Communications Links

• US 20130182701A1
• Filed: 02/19/2013
• Published: 07/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UHS Systems PTY Limited (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: UHS Systems PTY Limited (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Barlow, James, Johan, Ron
• Granted Patent: US 9,172,601 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

A system including a plurality of remotely configurable telephone network communication terminals (102) is adapted to communicate with a programming terminal (134) over a data network (222) by adding a remote interface means (RIM) (202) for each terminal to convert communications between the terminal to or from a format adapted for transmission over the data network, the programming terminal having a modem emulator (202) having communication and programming capabilities to interface the programming terminal with the network; by converting the programming terminal data to a network compatible format, obtaining an address for the RIM, connecting the programming terminal and the RIM via the data network, connecting the RIM and the communication terminal, transmitting the converted programming terminal data to the RIM, reconstituting the converted data to a format suitable for the communication terminal, and transmitting the reconstituted data to the communication terminal.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting time dependent serial information across a data network, including:

adding time stamps to at least the time-dependent information;

converting the information and associated time-stamps to the network protocol;

transmitting the information in network protocol format across the network to a destination terminal; and

reconstituting the serial information using the time-stamps to reconstitute the time-dependent information.

2. A method of providing remote configuration access for a programming terminal via one or more data networks to one or more remote terminals;

the programming terminal being adapted to program said one or more remote terminal via the public switched telephone network (PSTN) using an analog dial up modem;

the remote terminals being designed to be remotely configured via the public switched telephone network;

wherein a first remote interface means (RIM) is connected to one or more of the remote terminals;

the first RIM being adapted to provide a bi-directional interface between a remote terminal and one of said one or more data networks;

wherein a modem emulator function is provided to interface the programming terminal with said one of said one or more data networks;

the modem emulator function including programming capabilities adapted for transmitting information via said one or more data networks;

the method including the steps of;

—

obtaining an address for the first RIM or a corresponding remote terminal;

converting the programming terminal output signals to a format suitable for transmission via the or one of the data networks;

establishing a data connection between the programming terminal and the first RIM via one or more of the data networks using the address of the RIM or corresponding remote terminal;

establishing communication between the first RIM and the corresponding remote terminal;

initiating the transmission of data to the first RIM;

in the first RIM, converting the data to a remote terminal format used in programming or configuring the corresponding remote terminal;

transmitting the remote terminal format information to the corresponding remote terminal;

wherein the programming terminal output signals includes time-dependent information, the method including the steps of;

adding time stamps to at least the time-dependent information;

converting the information and associated time-stamps to the network protocol;

transmitting the information in network protocol format across the network to a destination terminal; and

reconstituting the serial information using the time-stamps to reconstitute the time-dependent information.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the address of the RIM or remote terminal is stored in a RIM address list accessible via the data network.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the RIM address list stored in the programming terminal.

5. A system for transmitting time dependent information across a data network, including:

a data network having a network protocol;

modem emulator means adapted to convert serial data to the data network protocol;

the

modem emulator means being adapted to capture time-dependent information;

the modem emulator being connected to an edge of the network;

a remote network interface connected to an edge of the network;

data conversion means connected to the remote network interface;

the data conversion means being adapted to reconstitute the time-dependent information and the serial data.

6. A communications system including a programming terminal and one or more remote terminals for use with an existing alarm panel of the type which is adapted to use a telephone line as its primary communications path, the communications system providing the existing alarm panel with the ability to transmit and receive signals via a path through a data network having a network protocol,

the data including time sensitive information,

the communications system including:

a programming terminal associated with modem emulator functionality adapted to convert serial data and time dependent information to the data network protocol;

the programming software enabling the programming terminal to transmit serial data via the emulator and the network to a remote terminal;

the remote terminal including;

a network interface;

telephone intercept

means adapted to interface with the existing panel;

the existing panel including ring detection means adapted to detect ring signal from the telephone intercept and to activate a voice frequency (vf) data modem associated with the existing panel;

a programmable data store; and

processor means adapted to enter and retrieve data from the store; and

wherein the phone interface is adapted to reconstitute the real time information for transmission to the existing panel.

7. A communication system as claimed in claim 6, including a management terminal, adapted to communicate via the data network.

8. A communication system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the management terminal contains a store of one or more sets of programming instructions,

each set of programming instructions being adapted to perform a programming or configuration function at a remote terminal,

the management terminal being responsive to a corresponding instruction from a programming terminal to transmit a selected one of the sets of programming instructions to a selected remote terminal.

9. A programming terminal for use in a system as claimed in claim 6, including a store of one or more sets of programming instructions,

each adapted to perform a programming or configuration function at a remote terminal,

the programming terminal being adapted to initiate a selected one of the sets of programming instructions in response to a corresponding input instruction.

10. A programming terminal adapted for use in a system as claimed in claim 7, the programming terminal including modem emulation software.

11. A customer terminal adapted for use in a system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the customer terminal includes VoIP functionality,

the customer terminal being adapted to distinguish between alarm communications and VoIP communications from the remote terminal, and

to direct alarm communications to the alarm system and to transmit VoIP communications to a VoIP network.

12. A customer terminal as claimed in claim 11, including phone number recognition means adapted to recognize alarm communications.

13. A method of providing remote configuration access for a programming terminal via one or more data networks to one or more remote terminals,

the programming terminal being adapted to program said one or more remote terminal via the public switched telephone network (PSTN) using an analog dial up modem,

the or each remote terminal being designed to be remotely configured, via the PSTN,

wherein a first remote interface means is connected to one or more of the remote terminals,

the first remote interface means being adapted to provide a bi-directional interface between a remote terminal and one of said one or more data networks,

wherein a modem emulator means is provided to interface the programming terminal with said one of said one or more data networks,

the modem emulator means including programming capabilities adapted for transmitting information including time dependent information via said one or more data networks,

the method including the steps of:

—

providing the programming terminal with one or more sets of instructions and data;

selecting one of the sets of instructions and data including associated time dependent information;

converting the selected set of instructions and data and associated time dependent information to a format compatible with the said one of the one or more data networks,

and transmitting the selected set of instructions and data and associated time dependent information to one or more remote terminals via said one or more data networks.