Remote limit-setting information distribution system
DCFirst Claim
1. A method for remotely setting limits on an information distribution system including a remote processing device for being connected to a host computer by a communications channel, said method comprising the steps of:
- entering selection and limit parameters at the remote processing device;
verifying the selection and limit parameters at the remote processing device prior to establishing said communications channel;
if the selection and limit parameters are verified at the remote processing device, establishing said communications channel and transferring said selection and limit parameters from the remote processing device to the host computer by the communications channel;
storing said selection and limit parameters in a memory of the host computer;
transmitting inbound information directly from at least one information source, through a communications link, to said host computer, said information source being outside said host computer and said processing device;
extracting, only in said host computer, extracted information from said inbound information in response to said selection and limit parameters, said extracted information including only those portions of inbound information which satisfy said selection and limit parameters; and
distributing a non-interactive paging message from the host computer to the remote processing device, said paging message including, of said inbound information transmitted to said host computer, only said extracted information.
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Abstract
A remotely-configurable information distribution system selectively filters inbound information in response to selection and limit parameters provided by a remotely-connected processing device. The selection and limit parameters are assembled as a data packet at the device and the packet is uploaded to the host computer over a limited-bandwidth, communications network. Remote software modules resident in the device facilitate both entry of the parameters by an authorized user and the subsequent transfer of those parameters to the host computer. A communications system of the host computer receives the data packet and transfers the packet to a host-based "filtering" software subsystem, where selected portions of the inbound information are extracted in response to the parameters of the data packet. Upon completion of this latter process, the extracted information is transferred is to the remote processing device over the network in accordance with a non-interactive, asynchronous transfer protocol.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for remotely setting limits on an information distribution system including a remote processing device for being connected to a host computer by a communications channel, said method comprising the steps of:
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entering selection and limit parameters at the remote processing device; verifying the selection and limit parameters at the remote processing device prior to establishing said communications channel; if the selection and limit parameters are verified at the remote processing device, establishing said communications channel and transferring said selection and limit parameters from the remote processing device to the host computer by the communications channel; storing said selection and limit parameters in a memory of the host computer; transmitting inbound information directly from at least one information source, through a communications link, to said host computer, said information source being outside said host computer and said processing device; extracting, only in said host computer, extracted information from said inbound information in response to said selection and limit parameters, said extracted information including only those portions of inbound information which satisfy said selection and limit parameters; and distributing a non-interactive paging message from the host computer to the remote processing device, said paging message including, of said inbound information transmitted to said host computer, only said extracted information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. Apparatus for remotely setting limits on an information distribution system including a host computer for being connected to a remote processing device by a communications network, said apparatus comprising:
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means for entering selection and limit parameters at the remote processing device; means for verifying the selection and limit parameters at the remote processing device prior to establishing a connection to said host computer via said network; means for establishing said connection and transferring via said communications network said selection and limit parameters from the remote processing device to the host computer if the selection and limit parameters are verified at the remote processing device; means, coupled to said transferring means, for storing said selection and limit parameters in a memory of the host computer; means for transmitting inbound information directly from at least one information source, via a communications link, to said host computer, said information source being outside said host computer and said processing device; means, located only in said host computer and coupled to said storing means and said transmitting means, for extracting selected portions of said inbound information in response to said selection and limit parameters, said selected portions including only those portions of said inbound information which satisfy said selection and limit parameters; and means, coupled to said extracting means, for distributing a non-interactive paging message from the host computer to the remote processing device, said paging message including, of said inbound information transmitted to said host computer, only said selected portions of said inbound information. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. A remote processing device which is for providing selection and limit parameters to a host computer over an RF communications link, and is for receiving from the host computer information satisfying selected parameters which exceed the limits transmitted to the host computer, the remote processing device comprising:
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A. means for entering selection parameters, and for entering limit parameters indicative of threshold amounts for said selection parameters; B. a transmitter, responsive to said selection and limit parameters from said means for entering, for transmitting said selection and limit parameters to the host computer if the selection and limit parameters are verified by the remote processing device; and C. an RF receiver for receiving extracted portions of information from the host computer in response to transmitting said selection and limit parameters to the host computer, said extracted portions being extracted only by said host computer from source information transmitted from at least one information source directly to said host computer via wireless communication, said extracted portions including only those positions of said source information which satisfy said selection and limit parameters, said RF receiver receiving, of said source information, only said extracted portions from said host computer. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A method of providing selection and limit parameters to a host computer over a communications link, and receiving from the host computer information regarding selected parameters which exceed the limits transmitted to the host computer, the method comprising the steps of:
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A. remotely entering selection parameters indicative of information for the host computer to monitor; B. remotely entering limit parameters indicative of threshold amounts for said selection parameters; C. remotely entering a user identification code; D. transmitting from a remote location with a transmitter said selection and limit parameters and said user identification code to the host computer only if the selection and limit parameters are verified remotely from the host computer; and E. receiving, at said remote location, over a wireless communication link selected portions of information from the host computer in response to said selection and limit parameters, said selected portions of information being extracted solely by said host computer from source information transmitted to said host computer directly from at least one information source outside said host computer and said remote location via wireless communications, said remote location receiving, of said source information, only said selected portions from said host computer. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for remotely setting limits on an information distribution system including a remote processing device for being connected to a host computer by a communications channel, said method comprising the steps of:
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A. entering selection and limit parameters at the remote processing device and verifying the selection and limit parameters at the remote processing device prior to establishing said channel; B. transferring said selection and limit parameters from the remote processing device to the host computer via the communications channel, said channel being established only after said selection and limit parameters are verified by the remote processing device; C. receiving at said host computer directly from at least one information source external to said host computer and remote processing device, via a communication link, inbound information; D. extracting only at said host computer extracted information from said inbound information in response to said selection and limit parameters, said extracted information including only those portions of said inbound information which satisfy said selection and limit parameters; and E. transmitting a paging message from the host computer to the remote processing device, said paging message including, of said inbound information, only said extracted inbound information. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. Apparatus for remotely setting limits on an information distribution system including a host computer for being connected to a remote processing device by way of wireless communications, said apparatus comprising:
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A. means for entering selection and limit parameters at the remote processing device; B. means, responsive to said selection and limit parameters from said means for entering, for establishing the wireless communications and for transferring via said communications said selection and limit parameters from the remote processing device to the host computer only after verifying the selection and limit parameters at the remote processing device; C. means for receiving inbound information directly from at least one information source via said communications, said information source being external to said host computer and processing device, and said receiving means also being for receiving said selection and limit parameters at the host computer; D. means, located only at said host computer, for extracting only those portions of said inbound information that satisfy said selection and limit parameters; and E. means, coupled to said means for extracting, for transmitting a paging message from the host computer to the remote processing device, said paging message including, of said inbound information received by said host computer, only said extracted portions of said inbound information.
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Specification