Telemetry gateway

• US 7,680,505 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2007
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Numerex Corporation (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cellemetry, LLC (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Inventors: Simitses, William George, Criscolo, Michael J., Tarleton, Bryan Keith, Comer, Edward I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; CongVan
• Application Number:
  US11/811,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20080004057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432.2, 455/433, 455/435.1, 455/466, 455/403, 455/414.1, 370/436, 370/349, 370/310, 370/466, 370/465
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A service provider uses a telemetry gateway to communicate with radio communication devices using various incompatible short message service (SMS) protocols. A communication, from the service provider to a radio communication device, passes through the telemetry gateway. The telemetry gateway determines the communication protocol of the radio communication device and converts the communication from a common protocol to the radio communication device'"'"'s protocol. The telemetry gateway also determines and sends the converted communication over the appropriate communication path for receipt by the radio communication device. The telemetry gateway is also operable for providing registration information and receiving a communication from a radio communication device. The telemetry gateway can convert the received communication to a common protocol and transmit the converted communication to the service provider.

Claims

1. A method for communicating a message from a service provider to a radio communication device comprising the steps of:

receiving a route request associated with the message from a telemetry gateway;

retrieving route information associated with the message and, if the radio communication device is unknown,

transmitting a qualification request to the telemetry gateway,

receiving a qualification response from the telemetry gateway, and

creating a database entry for the radio communication device using the qualification response;

transmitting the route information to the telemetry gateway;

receiving a converted message from the telemetry gateway, the converted message generated by a conversion of the message at the telemetry gateway and having the radio communication device'"'"'s telecommunication protocol, thereby enabling data content of the message to be received by the radio communication device; and

transmitting the converted message to the radio communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting a confirmation to the telemetry gateway that the message has been delivered to the radio communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the service provider and the radio communication device subscribe to different carriers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the service provider is an email system, a voicemail system, or a Web-based messaging system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio communication device'"'"'s protocol is CDMA, TDMA, or GSM.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is converted and transmitted by the telemetry gateway without the completion of a store and forward process.

7. A telemetry gateway, coupled to a data source, having a software module stored in a memory storage device, the software module comprising computer-readable instructions which, when executed, implement the steps of:

receiving a message from the data source;

requesting routing information associated with the message;

if a visitor location resister entry exists for the telemetry gateway, receiving the routing information from a mobile switching center;

if a visitor location register entry does not exist for the telemetry gateway, receiving by a qualification request from the mobile switching center;

generating a converted message by converting from a common format that is readable by a radio communication device; and

as soon as the message is processed, transmitting the converted message from the telemetry gateway to a mobile switching center in support of transmission of the converted message by the mobile switching center to the radio communication device.

8. The telemetry gateway of claim 7, wherein the message is processed and transmitted by the telemetry gateway without the completion of a store and forward process.

9. The telemetry gateway of claim 7, wherein the specific format is chosen from one of at least three different wireless data formats.

10. The telemetry gateway of claim 7, wherein the specific format is chosen from one of CDMA, TDMA, and GSM.

11. The telemetry gateway of claim 7, further comprising computer executable instructions, when executed, implement the step of conforming the message according to a preference of the radio communication device.

12. The telemetry gateway of claim 7, wherein the data source is an email system, a voicemail system, or a web-based messaging system.

13. The telemetry gateway of claim 7, wherein the data source and radio communication device subscribe to different communication carriers.

14. The telemetry gateway of claim 7, further comprising computer readable instructions which, when executed, implement the step of sending a response to the data source acknowledging the receipt of the message.

15. A method for communicating a message between communication devices, comprising the steps of:

receiving at a telemetry gateway a message from one of the communication devices;

requesting by the telemetry gateway routing information associated with the message;

if a visitor location register entry exists for the telemetry gateway, receiving by the telemetry gateway routing information from the mobile switching center;

if a visitor location register entry does not exist for the telemetry gateway, receiving by the telemetry gateway a qualification request from the mobile switching center;

generating a converted message by converting at the telemetry gateway the message from a common format to a specific format that is readable by another one of the communication devices; and

as soon as the message is processed, transmitting the converted message from the telemetry gateway to a mobile switching center in support of transmission of the converted message by the mobile switching center to the other communication device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the message is processed and transmitted by the telemetry gateway without the completion of a store and forward process.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the specific format is chosen from one of at least three different wireless data formats.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the specific format is chosen from one of CDMA, TDMA, and GSM.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of conforming the message according to a preference of the other communication device.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the communication device operating as a data source is an email system, a voicemail system, or a web-based messaging system.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the communication device operating as a data source and the other communication device subscribe to different communication carriers.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of sending by the telemetry gateway a response to the communication device operating as a data source acknowledging the receipt of the message.