Monitoring and reporting system using cellular carriers
US6038491A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 26, 1997 |
| Grant date | Mar 14, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 26, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG07F19/208
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A vending machine capable of communicating with a central station using any one of multiple cellular carriers includes a telemetry device. The telemetry device includes a cellular transceiver, a digital signal processor-based modem, and memory storing software corresponding to protocols for each of the cellular carriers. The telemetry device can be reconfigured, in response to signals received from the central station using a first one of the cellular carriers, to transmit and receive signals subsequently using a second one of the cellular carriers. Software code residing in memory associated with a sub-unit of a vending machine can also be upgraded or otherwise modified by transmitting segments of software code from a remote station to a telemetry device in the vending machine using a cellular carrier, assembling the segments of software code in the telemetry device, and routing the assembled software code to a designated one of the sub-units of the vending machine.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.