Cellular communications device for communicating data via a cellular network control channel

• US 6,125,275 A
• Filed: 01/26/1998
• Issued: 09/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Numerex Corporation (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: BellSouth Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Comer, Edward Irby, Roach, Peter Owen Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GELIN, JEAN ALLAND
• Application Number:
  US09/013,558
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 455/426, 455/412, 455/432, 455/435, 455/410, 455/419, 455/466, 455/458, 379/106.1, 340/825.34, 340/825.44, 370/474, 370/913
• US Class Current: 455/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/12 Inter-network notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/022 One-way selective calling networks, e.g. wide area paging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A cellular communications device for communicating over a cellular network control channel of a cellular mobile radiotelephone (CMR) system. A transmitter can transmit a data message formatted to correspond to an identification signal transmitted by a cellular radiotelephone when that device identifies itself to the CMR system. The data message contains selected data and is transmitted via the reverse overhead control channel of the cellular network control channel. A receiver can receive command signals from a mobile switching center of the CMR system via a forward overhead control channel (FOCC) of the cellular network control channel. A controller controls operation conducted by the transmitter and the receiver.

Claims

1. In or for a cellular mobile radiotelephone (CMR) system having an array of cells for communicating with cellular mobile radiotelephones within coverage areas of said array of cells, a data message system for communicating selected data collected from a plurality of remote data sources, said data message system comprising:

data reporting systems, each operative for monitoring a corresponding one of said remote data sources to obtain said selected data and for transmitting a data message containing said selected data, each comprising a transmitter for transmitting said data message via a cellular network control channel of the CMR system and a receiver for receiving command signals via said cellular network control channel;

a mobile switching center (MSC) for receiving said data message via the cellular network control channel from each of said data reporting systems operating within said coverage areas of said array of cells and for transmitting said command signals to said data reporting systems via said cellular network control channel; and

a data collection system operative for collecting said selected data in response to receiving said data message from said MSC via a first communications link, said data message formatted as a call origination signal transmitted by one of the cellular mobile radiotelephones when said cellular mobile radiotelephone originates a cellular telephone call for communication via said CMR system.

2. In or for a cellular mobile radiotelephone (CMR) system having an array of cells for communicating with cellular radiotelephones, a data message system for communicating selected data collected from remote data sources, the data message system comprising:

data reporting systems, each operative for monitoring a corresponding one of the remote data sources to obtain the selected data and for transmitting a data message containing the selected data, the data message being formatted to correspond to an identification signal transmitted by one of the cellular radiotelephones when the cellular radiotelephone identifies itself to the CMR system;

a mobile switching center (MSC) for receiving the data message via a cellular network control channel from at least one of the data reporting systems operating within coverage areas of the array of cells; and

a data collection system for collecting the selected data in response to receiving the data message from the MSC via a first communications link,

each data reporting system comprising;

a monitor, connected to its corresponding remote data source, for monitoring the corresponding remote data source to obtain the selected data; and

a cellular communications device, connected to the monitor, comprising;

a cellular receiver operative to monitor the cellular network control channel to detect a stream of busy idle bits for a predetermined time period, each of the busy idle bits indicating whether a cellular source has initiated a cellular communication with the MSC via the cellular network control channel, and determines the level of communications for the control network control channel based upon the status of the busy idle bits;

a cellular transmitter operative to transmit the data message via the cellular network control channel to the MSC when the level of communications is below a certain minimum threshold; and

a controller, connected to the cellular receiver and to the cellular transmitter, for controlling the operations conducted by the cellular receiver and to the cellular transmitter.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the data collection system is operative to forward the data message to a data processing system via a second communications link, the data processing system being operative to process the selected data of the data message.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the data message comprises the selected data and a predetermined identifying characteristic which uniquely identifies a certain one of the data reporting systems that transmits the data message to the MSC.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the identification signal comprises data fields for a mobile telephone number and an electronic serial number (ESN), the predetermined identifying characteristic corresponding to at least a portion of the mobile telephone number and the selected data corresponding to at least a portion of the ESN.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller 74 outputs a data packet containing the selected data to the cellular transmitter if the level of communication on the cellular network control channels falls below a predetermined threshold, and the cellular transmitter, responsive to the data packet, transmits the data message.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the cellular receiver is further operative to receive command signals from the MSC via the cellular network control channel, each command signal comprising address data, and to output decoded command signals to the controller in response to the command signals having predetermined address data.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller, responsive to one of the decoded command signals, issues an instruction to initiate a data transmission, and the cellular transmitter, responsive to the instruction, is operative to transmit the data message to the MSC via the cellular network control channel in response to receiving one of the decoded command signals and when the level of communications on the cellular network control channel is below a certain minimum threshold.

9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the cellular communications device further comprises a clock that outputs a clock signal to the controller upon expiration of a time interval.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller, responsive to the clock signal, outputs an instruction to initiate a data transmission, and the cellular transmitter, responsive to the instruction, transmits a certain data message containing the selected data to the MSC via the cellular network control channel when the level of communications on the cellular network control channel is below a certain minimum threshold.

11. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the data message is formatted to correspond to a Call Origination signal transmitted by one of the cellular radiotelephones when the cellular radiotelephone identifies itself to the CMR system.

12. A data message system for use with a cellular mobile radiotelephone (CMR) system having an array of cells for communicating with cellular radiotelephones, the data message system, operative for communicating selected data collected from remote data sources, comprising (1) data reporting systems for monitoring remote data sources to obtain the selected data and for transmitting data messages containing the selected data, the data message being formatted to correspond to an identification signal transmitted by one of the cellular radiotelephones when the cellular radiotelephone identifies itself to the CMR system, (2) a mobile switching center (MSC) for receiving the data message via a cellular network control channel from at least one of the data reporting systems operating within coverage areas of the array of cells, and (3) a data collection system for collecting the selected data in response to receiving the data message from the MSC via a first communications link, each data reporting system comprising:

a monitor, connected to its corresponding remote data source, for monitoring the corresponding remote data source to obtain the selected data; and

a cellular communications device, connected to the monitor, comprising;

a transmitter for transmitting the data message containing the selected data via a reverse overhead control channel (RECC) of the cellular network control channel;

a receiver for receiving command signals from the MSC via a forward overhead control channel (FOCC) of the cellular network control channel;

a data receiver, connected to the monitor via a signal path, for accepting the selected data from the monitor, and

a controller, connected to the cellular transmitter, the cellular receiver and the data receiver, for controlling operations conducted by the cellular communications device.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the controller, responsive to selected data received by the data receiver, prepares a data packet containing the selected data and a predetermined identifying characteristic associated with the cellular transmitter, and the cellular transmitter, responsive to the data packet, transmits the data message via the RECC.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the monitor, responsive to completion of a data recording event, outputs a status signal via the signal path, and the controller, responsive to the data receiver receiving the status signal, instructs the cellular transmitter to transmit selected data via the RECC of the cellular network control channel.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the data message comprises the selected data and a predetermined identifying characteristic which uniquely identifies a certain one of the data reporting systems that transmits the data message to the MSC.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the identification signal comprises data fields for a mobile telephone number and an electronic serial number (ESN), the predetermined identifying characteristic corresponding to at least a portion of the mobile telephone number and the selected data corresponding to at least a portion of the ESN.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the cellular receiver is operative to monitor the cellular network control channel to detect a stream of busy idle bits for a predetermined time period, each of the busy idle bits indicating whether a cellular source has initiated a cellular communication with the MSC via the cellular network control channel, and the controller, responsive to the detected bit stream, is operative to determine the level of communications for the control network control channel based upon the status of the busy idle bits.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the cellular transmitter transmits the data message to the MSC when the controller determines the level for the communications is below a certain minimum threshold.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the cellular communications device further comprises a clock that outputs a clock signal upon expiration of a time interval, and the controller, responsive to the clock signal, instructs the cellular transmitter to transmit a certain data message containing selected data to the MSC via the RECC of the cellular network control channel.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the time interval is set to a certain time in response to the cellular receiver receiving another one of the command signals from the MSC via the FOCC of the cellular network control channel.