faster implementation of said program, taking into account the specificities of the communication protocols of each connected device. Object of the invention

[0012] To this end, the invention proposes a method for setting up a supervision program for at least two connected devices, communicating according to different protocols, the setting up being done via a graphical interface, the graphical interface offering at least one symbol representing a connected device.

[0013] The invention is remarkable in that the following steps are implemented:

[0014] a) selection by an operator of a symbol proposed by the graphical interface and creation of an object associated with the symbol; then

[0015] b) displaying, via the graphical interface, a form or questionnaire, allowing the operator to enter a reference for the connected device, represented by the symbol selected in step a); then

[0016] c) when the operator has entered a reference for the connected device in the form, identification of the communication protocol used by the connected device, based on the reference in the form and from a database, the database listing several device references connected, the database associates each reference with a type of communication protocol; then

[0017] d) assignment to the object associated with the symbol, the type of communication protocol identified in step c); then

[0018] d) transmission of the object to a supervisory program so that the supervisory program can communicate with the connected device.

[0019] The term "supervisory program" refers to an application or computer program specifically designed to monitor and control connected devices. By way of non-limiting example, the supervisory program may be one of the following software programs: "PC Vue" or "Desigo" offered by Siemens, "EcoStruxure" marketed by Schneider Electric, or "Niagara Framework" published by Tridium.

[0020] The term "connected device" means a device or object capable of communicating with a supervisory program, via a communication protocol, generally through a wireless connection, in order to exchange data with said program. By way of non-limiting example, a connected device may refer to a motorized valve, a motor, a filter, a water quality analyzer, a dechlorinator, or the like.

[0021] The term “communication protocol” means a set of rules, conventions, and standards that define how data is exchanged between at least two entities in a communication system, such as a computer network or an electronic communication system. By way of non-limiting example, a communication protocol may refer to one of the following protocols, known to those skilled in the art as: “Modbus”, “BACnet”, “LoRa”, “LonWork”, or “Profibus”.

[0022] The term "symbol" refers to a simple and abstract visual representation of a connected device. The symbol advantageously allows an operator to intuitively and therefore quickly identify a connected device on the graphical interface.

[0023] The term "object" means in particular an instance of a class in a computer program, defining the properties and possibly the behavior of a connected device.

[0024] In other words, the configuration method described above advantageously allows an operator or programmer to easily and quickly add a connected device to a supervisory program, without having to manually modify the program's code to use the appropriate communication protocol to supervise the device. The configuration method thus results in a significant time saving for the Implementation of a monitoring program, for example, for a water sports center, particularly when the communication protocols of the connected devices comprising the water treatment system of the water sports center are not the same.

[0025] Indeed, thanks to the invention, based on a reference of the connected device, said device can be easily and quickly controlled by the monitoring program. This therefore represents a saving of time and thus a substantial cost reduction for the implementation of such a program in a water sports center, for example.

[0026] It should be noted that the parameterization method described above is not limited to the supervision of a water treatment system in a nautical center. It can also be implemented to parameterize a supervision program for an air conditioning system, a reservation management and automated access control system such as a ticketing system, a system for regulating lighting in an enclosure, or any other system.

[0027] More broadly, the parameterization method according to the invention can be implemented to facilitate the parameterization of a supervision program for several connected devices, making it possible to ensure comfort and / or security in an open or closed environment, intended to accommodate the public or not.

[0028] By way of non-limiting examples, the term "environment" may refer to an open space such as a park or stadium, an enclosed establishment such as an airport or museum, or a private dwelling such as a house or apartment.

[0029] According to another embodiment of the invention, during step d), the object is also assigned the reference of the connected device, entered by the operator in the form.

[0030] Preferably, the reference consists of at least one of the following elements:

[0031] - a brand name; and / or

[0032] - a product name; and / or

[0033] - a serial number; and / or

[0034] - a password.

[0035] Depending on the connected device, the use of a password may be necessary to allow the establishment of a secure connection between said device and the monitoring program.

[0036] According to another embodiment of the invention, in step b), the form or questionnaire allows the operator to enter several elements comprising the reference. In other words, the form may include several fields allowing the operator to enter at least one of the following elements:

[0037] - intrinsic data of the connected device; and / or

[0038] - the position and possibly the function of the connected device, in a system including multiple connected devices; and / or

[0039] - one or more communication protocols that can be implemented by the connected device...

[0040] According to another embodiment of the invention, the supervisory program is capable of interacting with the operator via the graphical interface, preferably via at least one symbol representing a connected device. By way of non-limiting example, the supervisory program is capable of displaying, at the level of a symbol, data transmitted by a connected device represented by said symbol.

[0041] According to another embodiment of the invention, the operator can control the operation of a connected device via a symbol displayed on the graphical interface. In other words, through the symbol, an operator can control the operation of a connected device represented by said symbol.

[0042] According to another embodiment of the invention, the graphical interface comprises a canvas on which one or more symbols can be placed. Preferably, the graphical interface allows several symbols to be arranged to represent a system, such as a water treatment system for a nautical center or, more broadly, a management system for a nautical center. Optionally, the graphical interface may be common to all systems or specific to the supervisory program.

[0043] The invention also relates to a database for identifying a communication protocol implemented by a connected device, from a reference specific to the connected device, as described above.

[0044] The invention also relates to a computer program comprising instructions which, when the computer program is executed by a computer, cause said computer program to implement the steps of a parameterization method as described above.

[0045] The invention also relates to a computer-readable data carrier on which the computer program mentioned above is recorded.

[0046] The invention also relates to an environment in which the data carrier described above is present. As a reminder, the term "environment" refers to an open or closed space, whether or not it is open to the public, such as a nautical center or a private residence. Detailed description of the invention

[0047] As a reminder, the invention proposes a method for setting up a program for monitoring connected devices, allowing easier adaptability and faster implementation of said program, taking into account the specificities of the communication protocols of each connected device.

[0048] The monitoring program, intended to be configured by a method according to the invention, is an application or computer program specifically designed to monitor and control connected devices. By way of non-limiting example, the monitoring program may be the computer program published by the applicant under the trade name "Hippocampe".

[0049] This computer program includes a module for adding a connected device. This addition module advantageously allows the monitoring program to control a connected device based on an identifier specific to the connected device as well as the type of communication protocol accepted by said device.

[0050] A "communication protocol" is defined as a set of rules, conventions, and standards defining how data is exchanged between at least two entities in a communication system, such as a computer network or an electronic communication system. By way of non-limiting example, a communication protocol may refer to one of the following protocols, known as "Modbus," "BACnet," "LoRa," "HTTPS," or others.

[0051] Based on the identifier and communication protocol specific to the connected object, the addition module allows the monitoring program to exchange information and / or commands with said connected object.

[0052] As mentioned above, this tedious procedure must be performed for each connected device to be controlled by the monitoring program. This procedure requires the skills of a computer programmer to modify the computer code of the monitoring program accordingly.

[0053] However, this procedure must be carried out each time the supervision program is to be implemented in a nautical center, because the number of connected devices varies from one center to another and within the same nautical center, the communication protocol may be different from one connected device to another.

[0054] The invention proposes to simplify this implementation so as to allow anyone to carry it out, without requiring advanced computer programming skills.

[0055] To achieve this, the invention proposes a method for setting up a supervisory program, from a graphical interface, so that said program can control at least one connected device.

[0056] The graphical interface, according to the invention, provides at least one symbol. The term "symbol" refers to a simple and generally abstract visual representation of a connected device. The symbol allows an operator to intuitively, and therefore quickly, identify a connected device on the graphical interface.

[0057] According to the present example, the graphical interface also provides a canvas on which one or more symbols can be placed to schematically represent a water treatment system for water flowing into an aquatic center. It should be noted that the invention is not limited to this single embodiment. Other systems can thus be schematically represented on the canvas, such as an air conditioning system, a ticketing management system, or others.

[0058] To facilitate understanding of the invention, according to the present example, the graphical interface provides a symbol illustrating a connected pump, a motorized valve, and a water quality sensor. Using these various symbols, the operator can easily display on the graphical interface canvas all the connected devices comprising a water treatment system for an aquatic center.

[0059] As mentioned previously, according to a first step a) of the parameterization method, an operator selects on the graphical interface a symbol representing a connected device mentioned above, and then places it on the canvas.

[0060] Each time a symbol is selected, the parameterization method creates an object associated with the symbol. The term "object" refers in particular to a class instance, defining the properties and possibly the behavior of a connected device associated with said symbol.

[0061] According to a second step b), the graphical interface presents the operator with a form or questionnaire. In the present example, the form has several input fields and, preferably, one or more input fields offer several answers from a database.

[0062] In other words, the form is instantiated from a class, comprising all the fields of the form, and also values ​​allowing several answers to be proposed to fill in one or more fields of the form.

[0063] According to this example, the form includes the following fields, relating to the connected device, represented by the selected symbol:

[0064] - the brand of the connected device;

[0065] - the name of the connected device;

[0066] - the serial number associated with the connected device;

[0067] - the operations supported by the connected device within the system;

[0068] - the control conditions and the expected behaviors of the device connected for each operation supported by said device;

[0069] - the dependencies of the connected device on other connected devices.

[0070] It should be noted that the form according to the invention is not limited to the fields mentioned above, so that the form may include other fields related to the connected device.

[0071] According to a third step (c), the configuration method identifies a communication protocol specific to the connected device, based on at least one field of the form completed by the operator. More precisely, the configuration method performs a matching search in a database between at least one completed field of the form and an element of the database. Notably, each element of the database is associated with a type of communication protocol used by the connected device. In other words, the database is configured to allow the identification of the communication protocol used by the connected device, based on one or more fields of the form completed by the operator.

[0072] Optionally, the database may be located on a remote server and queried remotely by the parameterization method, when implemented.

[0073] According to a fourth step d), the parameterization process assigns to the object associated with the symbol, the type of communication protocol identified during the previous step and, possibly, other data entered from the form such as the parameters of the remote physical equipment controlling the connected device.

[0074] According to a fifth step (e), the configuration process transmits the object to the monitoring program so that the monitoring program can communicate with the connected device. More specifically, the object is addressed to the add module of the monitoring program mentioned above.

[0075] Thus, the parameterization method according to the invention advantageously allows an operator or programmer to add a connected device intuitively and therefore quickly to a supervisory program without it being necessary to manually modify the computer code of said program so that it uses the appropriate communication protocol to supervise said device.

[0076] The parameterization method thus allows a significant time saving for the implementation of a supervision program in a nautical center, in particular when the communication protocols between the connected devices composing a water treatment system are not the same.

[0077] The parameterization method also allows for the standardization of behaviors and the description of a supervisory program. This advantageously makes it possible to adapt the control conditions as well as the control of the operational part of the various connected devices, without requiring advanced computer skills.

[0078] According to another advantage, the invention also allows for a more secure modification of a supervisory program, since these modifications can be made without requiring operator intervention in the algorithm(s), which implement different and complex communication protocols between devices. connected and managed by the monitoring program. The invention therefore makes it possible to increase the reliability of a monitoring program during its update, particularly when the updates are carried out by operators without expertise in the development and maintenance of communication networks.

Claims

Demands

1. A method for setting up a monitoring program for at least two connected devices, communicating according to different protocols, the setting up being carried out via a graphical interface, the graphical interface offering at least one symbol representing a connected device, characterized in that the following steps are implemented: a) selection by an operator of a symbol offered by the graphical interface and creation of an object associated with the symbol; then b) display by the graphical interface of a form, allowing the operator to enter a reference of the connected device, represented by the symbol selected during step a);then c) when the operator has entered a reference of the connected device in the form, identification of the communication protocol used by the connected device, based on the reference in the form and from a database, the database listing several references of connected devices, the database associating each reference with a type of communication protocol; then d) assignment to the object associated with the symbol, the type of communication protocol identified in step c); then e) transmission of the object to a monitoring program so that the monitoring program can communicate with the connected device.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that during step d), the object is also assigned the reference of the connected device, entered by the operator in the form.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the reference is composed of at least one of the following elements: - a brand name; and / or - a product name; and / or - a serial number; and / or - a password.

4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that during step b), the form allows the operator to enter several elements comprising the reference.

5. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the supervisory program is able to interact with the operator, via the graphical interface, preferably via at least one symbol representing a connected device.

6. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the operator can control the operation of a connected device, via a symbol appearing on the graphical interface.

7. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the graphical interface comprises a canvas on which one or more symbols can be placed.

8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the graphical interface allows the representation of all connected devices constituting a management system of a nautical center.

9. A computer program comprising instructions which, when the computer program is executed by a computer, cause the computer to implement the steps of a parameterization method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A computer-readable data carrier on which the computer program according to claim 9 is recorded.