Method and apparatus for remotely monitoring and controlling devices
First Claim
1. An apparatus for facilitating communications between a processor at a legacy control station and a legacy remote device over a communication network, comprising:
- a) a set of instructions executable by the processor, comprising;
i) instructions for communicating data from the control station to the remote device, comprising;
1) a first transmission portion adapted to accept signals from a preexisting host application computer program in a predetermined format, 2) a second transmission portion adapted to convert the formatted host application computer program signals into a packet-switched format for transmission to the remote device by means of a network, and 3) a third transmission portion adapted to generate commands to satisfy at least one host application computer program handshaking protocol; and
ii) instructions for receiving data from the remote device, comprising;
1) a first receiving portion adapted to accept packet-switched data from the network, 2) a second receiving portion adapted to convert the packet-switched data into a predetermined format corresponding to the pre-existing communication protocol of the control station host application computer program, and 3) a third receiving portion adapted to generate commands to satisfy at least one host application computer program handshaking protocol; and
b) a hardware interface component located in proximity to the remote device, comprising;
i) a transceiver portion electrically coupled to the network and adapted to;
1) accept packet-switched signals from the network, and 2) send packet-switched signals to the network;
ii) a remote processor electrically coupled intermediate to the transceiver portion and the remote device, the remote processor being adapted to;
1) convert packet-switched signals received from the transceiver to a predetermined format corresponding to the communication protocol of the remote device, and 2) convert formatted signals corresponding to the communication protocol of the data received from the remote device to packet-switched data; and
iii) a bidirectional data interface electrically coupled to the remote device and the remote processor to communicate signals from the remote device to the remote processor and to communicate signals from the remote processor to the remote device, wherein the set of instructions and hardware interface component cooperate to facilitate communication between a legacy remote device and a corresponding legacy host application computer program by means of the communication network.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for remotely monitoring and controlling devices. A software-based protocol converter converts asynchronous serial control and data signals from a host application computer program to Internet Protocol (“IP”) packet-switched signals. The converted signals are transmitted to a remote device, such as a meter or a valve, by means of a packet-switching network. The received IP packet-switching signals are converted by a hardware-based protocol converter into asynchronous serial control and data signals compatible with the remote device. The hardware-based protocol converter is also capable of converting asynchronous serial data feedback signals from the remote device to IP packet-switching signals and transmitting them to the host application computer program via the packet-switching network. The feedback signals are converted to asynchronous serial data signals compatible with the host application computer program by the software-based protocol converter.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. An apparatus for facilitating communications between a processor at a legacy control station and a legacy remote device over a communication network, comprising:
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a) a set of instructions executable by the processor, comprising;
i) instructions for communicating data from the control station to the remote device, comprising;
1) a first transmission portion adapted to accept signals from a preexisting host application computer program in a predetermined format, 2) a second transmission portion adapted to convert the formatted host application computer program signals into a packet-switched format for transmission to the remote device by means of a network, and 3) a third transmission portion adapted to generate commands to satisfy at least one host application computer program handshaking protocol; and
ii) instructions for receiving data from the remote device, comprising;
1) a first receiving portion adapted to accept packet-switched data from the network, 2) a second receiving portion adapted to convert the packet-switched data into a predetermined format corresponding to the pre-existing communication protocol of the control station host application computer program, and 3) a third receiving portion adapted to generate commands to satisfy at least one host application computer program handshaking protocol; and
b) a hardware interface component located in proximity to the remote device, comprising;
i) a transceiver portion electrically coupled to the network and adapted to;
1) accept packet-switched signals from the network, and 2) send packet-switched signals to the network;
ii) a remote processor electrically coupled intermediate to the transceiver portion and the remote device, the remote processor being adapted to;
1) convert packet-switched signals received from the transceiver to a predetermined format corresponding to the communication protocol of the remote device, and 2) convert formatted signals corresponding to the communication protocol of the data received from the remote device to packet-switched data; and
iii) a bidirectional data interface electrically coupled to the remote device and the remote processor to communicate signals from the remote device to the remote processor and to communicate signals from the remote processor to the remote device, wherein the set of instructions and hardware interface component cooperate to facilitate communication between a legacy remote device and a corresponding legacy host application computer program by means of the communication network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for facilitating communications between a legacy control station and a legacy remote device over a communication network, comprising the steps of:
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a) providing instructions executable by a processor at the control station;
b) providing a hardware interface component in proximity to and in electrical communication with the remote device;
c) facilitating, within the control station, communications from the control station to the remote device by;
i) accepting signals from a preexisting host application computer program, ii) converting the host application computer program signals from a predetermined format into a packet-switched format for transmission to the remote device by means of the communication network, iii) generating handshaking commands to satisfy at least one host application computer program handshaking protocol, and iv) communicating the handshaking commands to the host application computer program;
d) facilitating, within the control station, communications from the remote device to the control station by;
i) accepting packet-switched data from the network, ii) converting the packet-switched data to a predetermined format corresponding to the communication protocol of the host application computer program, and iii) generating handshaking commands to satisfy at least one host application computer program handshaking protocol; and
iv) communicating the handshaking commands to the host application computer program;
e) facilitating communications from the control station to the remote device within the hardware interface component by;
i) accepting packet-switched signals from the network, and ii) converting the packet-switched data to a predetermined format corresponding to the communication protocol of the remote device, and iii) communicating the converted data to the remote device;
f) facilitating communications from the remote device to the control station within the hardware interface component by;
i) accepting signals from the remote device, the signals having a predetermined format corresponding to the communication protocol of the remote device;
ii) converting the signals to packet-switched data; and
iii) communicating the packet-switched data to the control station by means of the communication network, wherein the legacy control station and the legacy remote device communicate via the communication network. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification