Apparatus and method for activating an inbound telemetry device

• US 5,235,634 A
• Filed: 12/14/1990
• Issued: 08/10/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Firstpoint Energy Corporation NA
• Original Assignee: Telegenics, Inc.
• Inventors: Oliver, Stewart W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwyer, James L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F.
• Application Number:
  US07/627,822
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 379/106, 379/107, 379/105, 379/102, 379/104
• US Class Current: 379/106.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C

Abstract

An inbound telemetry device and method of operation thereof are provided in which the inbound telemetry device becomes activated should one or the other of two different events occur. The inbound telemetry device is located at a predetermined site and is coupled by a telephone line to a central host. When a real time clock within the device reaches a predetermined point in time, the device seizes the phone line and dials a predetermined telephone number and transmits collected data over the phone line to the central host or other station having a need for the information. The inbound telemetry device includes a ring counter which counts the number of rings in a particular call whether the call is from the central host or another telephone user. If the number of rings counted by the ring counter on a particular call exceeds a predetermined number of rings, then the device is activated to seize the phone line, dial the predetermined telephone number and transmit collected data from the site over the phone line to the central host.

Claims

1. A method for operating an inbound telemetry device which services a predetermined first location by monitoring conditions at said first location and reporting information regarding said conditions back to a central station situated at a second location which is remote from said first location, said method comprising the steps of:

collecting information at said site;

dialing inbound to said central station over said phone line to report said information to said central station at predetermined times;

counting at said first location the number of ring bursts occurring when said telephone line is rung to determine a ring count;

determining when the number of rings counted in said ring count exceeds a predetermined plurality of ring bursts which occur during a typical give-up time;

determining when the ring bursts on said telephone line have ceased;

dialing inbound to said central station over said telephone line when it is determined that the number of ring bursts counted in said counting step exceeds said predetermined plurality of ring bursts which occur during a typical give-up time, the dialing in-bound action of this dialing step being delayed to occur a predetermined amount of time after the cessation of ringing, and

transmitting said information to said central station after said dialing step.

2. The method of claim 1 including the step of resetting said ring count to 0 when said information is sent on said telephone line.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said predetermined plurality of ring bursts which occur during a typical give-up time is about six rings.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said typical give-up time is approximately 36 seconds.

5. An inbound telemetry device for coupling to a telephone line which services a predetermined first location for monitoring conditions at said first location and for reporting information regarding said conditions over said phone line back to a central station situated at a second location which is remote from said first location, said device comprising:

collecting means for collecting information at said site;

real time clock means for causing said telemetry device to dial inbound to said central station over said phone line to report said information to said central station at predetermined times;

ring detecting means, coupled to said phone line, for detecting ring bursts on said telephone line at said first location;

counting means, coupled to said ring detecting means, for counting the number of ring bursts occurring when said telephone line is rung

first determining means, coupled to said counting means, for determining when the number of ring bursts counted by said counting means exceeds a predetermined plurality of ring bursts which occur during a typical give-up time;

second determining means for determining when the ring bursts on said telephone line have ceased;

dial-in means, coupled to said first determining means and said second determining means, for dialing inbound to said central station over said telephone line when said first determining means determines that the number of ring bursts counted by said counting means exceeds said predetermined plurality of ring bursts which occur during a typical give-up time, said dial-in means being activated to dial into said central station a predetermined amount of time after the ring bursts on said telephone line have ceased as determined by said second determining means, and

transmitting means, coupled to said dial-in means, for sending said information to said central station over said phone line after such dialing.

6. The inbound telemetry device of claim 5 further comprising resetting means, coupled to said counting means, for resetting said counting means to 0 when said information is sent on said telephone line.

7. The inbound telemetry device of claim 5 wherein said predetermined plurality of ring bursts which occur during a typical give-up time is about six rings.

8. The inbound telemetry device of claim 5 wherein said typical give-up time is approximately 36 seconds.