System for detecting, tracking, and translating changing identification codes

• US 7,184,751 B1
• Filed: 04/07/2004
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Transtel Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Transtel Group Incorporated
• Inventors: Johnson, Mark E., Gerdes, Reiner J., Davis, Samuel D., Stearns, Fred
• Primary Examiner(s): GELIN, JEAN ALLAND
• Application Number:
  US10/820,498
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 455/403, 455/420, 455/422.1, 455/550.1, 455/426.1, 455/410, 455/411, 340/3.1, 340/5.2, 340/286.01, 340/531, 340/506, 340/533, 340/539, 340/825, 340/870.01, 340/825.22, 340/825.36, 340/825.69, 607/32, 607/27, 607/30, 128/903, 600/509, 700/231, 700/241, 700/236, 700/244, 379/106.03, 713/176, 709/223, 709/228, 705/63, 705/400, 705/401, 705/412, 705/17
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems, apparatus and methods for (1) detecting codes assigned to utility meters that have frequently changing codes and (2) translating codes between the central data acquisition system that contains a fixed identification code for each utility meter and utility meters that have frequently changing identification codes.

Claims

1. A telemetry digital communication system comprising:

at least one remote data collection device;

a central data acquisition system;

at least one remote telemetry device coupled to at least one remote data collection device, the remote telemetry device being configured for transmitting and receiving digital data between the remote data collection device and the central data acquisition system, wherein the remote telemetry device is assigned a second identification code which can be changed; and

wherein the central data acquisition system that is assigned a first identification code, the first identification code being associated with the remote data collection device for the central data acquisition system to identify and communicate with the remote data collection device; and

an access translation device coupled to the central data acquisition system, wherein the access translation device receives the first identification code assigned to the central data acquisition system and the second identification code assigned to the remote telemetry device, the access translation device being configured for translating one of (i) the first identification code into the second identification code and (ii) the second identification code into the first identification code, that enables the access translation device to facilitate communication between the remote data collection device and the central data acquisition system even when the second identification code of the remote telemetry device has changed.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the access translation device is further configured for tracking a new second identification code received from the remote telemetry device that enables the access translation device to facilitate communication between the central data acquisition system and the remote data collection device.

3. The system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a service provider that is configured for assigning the second identification code to the remote telemetry device, the remote telemetry device being configured for sending the second identification code to the access translation device, which can track the frequently changing second identification codes sent to the remote telemetry device by the service provider.

4. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second identification codes are each of one of an ID number, phone number, and Internet Protocol (IP) address.

5. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first identification code is fixed in the central data acquisition system and is not changed even when the remote telemetry device is assigned with a new second identification code.

6. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the remote telemetry device is configured for sending a user datagram protocol and Internet protocol (UDP/IP) datagram to the access translation device, the UDP/IP datagram containing the second identification codes, the second identification code including a fixed mobile identification number (MIN/MISDN) and a dynamic IP address, the access translation device being configured for using the UDP/IP datagram to facilitate tracking the frequently changing dynamic IP address in the second identification code.

7. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the remote telemetry device periodically transmits its current second identification code to the access translation device to update the access translation device.

8. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the access translation device includes a look-up table that associates the first identification code assigned to the central data acquisition system to the second identification code assigned to the remote telemetry device.

9. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the system is configured for operating as a cellular packet data service, a short messaging service (SMS), and point-to-point messaging service (SMP-P), the cellular packet data service is one of 1XRTT/CDMA, CDMA2000, EDGE/GSM and GPRS/GSM.

10. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the access translation device comprises:

at least one port, the port being configured for receiving and transmitting identification codes of the central data acquisition system and the remote telemetry device; and

a processing device being configured for tracking changes in the second identification code assigned to the remote telemetry device and translating the first identification code into the second identification code assigned to the remote telemetry device.

11. The system as defined in claim 10, wherein the port is one of at least one serial port and at least one Ethernet port, the serial port being configured for of receiving and transmitting identification codes of the central data acquisition system and the remote telemetry device via a serial port or serial port with AT modem protocol, and the Ethernet port being configured for receiving and transmitting identification codes of the central data acquisition system and the remote telemetry device via a cellular network.

12. The system as defined in claim 3, further comprising a cellular carrier network facility and mobile switching center (MSC).

13. The system as defined in claim 12, wherein the cellular carrier network facility and mobile switching center further comprises a cellular carrier e-mail gateway and short message switching center.

14. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the access translation device includes a translation identification code, and the remote telemetry device is programmed with the translation identification code to facilitate communication with the access translation device.

15. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein the translation identification code includes a global fixed IP address.

16. The system as defined in claim 15, further comprising a local area network (LAN) that includes a LAN identification code, the LAN identification code being linked to the translation device identification code, the remote telemetry device being programmed with the LAN identification code to facilitate communication with the access translation device.

17. The system as defined in claim 16, wherein the LAN identification code includes a LAN IP address and assigned port numbers.

18. An access translation device comprising:

at least one port, the port being configured for receiving a first identification code from a central data acquisition system and a second identification code from a remote telemetry device; and

a processing device being configured for translating one of (i) the first identification code into the second identification code and (ii) the second identification code into the first identification code that enables the access translation device to facilitate communication between the central data acquisition system that contains the first identification code and a remote data collection device that is coupled to the remote telemetry device that can have changing second identification codes.

19. The device as defined in claim 18, wherein the processing device is configured for tracking the second identification code that the remote telemetry device sends to the access translation device.

20. The device as defined in claim 18, wherein the first identification code is fixed in the central data acquisition system and does not change even when the second identification code of the remote telemetry device changes.

21. The device as defined in claim 18, wherein the first and second identification codes are one of an identification number (ID), phone number, and Internet protocol (IP) address.

22. The device as defined in claim 18, wherein the port is one of at least one serial port and at least one Ethernet port, the serial port being configured for receiving and transmitting identification codes of the central data acquisition system and the remote telemetry device via modem protocol, and the Ethernet port being configured for receiving and transmitting identification codes of the central data acquisition system and the remote data collection device via a cellular network.

23. The device as defined in claim 22, wherein the Ethernet port is configured for receiving a user datagram protocol and Internet protocol (UDP/IP) datagram, the UDP/IP datagram containing the second identification codes, the second identification code includes a mobile identification number and a dynamic IP address, the access translation device being configured for using the UDP/IP datagram to facilitate tracking a changing second identification code.

24. The device as defined in claim 18, further comprising a look-up table that associates the first identification code assigned to the central data acquisition system to the second identification code assigned the remote telemetry device.

25. The device as defined in claim 18, wherein the device is configured for operating as a cellular packet data service, short messaging service (SMS), and a point-to-point messaging service (SMP-P), wherein the cellular packet data service is one of 1XRTT/CDMA, EDGE/GSM and GPRS/GSM.

26. The device as defined in claim 18, wherein the access translation device includes a translation device identification code, the remote telemetry device being programmed with the translation identification code to facilitate communication with the access translation device.

27. The device as defined in claim 26, wherein the translation identification code includes a global fixed IP address.

28. The device as defined in claim 26, wherein the translation identification code is linked to a LAN identification code of a local area network (LAN) to facilitate communication between the remote data collection device and the access translation device.

29. The device as defined in claim 28, wherein the LAN identification code includes a global LAN IP address and assigned port numbers.

30. A method for facilitating communication via an access translation device between a central data acquisition system that is assigned a first identification code and a remote telemetry device that is assigned a second identification code, the method comprising the steps of:

the access translation device receiving the first identification code from the central data acquisition system;

the access translation device receiving the second identification code from the remote telemetry device;

associating the first identification code with the second identification code; and

the access translation device translating one of (i) the first identification code into the second identification code and (ii) the second identification code into the first identification code that enables communication between the central data acquisition system and a remote data collection device despite the fact the central data acquisition system and remote telemetry device have two different identification codes.

31. The method as defined in claim 30, wherein receiving the first identification code for the central data acquisition system further comprises the use of one of a modem protocol and a LAN network.

32. The method as defined in claim 30, wherein receiving the second identification code from the remote data collection device further comprising the use of one of a LAN network, cellular network, and Internet.

33. The method as defined in claim 30, wherein receiving the first identification code and receiving the second identification code comprising receiving one of an ID number, phone number, and IP address for each code.

34. The method as defined in claim 30, further comprising tracking a new second identification code assigned to the remote telemetry device, the remote telemetry device sending the new second identification code to the access translation device, wherein the tracking of the new second identification code enables the access translation device to translate one of (i) the first identification code into the new second identification code and (ii) the second identification code into the new first identification code, such that the central data acquisition system can communicate with the remote data collection device despite the fact that the remote telemetry device has a new second identification code.

35. The method as defined in claim 30, wherein receiving the second identification code from the remote telemetry device further comprising receiving a user datagram protocol and internet protocol (UDP/IP) datagram in which the UDP/IP datagram contains the second identification code to facilitate tracking a frequently changing second identification code of the remote telemetry device.

36. The method as defined in claim 30, wherein associating the first identification code is accomplished with the second identification code in a look-up table.

37. A remote telemetry device comprising:

a transceiver that receives a first assigned identification code and a second assigned identification code, the first assigned identification code being configured for being changed to the second assigned identification code;

a processing device coupled to the transceiver, the processing device being configured for detecting the second assigned identification code, wherein said transceiver transmits the assigned identification code via a cellular network; and

a memory that stores one of the assigned identification code, a translation device identification code, and a LAN identification code, the assigned identification code enabling the remote telemetry device to be identified and to establish communication with an access translation device, the translation identification code or the LAN identification code enabling the remote telemetry device to identify the access translation device and to establish communication with the access translation device.

38. A remote telemetry device comprising:

a transceiver that receives a first assigned identification code and a second assigned identification code, the first assigned identification code being configured for being changed to the second assigned identification code; and

a processing device coupled to the transceiver, the processing device being configured for detecting the second assigned identification code, wherein said transceiver transmits the second assigned identification code via a cellular network wherein the transceiver transmits one of the translation identification code, the LAN identification code and the assigned identification code, wherein the translation identification code or the LAN identification code can be used to identify the access translation device to establish communication with the remote telemetry device, wherein the assigned identification code can be used to identify the remote telemetry device to establish communication with the access translation device.