E-mail system and interface for equipment monitoring and control
First Claim
1. An electronic mail system that uses a global network to communicate an equipment originated message from equipment via e-mail to a recipient and to communicate an equipment destined e-mail message to the equipment, thereby enabling bidirectional communication between the equipment and a remote recipient to allow maintenance to be performed remotely for the equipment, the system comprising:
- equipment located at an equipment site;
an e-mail link connecting the equipment site to the global network that is capable of sending at least one outgoing e-mail message to the recipient across the global network and that is capable of receiving at least one equipment destined e-mail message from the recipient across the global network; and
an e-mail interpreter, connected between the equipment and the e-mail link, for receiving at least one equipment originated message from the equipment and converting said at least one equipment originated message into said at least one outgoing e-mail message, and converting said at least one equipment destined e-mail message into at least one incoming equipment message and sending said at least one incoming equipment message to the equipment.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention is an interface device that is either integral or peripheral to equipment that requires monitoring and maintenance. The equipment may be a PBX or ACD, but may also include any type of equipment that requires monitoring and/or maintenance. The interface device converts the output from the equipment to e-mail messages that are sent to the technician at a remote location, and converts e-mail instructions from the technician that are received at the interface device to ASCII terminal keystrokes that the PBX receives and understands. The interface can broadcast multiple error messages to multiple recipients. The interface device allows multiple technicians simultaneous access to the equipment. The interface devices provides enhanced access security to the equipment.
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Citations
56 Claims
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1. An electronic mail system that uses a global network to communicate an equipment originated message from equipment via e-mail to a recipient and to communicate an equipment destined e-mail message to the equipment, thereby enabling bidirectional communication between the equipment and a remote recipient to allow maintenance to be performed remotely for the equipment, the system comprising:
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equipment located at an equipment site; an e-mail link connecting the equipment site to the global network that is capable of sending at least one outgoing e-mail message to the recipient across the global network and that is capable of receiving at least one equipment destined e-mail message from the recipient across the global network; and an e-mail interpreter, connected between the equipment and the e-mail link, for receiving at least one equipment originated message from the equipment and converting said at least one equipment originated message into said at least one outgoing e-mail message, and converting said at least one equipment destined e-mail message into at least one incoming equipment message and sending said at least one incoming equipment message to the equipment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An electronic mail interface for connecting equipment to an e-mail system that sends and receives messages between the equipment and a recipient, wherein such communication allows for maintenance to be performed remotely for the equipment, the interface comprising:
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a database having profile information about the recipient; means for interpreting an equipment originated message and converting the equipment originated message into an outgoing e-mail message; means for sending the outgoing e-mail message to the recipient in accordance with the profile information; means for receiving an incoming e-mail message from the recipient; and means for interpreting the incoming e-mail message and converting the incoming e-mail message into an incoming equipment message that is presented to the equipment. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A method of performing bidirectional communication between equipment and a remote technician to enable remote maintenance for the equipment, the method comprising:
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receiving at least one equipment originated message from the equipment; converting said at least one equipment originated message into at least one outgoing e-mail message; sending said at least one outgoing e-mail message across a global network to at least one technician; receiving at least one equipment destined e-mail message from said at least one technician across a global network; converting said at least one equipment destined e-mail message into at least one equipment command message; and sending said at least one equipment command message to the equipment. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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Specification