Scalable wireless remote control and monitoring system with automatic registration and automatic time synchronization

• US 20040039813A1
• Filed: 08/22/2002
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gamut Systems & Solutions, LLC
• Original Assignee: Profile Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Florin, Robert C., Clark, Todd A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,290,037 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/42 Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration

Abstract

A system for controlling, monitoring and receiving data from a plurality of devices located at a remote site. A network operations center (NOC) has a plurality of protocols for a plurality of applications. A customer interface with the NOC provides customer control and monitoring of the devices and enables the customer to receive alert notifications from the devices. Master, remote and remote slave units communicate between the NOC and the devices at the remote site, and enable one remote slave unit to communicate with many devices. Registration subroutines are periodically initiated in the system to automatically identify, and to enable communication with, any newly added or removed components. The system also periodically initiates a time synchronization subroutine to synchronize the real time clocks in all system components to Greenwich Mean Time to insure the accuracy of time associated with alert notifications.

Claims

1. A system for controlling, monitoring and receiving data from a plurality of devices located at a remote site, said system comprising:

a network operations center having a plurality of protocols for a plurality of applications, said network operating center having means for selecting one of said protocols corresponding to one of said applications,

a customer interface having two-way communications with said network operating center to provide control of the customer'"'"'s applications for controlling and monitoring said plurality of remotely located devices, said customer interface further providing the ability to receive messages relating to an alert condition at one or more of the plurality of remotely located devices,

a remote slave unit located at the remote site, said remote slave unit in two-way communication with the plurality of devices and in two-way communication with the network operating center for sending notification of alert conditions from any one of the plurality of devices to the network operating center and for sending reprogramming commands from the customer interface to any of the plurality of devices.

2. The system as claimed in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

a master unit and a remote unit interposed in the communication path between the network operating center and the remote slave unit such that notification of alert conditions are communicated from the remote slave unit to the remote unit, then from the remote unit to the master unit and finally from the master unit to the network operating center.

3. The system as claimed in accordance with claim 2 wherein the master unit communicates with the network operating center via a two-way wireless network and the remote slave unit communicates with the remote unit via a two-way radio frequency link.

4. The system as claimed in accordance with claim 1 wherein the remote slave unit periodically initiates a registration subroutine to poll the plurality of devices to determine the identity of each of the devices, and to automatically register any new devices on the system.

5. The system as claimed in accordance with claim 1 wherein the network operating center has a real-time clock synchronized to Greenwich Mean Time, and the network operating center periodically polls the system to determine if the remote slave unit and if the plurality of devices are synchronized to the same time.

6. The system as claimed in accordance with claim 5 wherein the network operating center includes the current GMT time in its polling message to assist the remote slave unit in synchronizing to the current GMT time.

7. The system as claimed in accordance with claim 1 wherein new devices may be installed on the system and be placed in communication with the same remote slave unit.

8. The system as claimed in accordance with claim 8 wherein up to 255 devices may be in communication with the remote slave unit.