System and method for remote controlling equipment with the aid of api functions, and corresponding device, radiocommunication module, and set of functions

• US 20060141997A1
• Filed: 06/16/2004
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sierra Wireless Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sierra Wireless Incorporated
• Inventors: Amiens, Christian
• Application Number:
  US10/561,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20060141997A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• 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: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a system for remote controlling equipment, which allows at least one server and at least one remote piece of equipment to be interconnected according to the MQIsdp protocol. Said system associates radiocommunication means with at least one of said remote pieces of equipment in order to internally process a communication protocol that uses API-type source functions which are available on a software platform (open AT) allowing at least one application to be hosted. Said radiocommunication means are provided with a set of specific (API) functions in order to exchange data with at least one server that uses said MQIsdp protocol such that said server/s and said remote piece/s of equipment can be interconnected via said radiocommunication means which also manage at least one application located between the server/s and the remote piece/s of equipment.

Claims

1. System for remote control of apparatuses, enabling the interconnection between at least one broker and at least one remote apparatus according to the MQIsdp protocol,

wherein the system associates, with at least one of said remote apparatuses, radiocommunication means capable of internally processing a communication protocol implementing API-type source functions available in a software platform (Open AT) enabling at least one application to be embedded, and

wherein said radiocommunication means are provided with a set of specific (API) functions enabling data to be exchanged with at least one server implementing said MQIsdp protocol,

so as to enable an interconnection between said at least one broker and said at least one remote apparatus via said radiocommunication means, with the latter also managing at least one application between said at least one broker and said at least one remote apparatus.

2. System for remote control of apparatuses according to claim 1, wherein said radiocommunication means include a radiocommunication module, grouping together on a single substrate all of the radiofrequency and baseband data processing means, as well as means for managing said (API) functions and said at least one application.

3. System for remote control of apparatuses according claim 1, wherein said radiocommunication means integrate said MQIsdp protocol in the form of a library, defining said set of specific (API) functions.

4. System for remote control of apparatuses according to claim 1, wherein at least in a first mode, said radiocommunication means manage only the signalling of a data exchange, with said data being transferred directly from a remote apparatus to a server, or the reverse.

5. System for remote control of apparatuses according to claim 1, wherein at least in a second mode, said radiocommunication means manage the signalling of a data exchange and the transfer of said data, with the latter being temporarily stored in at least one buffer storage.

6. System for remote control of apparatuses according to claim 5, wherein the size of said at least one buffer storage is parameterable.

7. System for remote control of apparatuses according to claim 6, wherein the system operates in said first mode when the size of said at least one buffer storage is 0, and in said second mode if not.

8. System for remote control of apparatuses according to claim 1, wherein said set of specific API functions includes functions enabling:

the connection to one of said at least one broker;

the sending of messages;

the receiving of messages;

configuration of at least one parameter.

9. System for remote control of apparatuses according to claim 1, wherein at least some of said specific (API) functions are organised so as to be capable of providing at least two operations and/or acting on at least two distinct aspects, according to a predefined parameterization.

10. System for remote control of apparatuses according to claim 1, wherein said set of (API) functions includes only 12 functions.

11. System for remote control of apparatuses according to claim 1, wherein said set of specific (API) functions includes an initialisation function (mqisdp_init) restoring default parameters, which must be called at least once before the use of other (API) functions.

12. System for remote control of apparatuses according to claim 1, wherein said set of specific (API) functions includes a function (mqisdp_resume) called when an IP connection has been established.

13. System for remote control of apparatuses according to claim 1, wherein the system includes a function of establishing a connection with one of said brokers (mqisdp_connect), making it possible to define parameters of said connection, and a function for disconnecting (mqisdp_disconnect) said connection.

14. System for remote control of apparatuses according to claim 13, wherein said function of establishing a connection makes it possible to select a transmission mode from at least two (GSM and GPRS).

15. System for remote control of apparatuses according to claim 1, wherein the system includes a function (mqisdp_publish) for sending a message to one of said brokers.

16. System for remote control of apparatuses according to claim 1, wherein the system includes a function for subscribing to one of said brokers (mqisdp_subscribe), and a function for unsubscribing (mqisdp_unsubscribe) to said broker.

17. System for remote control of apparatuses according to claim 1, wherein the system includes at least one function for requesting information on at least one aspect of a communication in progress.

18. System for remote control of apparatuses according to claim 17, wherein the system includes at least one of the functions belonging to the group including:

a function for inquiring about the status of a connection (mqisdp_getConStatus);

a function for inquiring about the status of a given message (mqisdp_getMsgStatus);

a function for inquiring about the current size of a queue (mqisdp_getQueueSize); and

a function for inquiring about the space available in a queue (mqisdp_getAvailableSize).

19. System for remote control of apparatuses according to claim 1, wherein the system includes a function for defining the size of a queue (mqisdp_setQueueSize).

21. A radiocommunication device comprising radiocommunication means implemented in a system for remote control of apparatuses according to claim 1.

22. A radiocommunication module comprising radiocommunication means implemented in a system for remote control of apparatuses according to claim 1.

20. Method for remote control of apparatuses, enabling the interconnection between at least one broker and at least one remote apparatus according to the MQIsdp protocol,

wherein the method associates, with at least one of said remote apparatuses, radiocommunication means capable of internally processing a communication protocol implementing API-type source functions available in a software platform (Open AT) enabling at least one application to be embedded,

and wherein the method implements, in said radiocommunication means, a set of specific API functions enabling data to be exchanged with at least one broker implementing said MQIsdp protocol,

so as to enable an interconnection between said at least one broker and said at least one remote apparatus via said radiocommunication means, with the latter also managing at least one application between said at least one broker and said remote apparatus.

23. A set of (API) functions implemented in a system for remote control of apparatuses, wherein the set enables data to be exchanged with at least one broker implementing an MQIsdp protocol.