Means and apparatus for control of remote electronic devices

• US 20040056775A1
• Filed: 06/25/2003
• Published: 03/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Musco Corporation
• Original Assignee: Musco Corporation
• Inventors: Crookham, Joe P., Foster, Michael B., Marsh, Ryan A., Rivera, Antonio, Tippett, Walter R., Cooley, Patrick K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,778,635 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

An apparatus to control remote devices or equipment via existing cellular telephone networks. The apparatus receives information from a customer concerning a specific function, which the customer wants to perform at the remote equipment. A Central Control receives this information from the customer and correlates the function to a specific cellular telephone MIN number, which has been pre-programmed in a computer at the Central Control. The MIN number is then sent to a cellular provider. The cellular provider then transmits the MIN number to an antenna, which transmits the MIN number to a remote equipment controller at the remotely located equipment. The remote equipment controller then takes the a part of the MIN and gives these numbers to a PLC at the remote equipment controller. The PLC then memory maps the part of the MIN to a specific function to be carried out by the remote equipment controller. Then the remote equipment controller carriers out specified functions at the remote equipment.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling remote devices comprising:

a central device including a database of events;

a remote device connected to a resistive or inductive electrical load;

a communications link adapted to communicate data from the central device to the remote device related to an event.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the database comprises a schedule of events.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the schedule of events is related to operation of the resistive or inductive electrical load.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the central device is a computer or network of computers.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the remote device comprises a digital controller.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the resistive or inductive electrical load comprises a lighting device.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the lighting device comprises a wide-area lighting device.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the wide-area lighting device comprises sports lighting or security lighting.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the communications link comprises a wide-area communications link.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the communications link comprises a wide-area network.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the communications link is wireless.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said wireless portion comprises cellular communication.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the remote device includes a cellular receiver.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said data comprises instructions.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said instructions include one or more of the set comprising turn on, turn off.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said instructions corresponds to a schedule related to time and/or date.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said communication link is adapted to communicate data from the remote device to the control device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said data from the remote device to the control device comprises information.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said information is related to one or more of the set comprising status related to the resistive or electrical load, and status related to a condition at the location of the resistive or inductive electrical load.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of remote devices, the communications link adapted to communicate data from the central device to the remote devices.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a component to revise said database.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said component to revise said database comprises a data entry device connected to central device.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein component to revise said database comprises a remote communications device connected to said central device.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said remote communications device comprises a device which can communicate data to the central device through a communication link.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the communication link comprises one of the set comprising a wide-area network, and a telephone network.

26. A method for control of remote devices comprising:

storing in a first location information related to one or more events related to a resistive or inductive electrical load;

communicating data related to an event from said first location to a second location related to said resistive or inductive electrical load;

carrying out an action related to the resistive or inductive electrical load at the second location in response to said data.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising a plurality of resistive or inductive electrical loads positioned at second and other locations.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein said second location is remote from said first location.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein said stored information comprises a schedule of events related to the second location.

30. The method of claim 26 wherein communication of said data is accomplished over a wide-area communications link.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the wide-area communications link is at least partly wireless.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the wireless part is cellular communication.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the data is communicated over a control channel of the part of the communication link that is cellular communication.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the data is contained within a part of a mobile identification number on the control channel.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the data comprises an instruction related to operation of the resistive or inductive electrical load.

36. The method of claim 35 further comprising a database including an instruction set, the instruction set including individual instructions each communicatable over a unique mobile identification number to the second location.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein a cellular receiver is positioned at the second location to receive the data in the form of a mobile identification number, said cellular receiver configured to respond to one or more mobile identification numbers.

38. The method of claim 26 wherein the resistive or inductive electrical load is a lighting device.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein the lighting device is a sports lighting device or security lighting device.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein the sports lighting device comprises a plurality of sports lighting lights, each comprising a resistive or inductive electrical load.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein the plurality of sports lights can be located at a second location or multiple locations.

42. The method of claim 26 further comprising revising the stored information from time to time.

43. The method of claim 26 further comprising communicating data from the second location to the first location.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein the data from the second location to the first location comprise information regarding status of the resistive or inductive electrical load, or a condition related to the resistive or inductive electrical load or second location.

45. A system for control of remote electric devices comprising:

a central control including a computer, a memory in operative communication with the computer, and a database stored in said memory;

a set of remote controllers each operatively connected to one or more resistive or inductive electrical loads;

a communications link adapted to communicate between said central control and said remote controllers.

46. The system of claim 45 wherein said database comprises schedules related to operation of said resistive or inductive electrical loads.

47. The system of claim 45 wherein said resistive or inductive electrical loads comprise lighting devices.

48. The system of claim 45 wherein the lighting devices are sports lights or security lighting.

49. The system of claim 45 wherein said communications link, at least in part, comprises a cellular network.

50. The system of claim 49 wherein said communication link carries data over a control channel of cellular network.

51. The system of claim 50 wherein said data relates to instructions regarding the operation of the resistive or inductive electrical loads.