System for integrated mobile devices

• US 7,363,053 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2004
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Dalton, Bryan L., Heaton, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vuong; Quochien B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wendell; Andrew
• Application Number:
  US10/809,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20040192365A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• Field of Search: 455/517, 455/556.1, 455/557
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A communication system includes a data concentrator computer, a gateway device for communicating with the data concentrator computer, a first mobile data acquisition device communicating with the gateway device, and a second mobile data acquisition device communicating with the gateway device. The gateway device allows direct communication between the first and second mobile data acquisition devices without communication with the data concentrator computer.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a data concentrator computer;

a mobile gateway device, separate and distinct from said data concentrator computer, for communicating with said data concentrator computer;

a first mobile data acquisition device communicating with said mobile gateway device; and

a second mobile data acquisition device communicating with said mobile gateway device,

said mobile gateway device allowing direct communication between said first and second mobile data acquisition devices, through broadcast messages from said mobile gateway device to said first and second mobile data acquisition devices, without communication with said data concentrator computer.

2. The communication system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first mobile data acquisition device initiates an “

Am I Alive?”

transmission.

3. The communication system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first mobile data acquisition device sends a “

Roll Call”

request to said gateway device.

4. The communication system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said gateway device broadcasts a “

Please Identify”

message to said second mobile data acquisition device.

5. The communication system as set forth in claim 1 said second mobile data acquisition device transmits a device identification to said gateway device.

6. The communication system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said gateway device transmits an identification of said second mobile data acquisition device.

7. The communication system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first mobile data acquisition device communicates with said data concentrator computer through said gateway device.

8. The communication system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said data concentrator computer sends a “

Please Identify”

message to said gateway device.

9. The communication system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first mobile data acquisition device indicates that “

Roll Call”

data is available.

10. The communication system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said data concentrator computer sends a “

Send Roll Call”

request to said first mobile data acquisition device through said gateway device.

11. A communication system comprising:

a data concentrator computer;

a mobile mailbox, separate and distinct from said data concentrator computer, for communicating with said data concentrator computer;

a first mobile data acquisition device communicating with said mobile mailbox; and

a second mobile data acquisition device communicating with said mobile mailbox,

said mobile mailbox allowing peer to peer communication between said first and second mobile data acquisition devices, through broadcast messages from said mobile mailbox to said first and second mobile data acquisition devices, without communication with said data concentrator computer.

12. The communication system as set forth in claim 11 wherein said mobile mailbox maintains Roll Call Data for said first and second mobile data acquisition devices.

13. The communication system as set forth in claim 11 wherein said mobile mailbox services a Roll Call of said first and second mobile data acquisition devices.

14. The communication system as set forth in claim 11 further including a third mobile data acquisition device for communicating peer to peer with said first mobile data acquisition device.

15. The communication system as set forth in claim 11 wherein said mobile mailbox generates a Last Roll Call Timestamp.

16. A tangible medium storing a computer program product for communication between a plurality of mobile devices, said tangible medium comprising:

a first instruction for activating a first mobile device;

a second instruction for requesting a roll call from a gateway device by the first mobile device;

a third instruction for broadcasting a please identify message to a second mobile device and a third mobile device; and

a fourth instruction for providing peer to peer communication between the first mobile device and the second and third mobile devices through broadcast messages from a mobile mailbox to the first and second mobile devices, the peer to peer communication occurring without communication with a non-mobile data concentrator computer.

17. The tangible medium as set forth in claim 16 further including a fifth instruction for adding device identification data for the second and third mobile devices to a mailbox.

18. The tangible medium as set forth in claim 17 further including a sixth instruction for generating a history log of parsed roll call data by a data concentrator computer.

19. The tangible medium as set forth in claim 18 further including a seventh instruction for transmitting identification data to the mobile mail box by the second and third mobile device and a fourth mobile device.

20. The tangible medium as set forth in claim 19 further including an eighth instruction for transmitting a “

Please Identify”

message from the data concentrator computer to the first mobile device through the gateway device.