Method and apparatus for remote monitoring
First Claim
1. A method of remotely monitoring an aspect of an object, comprising steps of:
- providing a remote intelligent communications device having;
memory for storing data,a control register that retains configuration data to configure an architecture of the remote intelligent communications device, anda plurality of radio frequency (RF) communication ports selectively enabled per configuration data of said control register, one of said ports comprising a cellular modem RF communications port, and another of said ports comprising a non-cellular RF communications port;
sending configuration data to said remote intelligent communications device by way of said non-cellular RF communications port;
storing said configuration data in said control register and enabling said cellular modem RF communications port;
storing data concerning an aspect of said object within said memory; and
retrieving by way of said cellular modem RF communications port, data of said aspect from said memory.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A remote intelligent communications device includes a primary RF communications port and an alternative modem communications port. The remote intelligent communications device receives configuration data for configuring the alternative modem communications port. The remote intelligent communications device obtains information data concerning a select attribute of an associated object. The information data is stored within internal memory of the remote intelligent communications device. Thereafter, the stored information data is retrieved, per one embodiment via the alternative modem port, from the remote intelligent communications device and analyzed for drawing conclusions regarding the select attribute of the associated object. Preferably, the remote intelligent communications device also includes a navigation (e.g. GPS) receiver that obtains navigation data, which navigation data is also stored within the internal memory of the remote intelligent communications device. By storing this navigation data together with the information data, once the stored data is retrieved from the remote intelligent communications device, the information data and navigation data can be analyzed for correlating the select attribute of the associated object with respective geographic position in accordance with the analyzed information and navigation data. In one exemplary application, the specific attribute is an open/close condition of a door of a cargo bay, monitored by an appropriate transducer disposed functionally proximate thereto.
293 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method of remotely monitoring an aspect of an object, comprising steps of:
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providing a remote intelligent communications device having; memory for storing data, a control register that retains configuration data to configure an architecture of the remote intelligent communications device, and a plurality of radio frequency (RF) communication ports selectively enabled per configuration data of said control register, one of said ports comprising a cellular modem RF communications port, and another of said ports comprising a non-cellular RF communications port; sending configuration data to said remote intelligent communications device by way of said non-cellular RF communications port; storing said configuration data in said control register and enabling said cellular modem RF communications port; storing data concerning an aspect of said object within said memory; and retrieving by way of said cellular modem RF communications port, data of said aspect from said memory. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A remote monitoring system comprising:
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a remote intelligent communications device having; memory for storing data, a non-cellular radio frequency or RF interface port, a cellular modem RF interface port, and a controller programmable to enable at least one of said non-cellular RF interface port and said cellular modem RF interface port, and send data of said memory externally by way of said at least one enabled port; and a monitoring station having; an RF channel configurable for enabling RF communication with said remote intelligent communications device via said non-cellular RF interface port, and a phone channel separate from said RF channel configurable for enabling communications with said remote intelligent communications device via said cellular modem RF interface port. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A remote intelligent communications apparatus, comprising:
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a Radio Frequency (RF) communications port; a demodulator coupled to receive and demodulate an RF input signal of the RF communications port; a cellular modem port separate from said RF communications port; a controller selectively programmable to receive command data from at least one of said demodulator and said cellular modem port, and configure said remote intelligent communications device in accordance with the received command data; a monitoring port for receiving an electrical signal; a transducer providing an electrical signal coupled to said monitoring port; memory for storing data, said controller selectively programmable to obtain and transfer data of said electrical signal into said memory; a modulator selectively operable to modulate an RF signal directed away from said RF communications port; said controller selectively programmable to drive at least one of said modulator and said cellular modem port with data of said memory, and forward said data external said remote intelligent communications apparatus by way of respective said at least one port. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of remotely monitoring an attribute, comprising steps of:
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providing a remote intelligent communication device having; a non-cellular RF communication port, a cellular modem port, separate from said RF communication port, a controller selectively programmable to control operation of the remote intelligent communications device in accordance with command data, and memory for storing data; using a transducer to obtain an electrical signal representative of an attribute; sending command data by way of said non-cellular RF communications port and enableing the remote intelligent communication device to store data of said electrical signal in said memory; and retrieving from said remote intelligent communications device data of said memory by way of said cellular modem port. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A method of remotely monitoring a physical parameter comprising steps of:
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providing a remote intelligent communications device having; a non-cellular radio frequency or RF communications port, a cellular modem RF communications port separate from said non-cellular RF communications port, a controller that controls operation of the remote intelligent communications device in accordance with command data, and memory for storing data; coupling a transducer with the remote intelligent communications device; sending command data to the remote intelligent communications device by way of said cellular modem RF communications port and effecting storage of data of said transducer in said memory; and retrieving by way of said non-cellular RF communications port data from said memory. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. A remote monitoring apparatus comprising:
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a non-cellular radio frequency (RF) communications port; a demodulator coupled to receive and demodulate a RF input signal of the non-cellular RF communications port; memory for storing data; a cellular modem port separate from said non-cellular RF communications port; a transducer providing a measurement signal; and a navigation receiver that provides navigation data in accordance with its geographic placement; a controller configured to receive command data from the demodulator and programmable to control operation of the remote monitoring apparatus in accordance with received command data; wherein said controller is selectively programmable, per appropriate command data, to enable and store in said memory data representative of said measurement signal and navigation data obtained by said navigation receiver; and wherein said controller is further selectively programmable, per appropriate command data, to retrieve data from said memory and configure said cellular modem port to transmit the retrieved data. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method of remote monitoring comprising:
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providing a remote monitoring device having memory; receiving a signal from a transducer; receiving navigation data from a navigation receiver; storing within the memory, data of said signal and said navigation receiver; sending, by way of a cellular radio communication link, command data to the remote monitoring device to enable a non-cellular radio frequency (RF) communication port separate from said cellular radio communication link; and reading from said remote monitoring device data of the memory by way of said non-cellular RF communication port. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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30. A monitoring communication system to monitor a remote attribute, comprising:
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a remote intelligent communication device disposed at a first position, comprising; memory having information representative of said attribute, a non-cellular radio frequency or RF transceiver port, a cellular modem port separate from said non-cellular RF transceiver port, and a controller selectively programmable to configure at least one of said non-cellular RF transceiver port and said cellular modem port and transfer information in/out of said memory by way of said at least one; and a host station disposed at a second position remote said first position, comprising; a RF channel selectively configurable to establish communication with said remote intelligent communication device using said non-cellular RF transceiver port, and a phone channel separate from said RF channel, selectively configurable to establish communication with said remote intelligent communication device using said cellular modem port.
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Specification