Autonomous mobile electronic mail system

• US 8,130,697 B1
• Filed: 02/03/2004
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GenX Mobile Incorporated (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: GenX Mobile Incorporated (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Inventors: Fan, Rodric C., Mleczko, Edward David, Taylor, Sean Dominic
• Primary Examiner(s): Yun, Eugene
• Application Number:
  US10/771,605
• Time in Patent Office: 2,954 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/357.09, 370/357.1, 370/338, 370/357, 370/253, 370/349, 370/389, 370/471, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/412.1, 455/414.2, 455/466, 455/412.2
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

The invention is a system, a device, and a method that allows remote mobile unit monitoring. The communication system of the invention includes a plurality of mobile units monitored by a stationary unit. Each of the mobile units has a processor, a memory, and a wireless modem for automatically generating a status report and transmitting the status report in an e-mail format without user intervention. The processor of the mobile unit determines when and whether to send a status report by determining if a predefined condition is fulfilled. The stationary unit, which is primarily a user interface unit, parses the status report in the received e-mail and presents the report to the user. Most of the processing and storage capabilities of the system reside in the individual mobile units.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a user interface unit that is configured to generate a configuration command for controlling a mobile unit and transmit the configuration command in an electronic mail,

wherein the mobile unit is configured to remotely receive the electronic mail, extract the configuration command from the electronic mail, collect data about physical status of the mobile unit in accordance with the command, automatically generate a report according to the command using the data about the physical status, format the report according to an electronic mail protocol, and transmit the report to the user interface unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the report is transmitted from the mobile unit to the user interface unit according to one of SMTP, POP, IMAP, MIME, RFC-822, and Instant Messaging (IM) protocols.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile unit further comprises a detection component coupled to the processor, wherein the detection component comprises a sensor for measuring a physical parameter.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile unit further comprises a means for determining a position of the mobile unit.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile unit further comprises a receiver for receiving positioning data from satellites, allowing the processor to use the positioning data for determining a position of the mobile unit.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory stores the report for a predefined length of time after the report is transmitted to the user interface unit.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of mobile units including the mobile unit, wherein the user interface unit is connected to a backend processing unit for combining reports generated by the plurality of mobile units.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface unit comprises an input device for receiving information from a user and an output device for presenting information to a user.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the report format is changeable through the user interface unit.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile unit reconfigures the report according to the configuration command received from the user interface unit.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising a database for manually entered peripheral data, wherein the peripheral data is used for compliance with the report format.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the peripheral data comprise at least one of landmarks, maps, speed limits, and traffic light locations for the mobile unit to use as a positional reference in the report, wherein the positional reference indicates a position of the mobile unit.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the mobile unit adds landmarks to the database for use in the report.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface unit transmits one or more landmarks to the mobile unit for use as a positional reference in the report.

15. A mobile communication device comprising:

a detection component for measuring a physical status;

a processor connected to the detection component, wherein the processor is configured to remotely receive an electronic mail, extract a configuration command from the electronic mail, generate a report according to the configuration command and incorporate the physical status into the report; and

a wireless modem connected to the processor, wherein the wireless modem is configured to transmit the report according to predetermined electronic mail protocol once the physical status fulfills a condition.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the predetermined electronic mail protocol is one of SMTP, POP, IMAP, MIME, RFC-822, and Instant Messaging (IM) protocols.

17. The device of claim 15 further comprising a receiver for receiving positioning information, wherein the processor uses the positioning information to determine a location of the mobile communication device.

18. The device of claim 17 further comprising a database for storing maps, traffic light locations, and landmarks for use as a positional reference in the location of the mobile communication device.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the condition is one of:

a passage of predetermined amount of time since a previous transmission;

a predefined relationship between the physical parameter and a reference value;

a minimum distance traveled since a previous transmission; and

a command from an external source to transmit the report.

20. A method of communication comprising:

obtaining data about physical status of a mobile unit;

remotely receiving an electronic mail and extracting a configuration command for configuring a report from the electronic mail;

automatically preparing, via the mobile unit, the report in accordance with the configuration command, wherein the report incorporates the data; and

transmitting the report using one of SMTP, POP, IMAP, MIME, RFC-822, and Instant Messaging (IM) protocols if the data satisfies a predefined condition, without receiving an external command to transmit.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising determining whether the data fulfills a predefined condition by comparing the data against a reference value.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the data is at least one of position information, calculated information, physical parameters, and environmental parameters.

23. The method of claim 20 further comprising time-stamping the report.

24. The method of claim 20 further comprising storing the report for a predetermined period of time.

25. The method of claim 20 further comprising counting a length of distance traveled or time passed since a previous transmission to determine if the data satisfies the predefined condition.

26. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

comparing the data against an emergency condition; and

transmitting an alert signal if the data satisfies the emergency condition.

27. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

receiving an enabling command for adding new data to a database; and

adding new data to the database before receiving a disabling command for disabling addition of new data to the database.

28. The method of claim 20 further comprising preparing the report in a human-readable format such that no format conversion is necessary before the report is presented to a viewer.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the human-readable format is one of HTML and text format.

30. The method of claim 20 further comprising preparing the report in a standard application format.

31. The method of claim 20 further comprising encrypting the report prior to transmission.

32. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

receiving a message in one of SMTP, POP, IMAP, MIME, RFC-822, and Instant Messaging (IM) protocols; and

authenticating the received message.

33. A mobile device for communication via a wireless network, comprising:

means for obtaining physical data and positioning data;

means for remotely receiving an electronic mail and extracting a configuration command from the electronic mail;

means for preparing a report using the physical data and the positioning data, wherein the report includes data requested in the configuration command; and

means for transmitting the report in an electronic mail format without receiving an external command to transmit.

34. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for communicating via a wireless network wherein the instructions, upon execution, perform a process that comprises:

obtaining physical data and positioning data;

remotely receiving an electronic mail and extracting a configuration command from the electronic mail;

preparing a report using the physical data and the positioning data, wherein the report includes data requested in the configuration command; and

transmitting the report in an electronic mail format without receiving an external command.