Digital upgrade system and method

• US 8,868,059 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2013
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Numerex Corporation (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Numerex Corporation (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Inventors: Emory, Tom
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THANH C
• Application Number:
  US13/911,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20130267217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/419, 455/420, 455/426.1, 455/466, 455/550.1, 455/575.1
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/28 the receiver comprising at least one semiconductor device having three or more electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Digital upgrade system and method for translating analog commands and digital commands in wireless customer services premises equipment (CPE). The digital upgrade system receives a command from a CPE Host and translates the command from analog to digital in order to broadcast it over a wireless digital network to be received by a client. Alternatively, the digital upgrade system receives a digital command from a digital network and translates it to an analog command to be received by a functionality module of a wireless CPE Host.

Claims

1. A method comprising

upgrading a customer premise equipment wireless data product from analog service to digital service by deploying within the customer premise equipment wireless data product a system that translates digital commands formatted for transmission over a digital radio network into analog commands of the analog service,

wherein the system is configured to fit within a pre-existing form factor of the customer premise equipment wireless data product.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the system further translates other analog commands of the analog service into other digital commands formatted for transmission over the digital radio network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein deploying the system comprises replacing a module of the product with the system, the module comprising an analog radio transceiver.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the digital commands from the digital radio network;

with the deployed system, translating the received digital commands into the analog commands of the analog service; and

transmitting the analog commands via the analog service.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving other analog commands via the analog service;

with the deployed system, translating the received other analog commands into other digital commands; and

transmitting the other digital commands over the digital radio network.

6. A method comprising

upgrading a customer premise equipment wireless data product from analog service to digital service by deploying within the customer premise equipment wireless data product a system that translates analog commands of the analog service into digital commands formatted for transmission over a digital radio network,

wherein the system is configured to fit within a pre-existing form factor of the customer premise equipment wireless data product.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the system further translates other digital commands into other analog commands of the analog service, wherein the other digital commands transmit over the digital radio network.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein deploying the system comprises replacing a module of the product with the system, the module comprising an analog radio transceiver.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving other digital commands transmitted over the digital radio network;

using the deployed system, translating the received other digital commands into other analog commands formatted in accordance with the analog service; and

outputting the other analog commands via the analog service.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving the analog commands via the analog service; and

transmitting the digital commands over the digital radio network.

11. A method comprising

upgrading a wireless data device from analog service to digital service by deploying within the wireless data device a system that translates digital commands formatted for digital service into analog commands formatted for analog service, wherein the system is configured to fit within a pre-existing form factor of the wireless data device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the system further translates other analog commands formatted for the analog service into other digital commands formatted for the digital service.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein deploying the system comprises replacing a module of the wireless data device with the system, the module comprising an analog radio transceiver.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the wireless data device comprises a customer premise equipment wireless data product.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving other analog commands provided via the analog service;

with the deployed system, translating the received other analog commands into other digital commands formatted for the digital service; and

transmitting the other digital commands over a digital radio network.

16. A method comprising

upgrading an analog wireless data device for digital service by incorporating a protocol translator into the analog wireless data device while maintaining a pre-upgrade form factor of the analog wireless data device,

wherein the protocol translator translates first analog messages from an analog host into first digital messages for transmission over a wireless digital network and translates second digital messages received from the wireless digital network into second analog messages to the analog host.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the wireless data device comprises a customer premise equipment wireless data product.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving the first analog messages from the analog host;

translating the received first analog messages into the first digital messages; and

transmitting the first digital messages over the wireless digital network.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving the second digital messages from the wireless digital network;

translating the received second digital messages into the second analog messages; and

sending the second analog messages to the analog host.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving the first analog messages from the analog host;

translating the received first analog messages into the first digital messages;

transmitting the first digital messages over the wireless digital network;

receiving the second digital messages from the wireless digital network;

translating the received second digital messages into the second analog messages; and

sending the second analog messages to the analog host.