Automatic arrangement, mobile terminal connected therewith, and method of transferring operational data of automatic apparatus

• US 7,076,328 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2002
• Issued: 07/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Piikivi, Lauri
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Simon
• Application Number:
  US10/303,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20030104802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.03, 455/41.2, 455/66.1, 455/414.1, 455/412.1, 455/422.1, 455/344, 455/405, 455418-420, 455557-558, 455/550.1, 455/554.2, 455/556.1, 700/231, 700/241, 700/236, 700/240, 700/244
• US Class Current: 700/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines

Abstract

The invention relates to a device arrangement and a method utilizing the device arrangement, by means of which it is possible to simplify the construction of various automatic apparatus (10) as regards equipment associated with the storage and transfer of various data produced by the automatic apparatus. In the device arrangement according to the invention, a wireless terminal (12) is connected with an automatic apparatus (10) and serves both as a communication means and as a local database device (13). From this local database (13) data relating to the automatic apparatus (10) are transferred from time to time to a service provider'"'"'s central database (16) by means of the wireless terminal (12).

Claims

1. A device arrangement for communicating data produced by an automatic apparatus/machine, which device arrangement comprises an automatic apparatus/machine, a wireless terminal of a cellular network, means for interconnecting the automatic apparatus/machine and the cellular terminal for exchanging messages between them, at least one central server connected with the cellular terminal via a cellular network, a control server connected with the central server and cellular terminal, in which device arrangement a memory of the cellular terminal is arranged so as to serve as a local database device for the automatic apparatus/machine, and means for transferring data stored in the memory from the local database via a data communication network to a central database, wherein the automatic apparatus/machine comprises means for transmitting and receiving instructions and messages in the AT command language, wherein the step for transferring data stored in the local database to the central database comprises an instruction in the AT command language sent by the automatic apparatus/machine to the cellular terminal in order to start said transfer of data, establishing a communication connection by means of the cellular terminal to the central database, transferring data stored in the memory of the cellular terminal to the central database, and a message in the AT command language sent after said transfer of data by the terminal to the automatic apparatus/machine, indicating that the data transfer was successful.

2. A device arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the means for interconnecting an automatic apparatus/machine and cellular terminal comprise an interface according to V.24 standard.

3. A device arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the control server comprises means for establishing a communication connection with the cellular terminal and means for controlling and changing the hardware configuration and operation of the cellular terminal.

4. A device arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the automatic apparatus is a vending machine.

5. A device arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the control server transfers software applications to the cellular terminal.

6. A cellular terminal connected with an automatic apparatus/machine, comprising an antenna, reception means, transmission means, a user interface, a memory and a control unit wherein the control unit is arranged so as to use the memory as a local database device for the automatic apparatus/machine connected with the cellular terminal, means for transferring data stored in the memory from the local database via a data communication network to a central database, wherein the step for initiating the data transfer from the cellular terminal to the central database is started when the control unit of the cellular terminal detects that free capacity of the memory serving as the local database has dropped below a predetermined limit.

7. A cellular terminal according to claim 6 which comprises means for transmitting and receiving instructions and messages in the AT command language to/from the automatic apparatus.

8. A cellular terminal according to claim 6, which comprises means for transmitting and receiving instructions and messages in a command language for modems.

9. A cellular terminal according to claim 6, wherein the control server transfers software applications to the cellular terminal.

10. A cellular terminal according to claim 6, wherein the automatic apparatus/machine is a vending machine.

11. A method for communicating data produced by an automatic apparatus/machine to a central database, which method comprises

a step for transferring the data produced by the automatic apparatus/machine to a cellular terminal,

a step for saving data produced by the automatic apparatus/machine to the memory of the cellular terminal serving as a local database,

a step for initiating data transfer from the cellular terminal to the central database when a control unit of the cellular terminal detects that free capacity of the memory serving as a database has dropped below a predetermined limit, and

a step for transferring said data from the database on the cellular terminal to said central database.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the step for transferring data to the cellular terminal comprises an instruction sent by the automatic apparatus/machine in the AT command language, to which the cellular terminal responds with a second message in the AT command language when said transfer of data has been completed.

13. A method according to claim 11 wherein the step for transferring data stored in the local database to the central database comprises

an instruction in the AT command language sent by the automatic apparatus/machine to the cellular terminal in order to start said transfer of data,

establishing a communication connection by means of the cellular terminal to the central database,

transferring data stored in the memory of the cellular terminal to the central database, and

a message in the AT command language sent after said transfer of data by the terminal to the automatic apparatus/machine, indicating that the data transfer was successful.

14. A method according to claim 11 wherein the step for initiating a data transfer from the cellular terminal to the central database is started upon reaching a certain time of the day.

15. A method according to claim 11 wherein the step for initiating a data transfer from the cellular terminal to the central database is started when a certain time has elapsed from the previous data transfer.

16. A method according to claim 11 wherein the step for transferring data to the cellular terminal comprises an instruction sent by the automatic apparatus/machine in a command language for modems, to which the cellular terminal responds with a second message in the command language for modems when said transfer of data has been completed.