HK1070999B - System and method for remotely monitoring modem status - Google Patents

Abstract

An application allows the user to monitor the status of groups of wireless modems employed in the field. The requests are sent out to multiple modems and responses return from the modem units to the computer program. The information from the modem units is then displayed to the user at a personal computer.

Description

System and method for remotely monitoring modem status

Background

The use of modems is becoming increasingly popular for data communications over cellular networks. As people use Personal Digital Systems (PDAs), portable laptops, and other systems, they wish to send data from these systems via a cellular network. One way to implement these systems is to use a modem unit associated with each host processor unit. When a company has a large number of mobile units, it becomes very difficult to track the status of the mobile units. To this end, a user at a central location desires status information for a number of mobile units in the area.

Summary of The Invention

The present invention is a system in which a computer is operatively connected to a network. The network has software adapted to track the status of the plurality of modem units. The software allows for the generation of a status check that is sent to the plurality of modem units. The modem unit is adapted to receive status check messages via the cellular network. The modem units are associated with a host processor. And the modem unit responds with the status information without being controlled by the host processor. By using this method, a user at one terminal can determine the status and approximate location of a plurality of modem units. In a preferred embodiment, the computer issues a status request that is transmitted over the network and via the cellular network to each modem unit. The modem unit receives the status check and then generates status information to be sent back to the originating computer via the cellular network. In a preferred embodiment, the status checks the information and is sent in User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packets so that the modem unit itself does not need to implement a complete transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) stack. The modem check is implemented using the connectionless UDP standard.

In a preferred embodiment, the computer is connected to the server via the internet. The server is connected to a cellular network for sending status checks to the modem units and for receiving modem information from the modem units.

For large companies with many modem units in a region, it is useful to be able to track more than one modem unit at a central location. Additionally, modem units connected to a variety of host processors can be tracked because the modem units can respond without being instructed by the host processor. The modem unit does not need to turn on the host processor itself at a given time in order to respond.

Brief Description of Drawings

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating one embodiment of firmware for a modem unit of the present invention.

FIG. 3 depicts a system diagram with emphasis on the group monitor program on the computer.

Fig. 4 depicts UDP packets that may be sent to a computer program and contain modem status data in one embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description of the invention

Fig. 1 depicts a system 20 of the present invention. The system 20 includes a computer 22 with a software program 24. The software program 24 is used to track a plurality of modem units. The computer 22 is connected to a server 26 via the internet 23. The server 26 is connected to cellular telephone transmitters 30 and 32 via a telephone network 28. It should be noted that various cellular telephone transmitters may be connected in the system of the present invention. The cellular telephone transmitter 30 is in wireless communication with modem units 34, 36 and 38. Modem units 34, 36, and 38 are associated with host processors 40, 42, and 44.

In the system of the present invention, the program 24 loaded on the personal computer 22 allows for the generation of modem status requests that are sent to the modem units 34, 36 and 38 via the cellular network. Preferably, the requests indicate an address of a host processor from which the state information is derived. The modem unit 34 includes firmware 46 that allows the modem unit to detect those modem requests identified for the modem and to construct those modem status signals that can be sent back to the cellular telephone transmitter by the modem unit 34.

In one embodiment, the server 26 is used to filter requests from the programs 24 located on the personal computers. Thus, only those authorized requests are sent via the cellular network. In one embodiment, the server 26 filters the responses and determines that only those authorized status data are sent to the group monitor program 24 on the personal computer 22. Alternatively, this information filtering function may be performed by the cellular telephone network.

Fig. 2 depicts an example of firmware 46 primarily for use in the modem unit of the present invention. In this system, received data is processed in unit 50 and sent to the host processor. Unit 52 examines the external status Modem Object (MOB) request and also performs recognition to determine that the external MOB request identifies a host modem unit. If it identifies the cell, a MOB response is constructed using the data stored in the modem state memory 54. Thus, the modem unit 34 can recognize the modem status request and can also generate modem status information signals that are sent to the cellular telephone receiver and thereby returned to the computer program running on the personal computer. The status information may include uplink (up) and run information, signal strength information, network parameters, and unit ID information. It should be noted that the same modem state memory 54 may be used to construct the local MOB response during use of the unit 56. The local request or MOB request is a request from the host processor. The MOB is an example of a modem status protocol, but other protocols may be used. It should be noted that the generation of the status response sent to the cellular telephone unit need not be controlled by the host processor, but is done in the modem unit. This allows modem status to be sent when the host processor is turned off, and the status response is not host processor dependent, so that different kinds of host processors do not interfere with the generation of modem status information that is sent to the central computer.

Fig. 3 depicts a multi-modem status routine 60. In this case, the program 60 includes a display 62 constructed using modem status information. The modem states are the various modem units. It should be noted that in this example, there are five modem units associated with different cellular telephone transmitter receivers that receive requests and respond to the modem status requests with status information. The status information is collected at routine 60 and displayed in display 62.

Fig. 4 depicts a UDP packet in which modem data is stored in the UDP packet for use in one embodiment of the present invention. By using UDP packets, it is not necessary to provide a complete TCP/IP stack at the modem unit. The connectionless UDP service simplifies the reception of status requests, while the status information is generated by the modem unit running the UDP protocol over IP, which avoids the need for the more computationally complex TCP protocol.

Details of one embodiment of the system of the present invention are shown in appendix 1 attached hereto.

It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or characteristics thereof. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description, and all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalents thereof are intended to be embraced therein.

Claims (23)

1. A system, comprising:

a computer operatively connected to a cellular network, said computer having software adapted to track the status of a plurality of modem units, said software allowing for the generation of status check requests sent to the plurality of modem units via said cellular network; and

a plurality of modem units, each provided with a respective portable device and associated with a host processor of the portable device, each of the modem units for receiving an external status check request from the computer via the cellular network and for responding, without control by the host processor, with status information of the modem in response to the external status check request.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is connected to the server via the internet.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the server is connected to a cellular network.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said computer sends to each of said modem units those requests that traverse said internet, pass through said server, and traverse said cellular network.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the modem unit receives the request and communicates status information to the computer across the cellular network.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the modem unit runs UDP over IP protocol.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the modem unit does not have a TCP stack at the modem unit.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said modem units is further configured to respond to said host processor with modem status information in response to a local status check request from said host processor.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the modem units comprises:

a modem status memory.

10. A computer arranged to track the status of a plurality of modem units, the computer generating status check requests to be sent via a cellular network to a plurality of modem units respectively corresponding to a plurality of portable devices, the computer further arranged to receive modem status information from the plurality of modem units via the cellular network, the modem status information being generated by a modem unit in response to the status check requests without being controlled by a host processor of each of the portable devices associated with the modem unit.

11. The computer of claim 10, wherein the computer is connected to a server by the internet.

12. The computer of claim 11, wherein the server is connected to a cellular network.

13. The computer of claim 10, wherein the modem unit can be connected via a cellular network.

14. The computer of claim 13, wherein the request is sent from the computer to the modem unit via the cellular network, and the status information is sent from the modem unit to the computer via the cellular network.

15. The computer of claim 10, wherein the state information is generated by the modem units that use a UDP stack over IP.

16. The computer of claim 15, wherein the modem unit does not use a TCP stack to generate the state information response.

17. A method, comprising:

sending a modem status request via a cellular network to modem units provided with portable devices, each of said modem units being associated with a host processor in a corresponding said portable device;

at each modem unit, determining whether the status request is for the modem unit, and if so, constructing a modem status response and transmitting a wireless response from the modem unit without control by the host processor; and

modem status responses are received from the plurality of modem units and a display is generated for a group of modem units.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the modem status request is sent from a computer to the modem unit.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the computer is connected to the server by the internet.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein a UDP stack over IP is implemented on the modem unit to interpret the modem status request and generate the modem status response.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the modem unit does not have a TCP stack at the modem unit for generating the modem status response.

22. A portable device, comprising:

a host processor adapted to send a local request; and

a modem unit associated with the host processor, the modem unit being arranged to receive an external status check request from an external computer via a cellular network and to reply to the external computer with modem status information in response to the status check request without control by the host processor.

23. The portable device of claim 22, further comprising:

a modem status memory.