Expert system for monitoring, recording and controlling remote equipment that minimizes wireless telephone airtime

• US 7,228,129 B1
• Filed: 03/20/2002
• Issued: 06/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Logical Concepts, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Logical Concepts, Inc.
• Inventors: Ward, Thomas Owen, Hodges, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Duc M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thier; Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/102,335
• Time in Patent Office: 1,903 Days
• Field of Search: 455405-408, 455/423, 455424-425, 455/458, 455/522, 455/67.11, 455/67.13, 4551151-1154, 4552261-2264, 455/404.1, 455/404.2
• US Class Current: 455/423
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/42 Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/51 Remote controlling of devices based on replies, status thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/23 Indication means, e.g. displays, alarms, audible means

Abstract

A system for remote monitoring and control of remotely located equipment that minimizes wireless airtime includes an interface device coupled with the remote equipment. The interface device selectively communicates over a wireless network with a central server and/or a user device. Wireless communication with the interface device is field configurable by a user to be selectively triggered base on user specified operational conditions. Communication by the interface device may be with one of a first protocol and a second protocol based on user specified operating conditions to optimize wireless airtime. The first protocol includes a user configured data string to select information to be transmitted based on the user specified operating conditions. The second protocol includes a user configurable datafile selectively transmitted over a voice channel of the wireless network based on the user specified operating conditions. Messages communicated with the first and second protocol may be selectively utilized to generate an alert message to the user device based on a user configured message profile.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring and controlling remote equipment to minimize wireless airtime, the method comprising:

constructing a protocol to include a data string for use in an interface device, the selection, configuration, and definition of data to be included within the data string fully customizable by a user via a server computer in a user adjustable format to minimize wireless airtime;

downloading the constructed protocol to the interface device;

the interface device selectively triggering transmittal of an exception message with the protocol over a control channel of a wireless mobile telephone network as a function of user specified operational conditions;

the interface device selectively triggering transmittal of a datafile message over a voice channel of the wireless telephone network with another protocol as a function of the user specified operational conditions; and

selectively generating an alert message to a user device as a function of at least one of the exception message or the datafile message, or combinations thereof and consideration of a user configured message profile.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein constructing a protocol comprises the user via the server computer selectively configuring the data string with operational parameters of the remote equipment indicative of the operational conditions based on space available within a datapacket.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein constructing a protocol comprises the user via the server computer customizing the structure of the data string with a user configured customization template to selectively include operational parameters of the remote equipment indicative of the operational conditions.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively triggering transmittal of an exception message comprises the interface device applying user configured logic statements to operational conditions, wherein the logic statements are configured in the interface device by a user via the server computer to minimize wireless airtime and to generate with the interface device an exception message indicative of the operational conditions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively triggering transmittal of an exception message comprises generating the exception message with the interface device, and transmitting the exception message to a user device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively generating an alert message comprises selecting at least one user device to receive the alert message with the user configured message profile as a function of information included in at least one of the exception message or the datafile message or the combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively generating an alert message comprises including information from an external knowledge base in the alert message as a function of at least one of the exception message or the datafile message or the combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a response message from the user device in response to the alert message, the response message operable to control operation of remote equipment via the interface device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the exception message and the datafile message include data indicative of the operational condition of the remote equipment.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein constructing a protocol with a data string comprises the user defining via the server computer a data to be transmitted in the data string by selection of a location of the data in the datastring.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the user specified operational conditions and the user configured message profile are fully customizable by a user via the server computer.

12. A method of monitoring and controlling remote equipment to minimize wireless airtime, the method comprising:

configuring an interface device to interface with remote equipment and selectively communicate over a wireless network with one of a first protocol and a second protocol;

specifying in the interface device over a communication link a format of data to be included in a user customized data string included in the first protocol that comprises defining the data to be included in the user customized data string by definition of a bit location of the data in the user customized data string, wherein the data is indicative of at least one operational parameter of the remote equipment;

monitoring the at least one operational parameter of the remote equipment with the interface device;

the interface device transmitting a message with the first protocol in response to user specified operating conditions, the first protocol comprising the user customized data string indicative of the at least one operational parameter; and

the interface device transmitting a message over a wireless communication channel with the second protocol in response to user specified operating conditions, the message comprising operational data.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein configuring an interface device comprises specifying with user specified operating conditions when the first and second protocols are selectively utilized, wherein the user specified operating conditions are specified in the interface device over the communication link.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein configuring an interface device comprises constructing in the interface device over the communication link a user configured logic statement to selectively initiate generation of the user customized data string with the interface device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein configuring an interface device comprises configuring the interface device over the communication link to communicate with an intelligent device, the intelligent device enabled to communicate via the interface device with the first and second protocol over the wireless network.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the interface device transmitting a message with the first protocol comprises transmitting in response to operating conditions warranting immediate attention and the interface device transmitting a message over a wireless communication channel with the second protocol comprises accumulating operational data in a datafile prior to transmission.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the interface device transmitting a message with the first protocol comprises transmitting the first protocol with one of a control channel and a transport protocol in response to user specified operating conditions that are specified in the interface device by the user over the communication link.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the interface device transmitting a message with the first protocol and the interface device transmitting a message over a wireless communication channel with the second protocol comprise transmitting to one of a user device and a central server as a function of a user specified configuration, wherein the user specified configuration is configurable in the interface device over the communication interface based on application specific considerations.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein specifying in the interface device over a communication link a format of data comprises communicating with the interface device over the communication link with one of a server computer or a user device, or a combination thereof to configure the operational functionality of the interface device.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein specifying in the interface device over a communication link a format of data comprises the user having the capability to limit the data to be included in the data string to only that which is desired by the user.

26. The system of claim 12, wherein the remote communication module is operable to transmit the second protocol with a wireless communication channel.

21. A system for monitoring and controlling remote equipment, the system comprising:

a processor;

a local input/output module electrically coupled with the processor, the local input/output module operable to monitor operational parameters of the remote equipment; and

a remote communication module electrically coupled with the processor,

the remote communication module operable to wireless transmit messages with one of a first protocol and a second protocol as a function of at least one of user specified operational conditions and the operational parameters, the first protocol comprising a user customizable data string and the second protocol comprising operational data; and

wherein selection, configuration, and definition of data to be included in the user customizable datastring is configurable by a user via the remote communication module to specify a user adjustable format in the user customizable datastring of data representative of at least one of the operational parameters.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising a central server in communication with the remote communication module, the central server operable to receive and process the first and second protocols.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the central server is operable to selectively transmit an alert message to a user device as a function of a user configured message profile and data provided by at least one of the first and second protocol.

24. The system of claim 21, further comprising a user device in communication with the remote communication module, the user device operable to receive and process the first and second protocols.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the communication module is operable to transmit the first protocol with one of a wireless control channel and a wireless transport protocol.

27. The system of claim 21, further comprising a local communication module electrically coupled with the processor, wherein the user customizable data string is configurable by a user via the local communication module or the remote communication module.

28. The system of claim 21, further comprising a data storage module coupled with the processor, wherein the configured user customizable data string is storable in the data storage module by the user to be retrievable when the remote communication module is operable to wireless transmit messages with the first protocol.

29. The system of claim 21, wherein the user customizable data string is configurable by a user via the remote communication module to specify bit locations in the user customizable data string of data representative of at least one of the operational parameters.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein the user customizable data string is fully configurable by a user via the remote communication module to construct a customized multi-digit code that is useable in the data string to be representative of only user selected operational parameters.

31. A method of monitoring and controlling remote equipment to minimize wireless airtime, the method comprising:

configuring an interface device to interface with remote equipment and selectively communicate over a wireless network with one of a first protocol and a second protocol;

specifying in the interface device over a communication link a format of data to be included in a user customized data string included in the first protocol that comprises defining over the communication link a plurality of data strings and corresponding logic statements representative of conditions when each of the datastrings will be used by the interface device within the first protocol, wherein the data is indicative of at least one operational parameter of the remote equipment;

monitoring the at least one operational parameter of the remote equipment with the interface device;

the interface device transmitting a message with the first protocol in response to user specified operating conditions, the first protocol comprising the user customized data string indicative of the at least one operational parameter; and

the interface device transmitting a message over a wireless communication channel with the second protocol in response to user specified operating conditions, the message comprising operational data.

32. A method of monitoring and controlling remote equipment to minimize wireless airtime, the method comprising:

configuring an interface device to interface with remote equipment and selectively communicate over a wireless network with one of a first protocol and a second protocol;

specifying in the interface device over a communication link a format of data to be included in a user customized data string included in the first protocol that comprises configuring over the communication link the size of the data string to fit within a datapacket of a predetermined size, wherein the data is indicative of at least one operational parameter of the remote equipment;

monitoring the at least one operational parameter of the remote equipment with the interface device;

the interface device transmitting a message with the first protocol in response to user specified operating conditions, the first protocol comprising the user customized data string indicative of the at least one operational parameter; and

the interface device transmitting a message over a wireless communication channel with the second protocol in response to user specified operating conditions, the message comprising operational data.