System for remote computer control using message broadcasting system

• US 5,337,044 A
• Filed: 10/08/1991
• Issued: 08/09/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nomadic Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nomadic Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Arnold, David, Lambert, Maureen, Folger, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GIUST, JOHN
• Application Number:
  US07/772,915
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.44, 340/825.47, 340/825.48, 340/311.1, 370/90, 370/93, 370/96, 364/413.02
• US Class Current: 340/7.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/007 with remote control systems remote control in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/022 One-way selective calling networks, e.g. wide area paging

Abstract

A system for remote control of a mobile computer system from a base computer system, where the base system generates control command tokens which are broadcast over a pager system. A communicator including a pager receiver, which is normally in a standby state, is connected to the mobile computer, which is normally in an off state, and receives the command tokens. Stored in both the base computer and the mobile computer is a table of commands, cross-referenced with the command tokens. The command tokens are used to instruct the mobile computer to take a variety of actions, including telephoning the base computer, informing the base computer of the mobile computer'"'"'s location, exchanging file update information and application version information, and other actions requiring communication between the base station and the remote station. The communicator includes a local CPU and SRAM, and powers up the mobile computer as necessary. Certain commands and information exchange may be carried out by the local CPU without powering up the mobile computer.

Claims

1. A method for communication between a first processor and a second processor using a broadcast paging system, the method comprising the steps of:

sending a command message from the first processor to said broadcast paging system addressed to the second processor, where said command message includes a identification field identifying the second processor and an instruction to the second processor to open a bi-directional channel between the first processor and the second processor;

receiving said command message from said first processor by said broadcast paging system, wherein said broadcast paging system is configured to broadcast multiple command messages from multiple first processors addressed to multiple second processors within a broadcast region;

unidirectionally broadcasting said command message from said broadcast paging system over said broadcast region to the second processor;

receiving said command message at the second processor when the second processor is within said broadcast region; and

initializing said bi-directional channel, using the second processor, when said command message is received by the second processor, thereby opening a bi-directional communication session between the first processor and the second processor.

2. The method of claims 1, wherein said bi-directional channel is a high-bandwidth modem channel, communication between the first processor and said broadcast paging system is at a lower bandwidth relative to said bi-directional channel, and said bi-directional communication session is a high-bandwidth, bi-directional communication session between the first processor and the second processor and is independent of said broadcast paging system.

3. A method for communication between a first processor and a second processor, comprising the steps of:

sending a command message from the first processor to a message broadcast system addressed to the second processor, where said command message includes a identification field identifying the second processor and an instruction to the second processor to open a bi-directional channel between the first processor and the second processor;

receiving said command message from said first processor by said message broadcast system, wherein said message broadcast system is configured to broadcast multiple command messages from multiple first processors addressed to multiple second processors within a broadcast region;

unidirectionally broadcasting said command message from said message broadcast system over said broadcast region to the second process;

receiving said command message at the second processor when the second processor is within said broadcast region; and

initializing said bi-directional channel, when said command message instructing said second processor to open bi-directional channel is received by the second processor, thereby opening a bi-directional communication session between the first processor and the second processor.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of passing an address of the second processor to the first processor over said bi-directional channel once said bi-directional channel is initiated.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said address of the second processor is a telephone number.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said address of the second processor is a network node address.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of passing status information about the second processor to the first processor over said bi-directional channel once said bi-directional channel is initiated.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of passing communication control parameters from the second processor to the first processor over said bi-directional channel once said bi-directional channel is initiated.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the first processor communicates with said message broadcast system over a low-bandwidth broadcast pager channel.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein said bi-directional channel is a high-bandwidth modem channel, and said bi-directional communication session is a high-bandwidth bi-directional communication session between the first processor and the second processor.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein said command message comprises a plurality of control commands, the method further comprising the step of prioritizing said plurality of control commands according to a predetermined priority when the second processor indicates a low power status of a battery powering the second processor.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein said command message comprises an instruction to the second processor to return status data indicating a location of the second processor.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said location of the second processor comprises a telephone number of a telephone to which a modem is coupled, said modem also coupled to the second processor.

14. The method of claim 3, wherein said command message is a command selected from a command set containing at least six commands which instruct the second processor to return to the first processor (1) an indication of a battery power level, (2) an indication of an amount of available storage capacity in the second processor, (3) information relating to a directory on a disk in the second processor, (5) an indication of whether a file is in use by the second processor, and (6) an indication of whether the second processor is in use, respectively.