System and method for retrieval of data from remote sensors using multiple communication channels

• US 6,421,354 B1
• Filed: 08/18/1999
• Issued: 07/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Phoenix DataComm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Phoenix DataComm, Inc.
• Inventors: Godlewski, Ronald W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Kwang Bin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harper, Kevin C
• Application Number:
  US09/376,520
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 370/464, 370/465, 370/466, 370/474, 370/349, 340/870.01, 340/870.07, 340/500, 340/501, 340/3.1, 340/3.9, 340/870.04, 710/105, 455/403, 455/404, 455/418-420, 235/375, 702/1, 702/127, 702/188
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35381 Convert in real time input peripheral data to processor data, ouput data format
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks

Abstract

A system and method for providing data acquisition services for a customer from a sensor located in a remote location. A communicator co-located with at least one sensor monitors the sensor and reports data to a network operations center according to data monitoring instructions. The data is reported via a transport path, which can be cellular, satellite cellular, pager, or a public phone path. The network operations center reports data to the customer or to another designated recipient through a dissemination channel. The customer is able to provide revised data monitoring instructions to the network operations center via the dissemination channel. The network operations center forwards the revised data monitoring instruction to the communicator.

Claims

1. A data acquisition system, comprising:

a network operations center, said network operations center having a transport interface, a dissemination system, a message and command handler, and a message storage module, wherein said message and command handler is connected to said transport interface and to said dissemination system, wherein said message storage module is connected to said message and command handler, wherein said transport interface receives data from a transport system in one of a plurality of predetermined data formats, wherein said transport interface converts the data into a common format if the data is not already in the common format, and wherein said message and command handler receives the formatted data from said transport interface;

a communicator, said communicator comprising a processor, a sensor interface, and a transport interface, said sensor interface connected to said processor, said sensor interface connected to said processor, said transport interface connected to said sensor interface and said processor, wherein said sensor interface receives data from a sensor in accordance with a data monitoring instruction, said data in a first format, said sensor interface converts the data into a common format if the data is not already in the common format, and said transport interface receives the formatted data from said sensor interface and transmits the data to a transport system, wherein said data monitoring instruction identifies at least one monitoring parameter, said monitoring parameter selected from a group of monitoring parameters comprising a monitoring frequency, a reporting threshold, and a reporting frequency;

wherein the transport system comprises at least two communications paths chosen from a list of communications paths consisting of a cellular transmission path, a satellite cellular transmission path, a publicly switched telephone network, and a pager network;

wherein said dissemination system communicates revised data monitoring instructions from a data customer to said message and command handler, and said message and message handler transmits the revised data monitoring instructions to the communicator via the transport system;

wherein said dissemination system receives the formatted data from said message and command handler and transmits the formatted data to at least one customer in a prioritized list of customers; and

wherein the at least one customer is selected by progressively transmitting the formatted data to the customer with the highest priority on the prioritized list to whom the formatted data has not yet been transmitted until an acknowledgement is received by the network operations center that at least one customer on the prioritized list has received the formatted data.