Software and protocol structure for an automated user notification system
First Claim
1. A method of providing status data regarding a user item, the method comprising the steps of:
- obtaining a first type of status data, a second type of status data and a third type of status data;
encoding the first type of status data in a first data field of a fixed-length data packet;
encoding the second type of status data and the third type of status data in a second data field of the fixed-length data packet; and
transmitting the data packet.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides an automated user notification system for monitoring user items and notifying a user when selected conditions occur. A first portion of the notification system comprises a network operations center (NOC). The NOC stores user information about one or more user items and is further coupled to a plurality of communication devices that can automatically contact a user. A second portion of the notification system comprises at least one detector. The detector monitors one or more user items and provides efficiently encoded information regarding selected conditions of the user items to the NOC via a communication link. After the information is received and decoded by the NOC, the NOC automatically matches the received information to information stored at the NOC to determine if a condition exists about which the user should be notified.
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Citations
58 Claims
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1. A method of providing status data regarding a user item, the method comprising the steps of:
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obtaining a first type of status data, a second type of status data and a third type of status data; encoding the first type of status data in a first data field of a fixed-length data packet; encoding the second type of status data and the third type of status data in a second data field of the fixed-length data packet; and
transmitting the data packet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of encoding alarm code data, speed data, direction data and location data regarding a user item and transmitting these data, the method comprising the steps of:
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encoding the location data in a location data field of a fixed-length data packet;
encoding the direction data in a direction data field of the fixed-length data packet;encoding the alarm code data and the speed data in a combined data field of the fixed-length data packet; and transmitting the data packet. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for automatically providing status data regarding a user item, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a downstream data packet sent by a user to a remote device, the downstream data packet comprising a downstream message code; decoding the downstream message code to determine requested status data; obtaining at least a portion of the requested status data, the portion comprising a plurality of data types; encoding the portion in an upstream data packet, the upstream data packet comprising a plurality of content fields including at least one content field which comprises a second plurality of data types; and transmitting the upstream data packet from the remote device to the user. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An apparatus for providing status data regarding a user item, the apparatus comprising:
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means for obtaining a first type of status data, a second type of status data and a third type of status data; means for encoding the first type of status data in a first data field of a fixed-length data packet and for encoding the second type of status data and the third type of status data in a second data field of the fixed-length data packet; and means for transmitting the data packet. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. An apparatus for encoding alarm code data, speed data, direction data and location data regarding a user item and transmitting these data, the apparatus comprising:
- means for encoding the location data in a location data field of a fixed-length data packet;
means for encoding the direction data in a direction data field of the fixed-length data packet, and for encoding the alarm code data and the speed data in a combined data field of the fixed-length data packet; and means for transmitting the data packet. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
- means for encoding the location data in a location data field of a fixed-length data packet;
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49. An apparatus for automatically providing status data regarding a user item, the apparatus comprising:
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means for receiving a downstream data packet sent by a user to a remote device, the downstream data packet comprising a downstream message code; means for decoding the downstream message code to determine requested status data; means for obtaining at least a portion of the requested status data, the portion comprising a plurality of data types;
means for encoding the portion in an upstream data packet, the upstream data packet comprising a plurality of content fields including at least one content field which comprises a second plurality of data types; andmeans for transmitting the upstream data packet from the remote device to the user. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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Specification