Multi-function general purpose transceiver

• US 7,397,907 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2001
• Issued: 07/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Statsignal IPC LLC (Statsignal)
• Original Assignee: SIPCO LLC (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Inventors: Petite, Thomas D.
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US09/756,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20010002210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,738 Days
• Field of Search: 379/33, 379/39, 379/40, 379 43- 45, 379/47, 379/144.05, 379/144.01, 379/49, 379/51, 379/52, 379/56.3, 379/143, 379/155
• US Class Current: 379/155
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/18 specially adapted for controlling several coin-freed apparatus from one place
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/00 Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The present invention is generally directed to a system and associated method for communicating information to a predetermined location. The system includes a transmitter disposed at a first location and configured to transmit a signal containing an instruction code that uniquely identifies an instruction to be carried out. The system further includes a transceiver disposed remotely from the transmitter and configured to receive the transmitted signal. The transceiver circuit includes a line interface circuit configured to interface with a telephone line that is part of the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and initiate a phone call over the telephone line. Finally, the system includes a central station remotely located from said transceiver but being in communication with said transceiver via the PSTN The central station further include a decoder configured to decode the instruction code. In accordance with a broader aspect, the invention is directed to a general purpose transceiver having a receiver for receiving an information signal and a transmitter configured to transmit an outgoing signal over a phone line to a central station A portion of the information signal includes an instruction code, which may be decoded by the central station and acted upon accordingly Consistent with the general purpose nature of the transceiver, the phone number of the central station may be transmitted to the transceiver as part of the information signal.

Claims

1. A system for communicating information to a predetermined location, the system comprising:

an extremely low-power transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit an extremely low-power signal comprising information, the information comprising an instruction code corresponding to an instruction to be followed, a transmitter identification number that uniquely identifies the transmitter, and a network address number that comprises at least one of a telephone number or a to address;

a central location configured to receive the information and communicate via at least one of a telephone line in the public service telephone network (PSTN) or a computer network, the central location further configured to decode the instruction code and initiate steps to implement the instruction; and

a transceiver, located remote from, but in close proximity to the extremely low-power transmitter and configured to establish a communication link with the central location based on one of the telephone number or the to address included in the low-power signal, the transceiver comprising;

a line interface circuit configured to interface with one of the telephone line or the computer network; and

a controller configured to receive the low-power signal and communicate the information to the central location along with a unique transceiver identification number.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the low power signal further comprises a logical IP address such that the transceiver can route the information to the central station.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit a low power radio frequency (RF) signal.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the information comprises a transmitter identifier code, a unique transmission destination address, and a burst transmission length identifier.

5. The system as defined in claim 4, wherein the transmitted signal further comprises:

a message identification field;

a packet identification field; and

a data field.

6. The system as defined in claim 5, wherein the transmitted signal further comprises:

a field adaptively configured for data transmission error correction.

7. The system as defined in claim 5, wherein the transmitted further comprises:

a field configured to indicate to a destination device that a subsequent to follow.

8. The system as defined in claim 4, wherein the unique tray destination address is an Internet protocol (IP) address.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to communicate a transceiver identification code to the central station.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the central location comprises means for evaluating the transceiver identification code.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the evaluating means further determines geographical location of the transceiver based upon the transceiver identification code.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the central location comprises means for notifying service personnel in response to the information.

13. A method for communicating information to a predetermined location, the method comprising:

wirelessly transmitting an information signal from an extremely low-power transmitter to a remote transceiver, wherein the information signal is an extremely low-power signal including a telephone number of a central location, the information signal further comprising an instruction code corresponding to an instruction to be followed, a service code corresponding to a requested service, and information regarding automotive diagnostic information;

receiving the information signal by remote transceiver, the remote transceiver situated proximate to the low-power transmitter;

placing a telephone call from circuitry coupled to the transceiver to the central location identified by the telephone number via a phone line which comprises part of a public switched telephone network (PSTN);

communicating at least a portion of the information signal from the transceiver to the central location; and

decoding at least a portion of the information signal by the central location to identify the instruction and the requested service, and to analyze the automotive diagnostic information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

communicating a transceiver identification code from the transceiver to the central location in addition to a transmitter identification code that corresponds to the low-power transmitter.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein decoding further comprises:

decoding the transceiver identification code.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

evaluating the transceiver identification code; and

determining a geographical location of the transceiver.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the information signal further comprises a transmitter identification code.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein decoding further comprises:

decoding the transmitter identification code.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

evaluating the transmitter identification code, and determining a geographic location of the transmitter based upon the evaluating step.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the information signal further comprises a logical IP address of the central location.

21. A system for communicating information to a central location, the system comprising:

means for wirelessly transmitting an extremely low-power signal comprising information, the information including a telephone number an instruction code that corresponds to an instruction, and at least one of a product code and user account information;

means for receiving the extremely low-power signal, the means for receiving being remote but within close proximity to the wireless transmitting means;

means for transmitting the information to the central location identified by the telephone number via at least one of a public service telephone network (PS TN) or a computer network, the means for transmitting configured to enable both data and voice communications at the same time to enable simultaneous occurrence of a phone call and a data transmission; and

means for receiving the information at the central location, the means for receiving configured to decode the instruction code and implement an associated instruction that corresponds to at least one of the product code or user account information.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the low powered signal further comprises a logical IP address, and wherein the means for telephonically transmitting accesses the central location via the logical IP address.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the low power signal is a low power RF signal.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the low power signal is a low power infrared (IR) signal.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the low power signal is a low power ultrasound signal.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the low powered signal comprises a transmitter identifier code, a unique transmission destination address, and a burst transmission length identifier.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the means for telephonically transmitting further communicates a transceiver identification code of the means for receiving the information.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the means for receiving the low powered signal further comprises the means for evaluating the transceiver identification code.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the evaluating means further determines a geographical location of the transceiver.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein the means for receiving the low powered signal further comprises means for notification in response to the information.

31. A transceiver that wirelessly communicates with an extremely low-power transmitter and telephonically communicates with a central location, the transceiver comprising:

a wireless receiver configured to wirelessly receive an extremely low-power signal, the extremely low-power signal being wirelessly transmitted in close proximity to the receiver, the extremely low-power signal comprising encoded information and a telephone number, the encoded information comprising at least an instruction code and a service code, the telephone number corresponding to a central location associated with the instruction code and the service code;

a telephonic transmitter configured to transmit a formatted electric signal over a telephone line to the central location identified by the telephone number, the telephone line comprising part of the public switched telephone network (PTSN); and

a controller comprising;

a first portion, connected to the wireless receiver, configured to obtain the information encoded in the received extremely low-power signal; and

a second portion, connected to the telephonic transmitter, configured to deliver the obtained information to the transmitter such that the transmitter can transmit the information to the central location that is associated with the instruction code and the service code.

32. The transceiver of claim 31, wherein the controller is a programmable circuit.

33. The transceiver of claim 31, wherein the controller further comprises a look-up table configured to decode the encoded information.

34. The transceiver of claim 31, wherein the low power signal is a low power RF signal.

35. The transceiver of claim 31, wherein the low power signal is a low power IR signal.

36. The transceiver of claim 31, wherein the low power signal is a low power ultrasound signal.

37. A method for relaying an electronic message from an extremely low-power transmitter to a central location, the method comprising:

wirelessly transmitting an information signal from a transmitter to a remotely located transceiver, the information signal comprising a unique message code and a phone number of a central location corresponding to an instruction code contained within the unique message code, wherein the transmitter is in close proximity to the transceiver thereby enabling the transmitter to transmit information to the transceiver;

receiving the information by the remotely located transceiver;

placing a telephone call from the transceiver to the central location, the central location being identified by the phone number contained within the information signal, over a phone line comprising part of a public switched telephone network (PSTN); and

communicating the unique message code from the transceiver to the central location, the central location being configured to take steps to implement the instruction code in response to the transmitted information signal.