Remote access systems

• US 6,073,174 A
• Filed: 03/21/1997
• Issued: 06/06/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Tricker, Dennis John, Ball, Robert Malcolm, Montgomerie, Alastair, Deslandes, Jeffrey Edward, Nolde, Keith Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark H.
• Application Number:
  US08/822,132
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/223, 709/224, 709/229, 709/238, 709/244, 340/825.54, 340/825.55, 340/870.02, 340/870.03, 379/102.07, 379/106.03, 379/106.07, 379/106.11
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/17 using an input/output type connection, e.g. channel, I/O port
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A management system provides a remote access service to units of equipment at distributed locations of a communications network. For instance, it can provide automatic meter reading over a PSTN for utility companies. The management system initiates calls over the network to selected units, usually pre-determined, in response to call requests, and can provide considerable functionality such as authentication and batch processing of the request. Conflict with ordinary traffic on the network can be avoided by monitoring for ordinary traffic calls and clearing down any existing conflicting remote access calls or blocking any requested potentially conflicting remote access calls. Uncompleted or blocked remote access calls are automatically re-scheduled by the management system.

Claims

1. A remote access management system for managing communication with distributed target equipment over a communications network, said system comprising:

means for receiving a request for an access operation to selected target equipment;

means for providing routing information for target equipment identified by said request, said routing information including, for each of at least some pieces of target equipment, a communication network line termination address and a port number of an interface means having a plurality of ports, each of said at least some pieces of target equipment being connected to the network via a port of an interface means and being thereby individually accessible by specifying a respective interface address and a respective port number in the routing information;

means for providing equipment-specific access requirements in dependence upon the type of the selected target equipment;

means for initiating an access operation to said target equipment, said means including means arranged to transmit control information, including said routing information and said equipment access requirements, to a communications network platform arranged to receive said control information and operate said access operation over a communications network;

means for receiving and storing data from said network platform in response to said access operation; and

,

means for forwarding to the originator of said request data indicative of said stored data.

2. A remote access management system according to claim 1, arranged to provide routing information for distributed target equipment connected to a public switched telephone network.

3. A remote access management system according to claim 1, wherein the control information determines whether the communication is substantially a read operation or substantially a write operation.

4. A remote access management system according to claim 1, comprising means for validating said request, said request including data identifying the originator of the request and said means including means to compare the identity of the request originator with a stored set of valid request originators.

5. A remote access management system according to claim 1, comprising validation means arranged to check whether the target equipment specified in the request is validly accessible by an originator.

6. A remote access management system according to claim 1, including a set of unique references stored in relation to the system, each of said references corresponding to a pre-determined list of one or more pieces of target equipment, wherein a valid request includes at least one reference matching one of the references of said stored list.

7. A remote access management system according to claim 1, comprising timed trigger means for triggering the initiating means to initiate calls to target equipment at pre-selected intervals or times.

8. A remote access management system according to claim 1, arranged to receive a request and initiate one or more calls determined by the request immediately.

9. A remote access management system according to claim 1, comprising up-datable database means containing information including network addresses of all potential target connections accessible over the communications network and the physical locations of said network connections.

10. A remote access system for communicating with distributed target equipment over a communications network, said system comprising a remote access management system as in claim 1 and a communications network platform comprising:

means to receive control information, including said target equipment routing information, from said remote access management system;

means to control access of said target equipment and to receive data, in response to said access, from said target equipment; and

means to return at least some of said received data to said remote access management system.

11. A remote access system for communicating with distributed target equipment over a communications network, said system comprising:

a remote access management system as in claim 1; and

a communications network platform comprising;

means to receive control information, including said target equipment routing information, from said remote access management system;

means to control access of said target equipment and to receive data, in response to said access, from said target equipment;

means to return at least some of said received data to said remote access management system; and

priority determining means for determining whether an access initiated by the initiating means takes precedence with respect to traffic on the network which is independent of the remote access system in the event of potential conflict in the network.

12. A remote access system according to claim 11, wherein the priority determining means, in use, determines that said traffic on the network takes precedence.

13. A remote access system according to claim 11, wherein the priority determining means, in use, determines that calls initiated by the initiating means take precedence.

14. A remote access system according to claim 1, comprising means to initiate a no-ring call, whereby for target equipment co-terminating a line of the communications network with other communications apparatus access to the target equipment in preference to said other communications apparatus is achieved using a no-ring call.

15. A remote access system according to claim 1, wherein no-ring calls are established using C7 signalling.

16. A remote access system according to claim 1, comprising means for billing request originators.

17. A remote access system according to claim 1, wherein the billing means is arranged to bill request originators on a per target equipment access basis.

18. A remote access system according to claim 1, comprising means for converting customer request information not readable by the means for receiving requests into readable customer request information.

21. A remote access management system according to claim 1 arranged such that remote access may be initiated by target equipment instead of, or as well as, by the customer.

27. A remote access management method as in claim 1 wherein the control information determines whether the communication is substantially a read operation or substantially a write operation.

28. A remote access management method as in claim 1 including validating said request including data identifying the originator of the request and comparing the identity of the request originator with a stored set of valid request originators.

29. A remote access management method as in claim 1 including checking whether the target equipment specified in the request is validly accessible by an originator.

30. A remote access management method as in claim 1 including a set of unique references stored in relation to the system, each of said references corresponding to a pre-determined list of one or more pieces of target equipment, wherein a valid request includes at least one reference matching one of the references of said stored list.

31. A remote access management method as in claim 1 including triggering the initiating step to initiate calls to target equipment at pre-selected intervals or times.

32. A remote access management method as in claim 1 which receives a request and initiates one or more calls determined by the request immediately.

33. A remote access management method as in claim 1 including an up-datable database containing information including network addresses of all potential target connections accessible over the communications network and the physical locations of said network connections.

19. A remote access management system for controlling communications between customers and distributed target equipment over a communications network, said system comprising:

means for managing communications with a customer;

means for managing communications with communications equipment in the communications network, whereby communications with target equipment can be managed;

means for storing data received from either the customer or the communications equipment; and

means for forwarding data representative to data stored by said means for storing to either said customer or said communications equipment.

20. A remote access management system according to claim 19, wherein the remote access management system is arranged to receive data from said communications equipment, store said data, and forward data representative of said stored data to a customer.

22. A remote access management system according to claim 19, arranged to receive information from target equipment, the target equipment having initiated a call to said system.

23. A remote access management system according to claim 22, wherein the target equipment comprises at least one vending machine.

24. A remote access management system according to claim 22, comprising means arranged to initiate a call to a party other than the customer and transfer information relating to the received information to the party.

25. A remote access management method for managing communication with distributed target equipment over a communications network, said method comprising:

receiving a request for an access operation to selected target equipment;

providing routing information for target equipment identified by said request, said routing information including, for each of at least some pieces of target equipment, a communication network line termination address and a port number of an interface means having a plurality of ports, each of said at least some pieces of target equipment being connected to the network via a port of an interface means and being thereby individually accessible by specifying a respective interface address and a respective port number in the routing information;

providing equipment-specific access requirements in dependence upon the type of the selected target equipment;

initiating an access operation to said target equipment by transmitting control information, including said routing information and said equipment access requirements, to a communications network platform arranged to receive said control information and operate said access operation over a communications network;

receiving and storing data from said network platform in response to said access operation; and

forwarding to the originator of said request data indicative of said stored data.

26. A remote access management method as in claim 25 which provides routing information for distributed target equipment connected to a public switched telephone network.

34. A remote access method for communicating with distributed target equipment over a communications network, said method comprising:

a remote access management method as in claim 25 and

a communications network platform which;

receives control information, including said target equipment routing information, from said remote access management method;

controls access of said target equipment and receives data, in response to said access, from said target equipment; and

returns at least some of said received data to said remote access management method.

35. A remote access method as in claim 34 further comprising:

determining whether an access initiated by the initiating step takes precedence with respect to traffic on the network which is independent of the remote access method in the event of potential conflict in the network.

36. A remote access method as in claim 35 wherein the priority determining step, in use, determines that said traffic on the network takes precedence.

37. A remote access method as in claim 35 wherein the priority determining step, in use, determines that calls initiated by the initiating step take precedence.

38. A remote access method as in claim 34 includes:

initiating a no-ring call, whereby for target equipment co-terminating a line of the communications network with other communications apparatus access to the target equipment in preference to said other communications apparatus is achieved using a no-ring call.

39. A remote access method as in claim 38 wherein no-ring calls are established using C7 signaling.

40. A remote access method as in claim 34 including the billing of request originators.

41. A remote access method as in claim 40 wherein the billing step is arranged to bill request originators on a per target equipment access basis.

42. A remote access method as in claim 34 including:

converting customer request information not readable by the receiving requests step into readable customer request information.

43. A remote access management method for controlling communications between customers and distributed target equipment over a communications network, said method comprising:

managing communications with a customer;

managing communications with communications equipment in the communications network, whereby communications with target equipment can be managed;

storing data received from either the customer or the communications equipment; and

forwarding data representative to data stored by said means for storing to either said customer or said communications equipment.

44. A remote access management method as in claim 43 wherein the remote access management method receives data from said communications equipment, stores said data, and forwards data representative of said stored data to a customer.

45. A remote access management method as in claim 43 wherein remote access may be initiated by target equipment instead of, or as well as, by the customer.

46. A remote access management method as in claim 43 arranged to receive information from target equipment, the target equipment having initiated an incoming call.

47. A remote access management method as in claim 46 wherein the target equipment comprises at least one vending machine.

48. A remote access management method as in claim 46 wherein a call is initiated to a party other than the customer and transfer information relating to the received information to the party.