Wireless data interface system for fixed point-to-point communications

• US 7,266,094 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2003
• Issued: 09/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Communications Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Kuriyan, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Boakye, Alexander O.
• Application Number:
  US10/652,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20050074056A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,463 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/349, 370/261, 370/252, 370/341, 370/338, 375/222, 375/223, 455/557, 455/403, 455/466, 379/93.01, 379/40, 380/24
• US Class Current: 370/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/0038 System on Chip
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0808 using carrier sensing, e.g. carrier sense multiple access [CSMA]

Abstract

A system for transmitting process control information from remote sites is disclosed. In one embodiment, data is collected by a remote monitoring device or devices and transmitted to a first Cellular Digital Packet (“CDPD”) modem via one or more RS232 interfaces. The applications program in the first CDPD modem transmits a signal to a second CDPD modem initiating communications. The applications program in the second CDPD modem returns a signal, indicating the status of the interface. Data transmission is initiated when the status of both serial data interfaces is established.

Claims

1. A method for providing wireless monitoring, the method comprising:

receiving a control signal specifying a value on a line from a monitoring device according to a physical layer signaling protocol to initiate communication with a computing device;

setting status of the line in response to the control signal;

changing the status of the line to establish communication with the computing device upon receiving acknowledgement from the computing device;

receiving data from a monitoring device according to the physical layer signaling protocol; and

transmitting the data to the computing device according to the physical layer signaling protocol over a wireless point-to-point link using a cellular protocol.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the cellular protocol includes a Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) protocol.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the physical layer signaling protocol includes RS-232, the monitoring device and the computing device being configured as Data Terminal Equipment (DTE).

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless link is transparent to an application that resides on the computing device and utilizes the physical layer signaling protocol.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring device in the receiving step includes at least one of a flow measurement device, a temperature measurement device, and a pressure measurement device.

6. An apparatus for providing wireless monitoring, comprising:

a first interface configured to receive a control signal specifying a value on a line from a monitoring device according to a physical layer signaling protocol to initiate communication with a computing device, wherein status of the line is set in response to the control signal, the status being changed to establish communication with the computing device upon receiving acknowledgement from the computing device; and

a second interface configured to transmit data from the monitoring device to a computing device according to the physical layer signaling protocol over a wireless point-to-point link using a cellular protocol, wherein the wireless link is transparent to an application that resides on the computing device and utilizes the physical layer signaling protocol.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the cellular protocol includes a Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) protocol.

8. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the physical layer signaling protocol includes RS-232, the monitoring device and the computing device being configured as Data Terminal Equipment (DTE).

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, the wireless link is transparent to an application that resides on the computing device and utilizes the physical layer signaling protocol.

10. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the monitoring device includes at least one of a flow measurement device, a temperature measurement device, and a pressure measurement device.

11. A method for providing wireless monitoring, the method comprising:

receiving a packet from a monitoring device to initiate communication with a computing device, the packet indicating a status of a first line;

changing the status of the first line;

receiving acknowledgement to establish the communication upon the computing device setting a second line;

receiving data from the monitoring device according to a physical layer signaling protocol over a wireless point-to-point link using a cellular protocol; and

transmitting the data to a computing device according to the physical layer signaling protocol.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the cellular protocol includes a Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) protocol.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein the physical layer signaling protocol includes RS-232, the monitoring device and the computing device being configured as Data Terminal Equipment (DTE).

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the wireless link is transparent to an application that resides on the computing device and utilizes the physical layer signaling protocol.

15. A method according to claim 11, wherein the monitoring device in the receiving step includes at least one of a flow measurement device, a temperature measurement device, and a pressure measurement device.

16. An apparatus for providing wireless monitoring, comprising:

a first interface configured to receive a control signal from a monitoring device to initiate communication with a computing device according to a physical layer signaling protocol over a wireless point-to-point link using a cellular protocol, the control signal indicating a status of a first line;

logic configured to change the status of the first line; and

a second interface configured to receive an acknowledgement to establish the communication with the computing device upon the computing device setting a second line.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the cellular protocol includes a Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) protocol.

18. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the physical layer signaling protocol includes RS-232, the monitoring device and the computing device being configured as Data Terminal Equipment (DTE).

19. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the wireless link is transparent to an application that resides on the computing device and utilizes the physical layer signaling protocol.

20. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the monitoring device includes at least one of a flow measurement device, a temperature measurement device, and a pressure measurement device.

21. A method for providing wireless monitoring, the method comprising:

generating data by an application based upon measurements, the application complying with a physical layer signaling protocol; and

transmitting the data according to the physical layer signaling protocol to a modem, wherein the cellular modem transmits the data to a computing device according to the physical layer signaling protocol over a wireless point-to-point link using a cellular protocol, wherein the wireless link is transparent to the application and to a receiving application that resides on the computing device and utilizes the physical layer signaling protocol.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein the cellular protocol includes a Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) protocol.

23. A method according to claim 21, wherein the physical layer signaling protocol includes RS-232, the computing device being configured as Data Terminal Equipment (DTE).

24. A method according to claim 23, further comprising:

sending a control signal specifying a value on a line to the modem to initiate communication with the computing device, wherein the modem sets status of the line to a first state and changes the status of the line to a second state upon receiving acknowledgement from the computing device.

25. A method according to claim 21, wherein the measurements in the generating step include at least one of flow measurements, temperature measurements, and pressure measurements.

26. An apparatus for providing wireless monitoring, comprising:

memory storing an application for generating data based upon measurements, the application complying with a physical layer signaling protocol; and

an interface configured to transmit the data according to the physical layer signaling protocol to a modem, wherein the cellular modem transmits the data to a computing device according to the physical layer signaling protocol over a wireless point-to-point link using a cellular protocol, wherein the wireless link is transparent to the application and to a receiving application that resides on the computing device and utilizes the physical layer signaling protocol.

27. An apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the cellular protocol includes a Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) protocol.

28. An apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the physical layer signaling protocol includes RS-232, the computing device being configured as Data Terminal Equipment (DTE).

29. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the interface sends a control signal specifying a value on a line to the modem to initiate communication with the computing device, wherein the modem sets status of the line to a first state and changes the status of the line to a second state upon receiving acknowledgement from the computing device.

30. An apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the measurements include at least one of flow measurements, temperature measurements, and pressure measurements.

31. A method for providing wireless monitoring, the method comprising:

receiving data generated according to a physical layer signaling protocol from a remote monitoring device via a local modem over a wireless point-to-point link using a cellular protocol, wherein the monitoring device utilizes the physical layer signaling protocol; and

processing the data according to an application that utilizes the physical layer signaling protocol, wherein the wireless link is transparent to the application;

receiving a packet from the monitoring device to initiate communication with the computing device, the packet indicating a status of a first line; and

setting a second line to acknowledge establishment of the communication with the monitoring device.

32. A method according to claim 31, wherein the cellular protocol includes a Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) protocol.

33. A method according to claim 31, wherein the physical layer signaling protocol includes RS-232, the monitoring device being configured as Data Terminal Equipment (DTE).

34. A method according to claim 31, wherein the monitoring device in the receiving step includes at least one of a flow measurement device, a temperature measurement device, and a pressure measurement device.

35. An apparatus for providing wireless monitoring, comprising:

an interface configured to receive data generated according to a physical layer signaling protocol from a remote monitoring device via a local modem over a wireless point-to-point link using a cellular protocol, wherein the monitoring device utilizes the physical layer signaling protocol; and

logic configured to process the data according to an application utilizes the physical layer signaling protocol, wherein the wireless link is transparent to the application.

wherein the interface receives a packet from the monitoring device to initiate communication with the computing device, the packet indicating a status of a first line, and a second line is set to acknowledge establishment of the communication with the monitoring device.

36. An apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the cellular protocol includes a Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) protocol.

37. An apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the physical layer signaling protocol includes RS-232, the monitoring device being configured as Data Terminal Equipment (DTE).

38. An apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the monitoring device includes at least one of a flow measurement device, a temperature measurement device, and a pressure measurement device.