WO2001058122A1

WO2001058122A1 - A method of using caller identification to update information about the status of a remote unit

Info

Publication number: WO2001058122A1
Application number: PCT/IL2001/000111
Authority: WO
Inventors: Shmuel Wazana
Original assignee: Roosternet Inc.
Priority date: 2000-02-04
Filing date: 2001-02-04
Publication date: 2001-08-09
Also published as: AU3219501A

Abstract

The system discloses a system for communication of the status of a remote unit (10) using caller CD. The system includes software resident at the remote unit. The system further includes a dial-up mechanism (14), a network (12), a server (22) and a central unit (20).

Description

A METHOD OF USING CALLER IDENTIFICATION TO UPDATE INFORMATION ABOUT THE STATUS OF A REMOTE UNIT

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to telecommunications generally and more particularly to communication of the status of a remote unit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The need for remote units to report their status to one or more central units is well known and understood. Various techniques are known for providing reporting and often include conventional telephone dial-up functionality, initiated by either a remote unit or a central unit.

The use of caller identification functionality is known for notification to a subscriber of the receipt of mail. This functionality is described and claimed in various embodiments such as in U.S. Patent 5,850,519, of the present inventor/assignee, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention seeks to provide a highly cost-effective mechanism for enabling the status of remote units to be reported or monitored. A status report may also be reported or monitored even if the remote unit is not continuously connected to the computer network.

There is thus provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a system for communication of the status of a remote unit via a telephone system using caller identification functionality, including software resident at a remote unit and responsive to a predetermined status situation thereat for initiating a call to a predetermined number and a central unit receiving the call to the predetermined number and being operative, at least partially using caller identification functionality, for determining the origin of the call and the existence of the predetermined status situation thereat, without requiring completion of the call. There is also provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a method for communication of the status of a remote unit via a telephone system using caller identification functionality, including the steps of: initiating a call from a remote unit in response to a predetermined status situation thereat; and receiving the call and, at least partially using caller identification functionality, determining the origin of the call and the existence of the predetermined status situation thereat, without requiring completion of the call.

The status situation may be a steady state status of the remote unit, such as an ON or OFF status of a computer, or a change in the status of the remote unit, such as a change from ON to OFF or vice versa. The status situation need not be binary, as in the aforesaid examples, and may also indicate the addition or deletion of material respectively to or from a computer memory, the congestion status of a remote unit or any other relevant information regarding the remote unit.

Determination of the existence of a predetermined status situation may employ not only caller identification functionality, but also other functionalities such as coding messages by a number of rings prior to hang-up and the like, which can be employed without completing a call.

Alternatively or additionally the remote unit may call different telephone numbers in order to report different types of status situations.

Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the remote unit may call from different telephone numbers.

Still further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention it is possible to call the remote unit from different telephone numbers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a simplified block diagram illustration of a system for communication of the status of a remote unit via a telephone system using caller identification functionality, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a simplified flow chart illustrating operation of the system of Fig. 1 in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a simplified flow chart illustrating operation of the system of Fig. 1 in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

Fig. 4 is a simplified block diagram illustration of a system for communication of the status of a remote unit via a telephone system with multiple telephone lines using caller identification functionality, constructed and operative in accordance with yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference is now made to Fig. 1, which is a simplified block diagram illustration of a system for communication of the status of a remote unit via a telephone system using caller identification functionality, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

For the sake of simplicity and conciseness of description, the description which follows refers to a computer network, wherein a multiplicity of computers serve as remote units and a server operates as a central unit. The present invention is not limited, however, to computer networks or to computers and extends as well to other types of networks and remote units, such as, for example, cellular telephones, remote pumps, access control points and the like.

As seen in Fig. 1, a multiplicity of computers 10 is interconnected via a computer network 12, such as a LAN, a WAN or a telephone network. The computer network may be the Internet. Alternatively, the multiplicity of computers 10 need not be connected by any computer network. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least some of the multiplicity of computers 10 includes a telephone dial-up mechanism 14 which is operative to automatically dial at least one predetermined number in response to at least one status situation.

One preferred example of a status situation is where the computer changes status from ON to OFF or from OFF to ON.

A central unit 20, which preferably cooperates with a server 22, connected to network 12. but need not do so, receives calls automatically dialed by the remote computers 10. The central unit 20 preferably includes at least one caller identifier 24, which employs caller identif cation functionality to identify which remote computer 10 has initiated a call, without i equiring completion of the call. It is appreciated that the central unit 20 may also be an integral part of the server 22. It is also appreciated that there may be more than one telephone line connected to each remote computer unit 10.

The central unit 20 also preferably includes a status unit 26 and a database 30. Each call received by the central unit 20 is compared with data stored in the database 30 to identify the remote computer unit 10 and to determine the current status of the computer unit 10. The database 30 typically contains information about the remote computer units 10, such as an identifying code for each remote computer unit 10, details of the telephone lines which are connected to the remote computer units 10, an identification code for each of the telephone lines which are connected to each remote computer unit 10; the identification code for the telephone lines may be a number, text or any combination thereof.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the status unit 26 maintains a binary status, e.g. ON/OFF for each remote computer 10 and changes that status with each incoming call.

Alternatively or additionally, there may be associated with the status unit 26 a ring counter 28 for deriving additionally and possibly non-binary information from the number of rings of a given call prior to hang up.

As a further addition or alternative, the status unit 26 may be associated with multiple caller identifiers 24 each associated with a number, and/or may be responsive to calls made to different numbers for indicating different statuses.

It is appreciated that the system of Fig. 1 is operative to provide at least ON/OFF status monitoring for a multiplicity of remote computers 10 without requiring call completion.

In accordance with yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the remote device 10 may call to the central unit 20 from different telephone lines. The combination of the line number being used by the remote unit 10 and the telephone line number receiving the call in the central unit 10 and the number of rings before disconnecting the call, results in a message being delivered concerning the change in the status of the remote unit, without completing the call.

Reference is now made to Fig. 2, which is a simplified flow chart illustrating operation of the system of Fig. 1 in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein only a binary status ON/OFF is reported. As seen in Fig. 2, an initial status for each remote computer is established at status unit 26.

Upon receipt of a call a search a comparison is made between WHAT is conducted in the database 30 to compare the identification of the calling unit with data stored in the DATABASE SEARCH which is identified by caller identification functionality of caller identifier 24, the status of the identified remote computer 10 is changed, from ON to OFF or vice versa as the case may be. It is appreciated that only the information concerning the status of the remote computer 10 is recorded and the actual status of the remote computer 10 is not changed.

Upon receipt of a further call from the same remote computer 10, which is identified by caller identification functionality of caller identifier 24, the status of the identified remote computer 10 is changed once again, from OFF to ON or vice versa as the case may be.

Reference is now made to Fig. 3, which is a simplified flow chart illustrating operation of the system of Fig. 1 in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein a ring counter is employed.

As seen in Fig. 3, an initial status for each remote computer need not be established at status unit 26.

Upon receipt of a call which is identified by caller identification functionality of caller identifier 24, the status of the identified remote computer 10 is determined by counting rings at the ring counter 28. Depending on the number of rings received before hang-up, the status of the computer is determined to be ON or OFF or any other appropriate status as the case may be. It is appreciated that a non-binary status may also be indicated by use of the ring counter 28.

Upon receipt of a further call from the same remote computer 10, which is identified by caller identification functionality of caller identifier 24, the status of the identified remote computer 10 may be changed depending on the ring count at the further call.

Reference is now made to Fig. 4. which is a simplified flow chart illustrating operation of the system of Fig. 1 in accordance with yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein the ring counter 28 is employed. Fig. 4 shows a simplified block diagram of a system for communicating the status of a remote unit via a telephone system with multiple telephone lines using caller identification functionality.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the remote unit 10 is connected via a multiple of telephone lines 32 to at least one telephone dial-up mechanism 14. Additionally, the central unit 20 is connected to the server 22, via a multiple of telephone lines 34, for receiving calls from the remote computer unit 10.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the multiple telephone lines 32 are also provided for identifying callers calling multiple numbers, without requiring completion of a call.

In this embodiment, similarly to that of Fig. 3, an initial status for each remote computer need not be established at status unit 26.

Upon receipt of a call the identification code of the calling unit is compared to the data in the database 30. Using the information found in the database 30, the calling unit is identified by caller identification functionality of a caller identifier 24, and the status of the identified remote computer 10 is determined by the identity of the number automatically dialed by the remote computer 10. Depending on the number automatically dialed by the given remote computer 10, the status of the computer 10 is determined to be ON or OFF or any other appropriate status as the case may be. It is appreciated that a non-binary status may also be indicated by use of multiple caller identifiers 24.

Upon receipt of a further call from the same remote computer 10, which is identified by caller identification functionality of caller identifier 24, the status of the identified remote computer 10 may be changed depending which number is dialed in the further call.

By suitable identification of the telephone lines and telephone numbers, the caller identifier 24 is able to identify as to the status of any of the multiple remote computer units 10.

It is appreciated that the functionalities of Figs. 2, 3 and 4 may be combined in any suitable combination.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather the scope of the present invention includes both combinations and subcombinations of various features described hereinabove and shown in the drawings as well as variations and modifications thereof which would occur to a person skilled, in the art upon reading the foregoing description, and which are not in the prior art.

Claims

C L A I M S

1. A system for communication of the status of a remote unit via a telephone system using caller identification functionality, the system comprising: software resident at a remote unit and responsive to a predetermined status situation thereat for initiating a call to a predetermined number; and a central unit receiving the call to the predetermined number and being operative, at least partially using caller identification functionality, for determining the origin of the call and the existence of the predetermined status situation thereat, without requiring completion of the call.

2. A system according to claim 1 and wherein the remote unit is a computer.

3. A system according to claim 1 and wherein the status situation is a steady state status of the remote unit.

4. A system according to claim 3 and wherein the status situation is an ON/OFF status of the remote unit.

5. A system according to claim 1 and wherein the status situation is a change in the steady state status of the remote unit.

6. A system according to claim 14 and wherein the status situation is a change in an ON/OFF status of the remote unit.

7. A system according to claim 1 and wherein the status situation is a binary status situation of the remote unit.

8. A system according to claim 1 and wherein the status situation is a non-binary status situation of the remote unit.

9. A system according to claim 1 and also comprising ring counting for determining said status situation.

10. A system according to claim 1 and also comprising determining said status situation at least partially depending on the number called by the remote unit.

1 1. A system according to claim 2 and also comprising determining said status situation at least partially depending on the number called by the remote unit.

12. A method for communication of the status of a remote unit via a telephone system using caller identification functionality, including the steps of: initiating a call from a remote unit in response to a predetermined status situation thereat; and receiving the call and, at least partially using caller identification functionality, determining the origin of the call and the existence of the predetermined status situation thereat, without requiring completion of the call.

13. A method according to claim 12 and wherein the remote unit is a computer.

14. A method according to claim 12 and wherein the status situation is a steady state status of the remote unit.

15. A method according to claim 14 and wherein the status situation is an ON/OFF status of the remote unit.

16. A method according to claim 12 and wherein the status situation is a change in the steady state status of the remote unit.

17. A method according to claim 16 and wherein the status situation is a change in an ON/OFF status of the remote unit.

18. A method according to claim 12 and wherein the status situation is a binary status situation of the remote unit.

19. A method according to claim 12 and wherein the status situation is a non-binary status situation of the remote unit.

20. A method according to claim 12 and also comprising ring counting for determining said status situation.

21. A method according to claim 12 and also comprising determining said status situation at least partially depending on the number called by the remote unit.

22. A method according to claim 13 and also comprising determining said status situation at least partially depending on the number called by the remote unit.