Communications process, device and system
First Claim
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1. A method executed by a concentrator connected between a plurality of remote units and a management server, the method including:
- (i) receiving and storing properties data from a remote location and associated with a remote unit including a microengine and a meter for measuring usage of a resource at a customer'"'"'s premises, the properties data representing a profile of the remote unit and including communications parameters and device parameters, the communications parameters representing selectable communications protocols and associated equipment the microengine supports;
(ii) receiving message data representing a request associated with the remote unit from the management server;
(iii) generating response data representing a response to the request based on the message data and the stored properties data; and
(iv) sending the response data to one of the remote unit and the management server, as determined by the request based on the message data, wherein the properties data representing the communications parameters is used to determine the selectable communications protocols and associated equipment the microengine supports and establish an available communications link among multiple different communications links supported by at least some of the selectable communications protocols the microengine supports by selecting and using the respective communications parameters of the properties data for the determined communication link to send the response data to the remote unit,wherein the concentrator maintains job queues for managing data sent on links to the remote units and to the management server, wherein the job queues establish sessions on the links based on a bandwidth capacity of the links, the bandwidth capacity determined based on the properties data.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method executed by a concentrator connected between a plurality of remote units and a management server, the method including:
- (i) receiving and storing properties data associated with a remote unit including a microengine and a meter for measuring usage of a resource at a customer'"'"'s premises, the properties data representing a profile of the remote unit;
- (ii) receiving message data representing a request associated with the remote unit from the management server;
- (iii) generating response data representing a response to the request based on the message data and the stored properties data; and
- (iv) sending the response data to one of the remote unit and the management server, as determined by the request based on the message data.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method executed by a concentrator connected between a plurality of remote units and a management server, the method including:
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(i) receiving and storing properties data from a remote location and associated with a remote unit including a microengine and a meter for measuring usage of a resource at a customer'"'"'s premises, the properties data representing a profile of the remote unit and including communications parameters and device parameters, the communications parameters representing selectable communications protocols and associated equipment the microengine supports; (ii) receiving message data representing a request associated with the remote unit from the management server; (iii) generating response data representing a response to the request based on the message data and the stored properties data; and (iv) sending the response data to one of the remote unit and the management server, as determined by the request based on the message data, wherein the properties data representing the communications parameters is used to determine the selectable communications protocols and associated equipment the microengine supports and establish an available communications link among multiple different communications links supported by at least some of the selectable communications protocols the microengine supports by selecting and using the respective communications parameters of the properties data for the determined communication link to send the response data to the remote unit, wherein the concentrator maintains job queues for managing data sent on links to the remote units and to the management server, wherein the job queues establish sessions on the links based on a bandwidth capacity of the links, the bandwidth capacity determined based on the properties data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A communications system for controlling and interrogating a network of distributed remote units, the communications system including:
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one or more processors and a memory; a network management server for requesting and serving data associated with the remote units; concentrators for communicating with the network management server and communicating with respective remote units using respective selectable communications protocols based on properties data maintained at the concentrators, the properties data being from a remote location and representing state and communications parameters associated with each remote unit, wherein the concentrators are being executed by processors; and remote units for serving properties data and message data to a concentrator and receiving data, including application files and service level data, wherein the remote units are being executed by processors, wherein the properties data of the remote units represents profiles of the remote units and devices installed with or communicating with the remote units, and the profiles each include communications parameters and device parameters, the communications parameters representing the communications protocols and associated equipment the respective remote unit supports; and wherein a concentrator is configured to communicate with a remote unit using an available communications link determined in accordance with the communications protocols and associated equipment the respective remote unit supports and established among multiple different communications links supported by at least some of the selectable communications protocols the respective remote unit supports by selecting and using the respective communications parameters of the properties data for the determined communication link, wherein the concentrator maintains job queues for managing data sent on links to the remote units and to the management server, wherein the job queues establish sessions on the links based on a bandwidth capacity of the links, the bandwidth capacity determined based on the properties data. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method executed by a concentrator connected between a plurality of remote units and a management server, the method including:
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(i) receiving and storing properties data from a remote location and associated with a remote unit including a microengine and a meter for measuring usage of a resource at a customer'"'"'s premises, the properties data representing a profile of the remote unit and including communications parameters and device parameters, the communications parameters representing selectable communications protocols and associated equipment the microengine supports; (ii) receiving message data representing a request associated with the remote unit from the management server; (iii) generating response data representing a response to the request based on the message data and the stored properties data; and (iv) sending the response data to one of the remote unit and the management server, as determined by the request based on the message data, wherein the properties data representing the communications parameters is used to determine and establish an available communications link among multiple different communications links supported by at least some of the selectable communications protocols by selecting and using the respective communications parameters of the properties data for the determined communication link to send the response data to the remote unit, wherein the respective communications parameters are for a new interface added to the profile and are transmitted to the microengine when interfaces of the determined communications link do not match; wherein the concentrator maintains job queues for managing data sent on links to the remote units and to the management server, wherein the job queues establish sessions on the links based on a bandwidth capacity of the links, the bandwidth capacity determined based on the properties data.
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Specification