Method and Apparatus to Facilitate Receiving and Processing Status Information As Pertains to a Self-Storage Facility
A central facility automatically receives status information regarding at least three different kinds of system elements and processes that status information to provide a corresponding status report. These teachings will readily accommodate a wide variety of system elements including, but not limited to, area lights, security cameras, overlooks, movable barrier status detectors, point-of-entry elements, sensors of various kinds, data communication paths, and so forth.
1 . A method comprising:
at a self-storage facility having a plurality of self-storage units that are each accessible via a corresponding movable barrier, wherein access to given ones of the self-storage units by corresponding end users is controllable by the end user:
automatically receiving, at a central facility, status information regarding at least three of:
at least one area light at the self-storage facility;
at least one security camera for the self-storage facility;
at least one overlock at the self-storage facility;
status of at least one of the movable barriers;
a point of entry to the self-storage facility;
at least one sensor at the self-storage facility;
at least one data communication path at the self-storage facility;
processing the status information to provide a corresponding status report.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein automatically receiving the status information comprises automatically pulling the status information from corresponding sources.
3 . The method of claim 1 wherein automatically receiving the status information comprises receiving pushed status information from corresponding sources.
4 . The method of claim 1 wherein automatically receiving the status information comprises receiving the status information via a wireless communication path.
5 . The method of claim 4 wherein receiving the status information via a wireless communication path comprises receiving the status information via a wireless communication path that comprises, for at least one status information source, at least one repeater.
6 . The method of claim 1 wherein automatically receiving the status information comprises receiving the status information via a non-wireless communication path.
7 . The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the status information comprises receiving at least five of:
at least one area light at the self-storage facility;
at least one security camera for the self-storage facility;
at least one overlock at the self-storage facility;
at least one status of the movable barriers;
a point of entry to the self-storage facility;
at least one sensor at the self-storage facility;
at least one data communication path at the self-storage facility.
8 . The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the status information comprises receiving each of:
at least one area light at the self-storage facility;
at least one security camera for the self-storage facility;
at least one overlock at the self-storage facility;
at least one status of the movable barriers;
a point of entry to the self-storage facility;
at least one sensor at the self-storage facility;
at least one data communication path at the self-storage facility.
9 . The method of claim 1 wherein the status information comprises, at least in part, information regarding operational integrity of a corresponding source of the status information.
10 . The method of claim 1 wherein processing the status information to provide a corresponding status report comprises identifying status information sources that require maintenance attention.
11 . The method of claim 10 further comprising:
automatically notifying a service provider regarding contents of the corresponding status report.
12 . The method of claim 11 wherein automatically notifying a service provider regarding contents of the corresponding status report comprises using at least one of:
email;
short message service (SMS);
texting;
a synthesized voice message;
a pre-recorded voice message;
a facsimile transmission;
a popup message.
13 . The method of claim 11 wherein automatically notifying a service provider regarding contents of the corresponding status report comprises providing the service provider with a code.
14 . The method of claim 13 further comprising:
detecting presentation of the code by an agent of the service provider at the self-storage facility;
automatically responding to the presentation of the code by taking at least one predetermined action.
15 . The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one predetermined action comprises admitting the agent into the self-storage facility.
16 . The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one predetermined action comprises automatically controlling lighting at the self-storage facility to uniquely denote a particular path, from amongst a plurality of candidate paths, to thereby direct the agent to a status information source that requires the maintenance attention.
17 . The method of claim 1 wherein the data communication path comprises a wireless data communication path.
18 . A method comprising:
at a self-storage facility having a plurality of self-storage units that are each accessible via a corresponding movable barrier, wherein access to given ones of the self-storage units by corresponding end users is controllable by the end user:
storing, at a central facility computer, computer application configuration information regarding at least three of:
at least one area light at the self-storage facility;
at least one security camera for the self-storage facility;
at least one overlock at the self-storage facility;
at least one movable barrier at the self-storage facility;
a point of entry to the self-storage facility;
at least one sensor at the self-storage facility;
automatically backing up the computer application configuration information to provide corresponding back-up data.
19 . The method of claim 18 wherein storing the computer application configuration information comprises storing, at a central facility computer, computer application configuration information regarding at least five of:
at least one area light at the self-storage facility;
at least one security camera for the self-storage facility;
at least one overlock at the self-storage facility;
at least movable barrier at the self-storage facility;
a point of entry to the self-storage facility;
at least one sensor at the self-storage facility.
20 . The method of claim 18 wherein storing the computer application configuration information comprises storing, at a central facility computer, computer application configuration information regarding each of:
at least one area light at the self-storage facility;
at least one security camera for the self-storage facility;
at least one overlock at the self-storage facility;
at least one movable barrier at the self-storage facility;
a point of entry to the self-storage facility;
at least one sensor at the self-storage facility.
21 . The method of claim 18 wherein automatically backing up the computer application configuration information comprises backing up the computer application configuration information to an off-site storage facility.
22 . The method of claim 18 wherein automatically backing up the computer application configuration information comprises backing up the computer application configuration information to an on-site storage facility.
23 . The method of claim 18 wherein automatically backing up the computer application configuration information comprises automatically backing up the computer application configuration information on a scheduled basis.
24 . The method of claim 18 further comprising:
detecting a fault with the central facility computer;
in response to detecting the fault, automatically reinstating the computer application configuration information using the back-up data.
25 . An apparatus comprising:
at a central facility for a self-storage facility having a plurality of self-storage units that are each accessible via a corresponding movable barrier, wherein access to given ones of the self-storage units by corresponding end users is controllable by the end user:
a data interface;
a controller operably coupled to the data interface and being configured to:
automatically receive, via the data interface, status information regarding at least three of:
at least one area light at the self-storage facility;
at least one security camera for the self-storage facility;
at least one overlock at the self-storage facility;
status of at least one of the movable barriers;
a point of entry to the self-storage facility;
at least one sensor at the self-storage facility;
at least one data communication path at the self-storage facility;
process the status information to provide a corresponding status report.
26 . The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the controller is configured to automatically receive the status information by automatically pulling the status information from corresponding sources.
27 . The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the controller is configured to automatically receive the status information by receiving pushed status information from corresponding sources.
28 . The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the data interface is configured to automatically receive the status information by receiving the status information via a wireless communication path.
29 . The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the data interface is configured to receive the status information via a wireless communication path by receiving the status information via a wireless communication path that comprises, for at least one status information source, at least one repeater.
30 . The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the data interface is configured to automatically receive the status information by receiving the status information via a non-wireless communication path.
31 . The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the controller is configured to receive the status information by receiving at least five of:
at least one area light at the self-storage facility;
at least one security camera for the self-storage facility;
at least one overlock at the self-storage facility;
status of at least one of the movable barriers;
a point of entry to the self-storage facility;
at least one sensor at the self-storage facility;
at least one data communication path at the self-storage facility.
32 . The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the controller is configured to receive the status information by receiving each of:
at least one area light at the self-storage facility;
at least one security camera for the self-storage facility;
at least one overlock at the self-storage facility;
status of at least one of the movable barriers;
a point of entry to the self-storage facility;
at least one sensor at the self-storage facility;
at least one data communication path at the self-storage facility.
33 . The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the status information comprises, at least in part, information regarding operational integrity of a corresponding source of the status information.
34 . The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the controller is configured to process the status information to provide a corresponding status report by identifying status information sources that require maintenance attention.
35 . The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the controller is configured to:
automatically notify a service provider regarding contents of the corresponding status report.
36 . The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the controller is configured to automatically notify a service provider regarding contents of the corresponding status report by using at least one of:
email;
short message service (SMS);
texting;
a synthesized voice message;
a pre-recorded voice message;
a facsimile transmission;
a popup message.
37 . The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the controller is configured to automatically notify a service provider regarding contents of the corresponding status report by providing the service provider with a code.
38 . The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the controller is configured to:
detect presentation of the code by an agent of the service provider at the self-storage facility;
automatically respond to the presentation of the code by taking at least one predetermined action.
39 . The apparatus of claim 38 wherein the at least one predetermined action comprises admitting the agent into the self-storage facility.
40 . The apparatus of claim 38 wherein the at least one predetermined action comprises automatically controlling lighting at the self-storage facility to uniquely denote a particular path, from amongst a plurality of candidate paths, to thereby direct the agent to a status information source that requires the maintenance attention.
41 . The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the data communication path comprises a wireless data communication path.