Electronic message delivery system

• US 6,535,123 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2002
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Heat-Timer Corporation
• Inventors: Shprecher, Daniel, Sandelman, David
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US10/093,589
• Publication Number:
  US 20020097150A1
• Time in Patent Office: 375 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340/511, 340/539, 340/3.1, 340/825.36, 340/825.49, 700/17
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/49 ensuring correct operation, e.g. by trial operation or configuration checks
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/57 using telephone networks
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0769 Readable error formats, e.g. cross-platform generic formats, human understandable formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0784 Routing of error reports, e.g. with a specific transmission path or data flow
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/005 Alarm destination chosen according to a hierarchy of available destinations, e.g. if hospital does not answer send to police station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/007 Details of data content structure of message packets; data protocols
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/007 with remote control systems remote control in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

A system for routing messages electronically is provided. A sensor is in communication with a central computer server. The server is adapted to receive and preferably store information detected by the sensors from a variety of different data transports. When a sensor detects an exception condition , the server forwards at least one outgoing exception message to at least one predetermined user-defined communication device based on and in accordance with a user-defined message profile. The message profile is remotely configurable by the user.

Claims

1. A system for routing messages electronically, comprising:

at least one sensor detecting a state of at least one parameter; and

a computer server in remote communication with said sensor, said computer server having a user interface, a user being capable of remotely accessing said computer server via said user interface to remotely configure a user-defined message profile containing outgoing message routing instructions, said routing instructions being of a number of types of information,

wherein when said sensor detects a condition or an event, said server forwards at least one outgoing message to at least one predetermined user-defined remote communication device as specified in said user-defined message profile.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said sensor is connected to said computer server via at least one of a plurality of communication media, said media comprising at least one of a cellular telephone network, radio transmissions, telephone lines, and the Internet.

3. A system according to claim 1, said system having a plurality of sensors, each sensor having an identification code, said server further comprising:

a first memory on which equipment identification codes of all of said sensors are stored;

at least one second memory in which communication device identification codes of all of said remote user-defined communication devices are stored, said communication device identification codes being configured in a plurality of said user-defined message profiles.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein said user interface is in communication with said second memory so that users can access said memories which make up said user-defined message profile to thereby create or edit said user-defined message profiles remotely from said server.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein said user interface enables a user to configure a user-defined message profile to select at least one type of communication device to which outgoing messages are to be forwarded, select specific user-defined communication devices of the types selected, and determine the content of said outgoing messages forwarded by said server to said user-defined communication devices.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein said remote communication devices include at least one of a facsimile machine, an e-mail receiving device, a cellular telephone, a beeper, a pager, a PCS device, and a land line telephone.

7. A system according to claim 3, wherein said server periodically generates a normal status message to said user-defined communications devices if said sensor detects a normal status condition, said normal status message including an identification code of said respective sensor.

8. A system according to claim 7, said server further comprising:

a third memory for storing said normal status messages;

a comparator processor in communication with said first and third memories adapted to identify which of said sensors having an identification code stored in said first table did not detect a normal status condition within a predetermined period of time; and

a server message generator in communication with said comparator processor adapted to generate an outgoing message for each of said sensors identified by said comparator processor, said outgoing message being forwarded by said server to at least one of said user-defined communication devices specified by at least one of said user-defined message profiles.

9. A system according to claim 8, said computer server further comprising a fourth memory upon which outgoing messages are stored.

10. A system according to claim 3, wherein said first and second memories each comprise respective tables in a database.

11. A system according to claim 8, wherein said first, second, and third memories each comprise respective tables in a database.

12. A system according to claim 9, wherein said first, second, third, and fourth memories each comprise respective tables in a database.

13. A control system for routing messages electronically, comprising a computer server in remote communication with a source of information, said computer server having a user interface, a user being capable of remotely accessing said computer server via said user interface to remotely configure a user-defined message profile containing outgoing message routing instructions, said routing instructions being of a number of types of information,

wherein when an information source reports a predetermined condition, said server forwards at least one outgoing message to at least one predetermined user-defined remote communication device as specified in said user-defined message profile.

14. A control system according to claim 13, said server being connected a plurality of information sources each having a respective identification code, said server further comprising:

a first memory on which identification codes of all of the information sources are stored;

at least one second memory in which communication device identification codes of all of said remote user-defined communication devices are stored, said communication device identification codes being configured in a plurality of said user-defined message profiles.

15. A control system according to claim 14, wherein said user interface is in communication with said second memory so that users can access said memories which make up said user-defined message profile to thereby create or edit said user-defined message profiles remotely from said server.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein said user interface enables a user to configure a user-defined message profile to select at least one type of communication device to which outgoing messages are to be forwarded, select specific user-defined communication devices of the types selected, and determine the content of said outgoing messages forwarded by said server to said user-defined communication devices.

17. A system according to claim 13, wherein said remote communication devices include at least one of a facsimile machine, an e-mail receiving device, a cellular telephone, a beeper, a pager, a PCS device, and a land line telephone.

18. A system according to claim 14, wherein said server periodically generates a normal status message to said user-defined communications devices if an information source reports a normal status condition, said normal status message including an identification code of the respective information source.

19. A system according to claim 18, said server further comprising:

a third memory for storing said normal status messages;

a comparator processor in communication with said first and third memories adapted to identify which of the information sources having an identification code stored in said first table did not report a normal status condition within a predetermined period of time; and

a server message generator in communication with said comparator processor adapted to generate an outgoing message for each of the information sources identified by said comparator processor, said outgoing message being forwarded by said server to at least one of said user-defined communication devices specified by at least one of said user-defined message profiles.

20. A system according to claim 19, said computer server further comprising a fourth memory upon which outgoing messages are stored.