EP1358756A2 - Distant method and equipment for activating a data communication function by an equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a method and an equipment for activating a data communication function by a remote equipment (1) capable of being connected to the Internet and to a telecommunication network, said equipment comprising means for implementing Internet protocols, signal processing means for effective transmission of physical signals on the telecommunication network and an interface with the telecommunication network capable of detecting an incoming call. The method comprises a step which consists in activating by a local or remote event the equipment capable of being connected, and connection to an Internet service provider (ISP) in response to said activating step. The method further comprises a step which consists in reading a temporary IP address assigned by the access provider during the connecting step.

Description

 METHOD AND EQUIPMENT FOR ACTIVATION OF AN INFORMATION COMMUNICATION FUNCTION BY REMOTE EQUIPMENT

The present invention relates to equipment which can be activated by a remote means for the transmission of information via the Internet.

The patent US6094477 describing a terminal connected to a telephone network via an interface, and comprising an acquisition unit for analyzing the call signal and establishing a connection in function, is known in the prior art. of said analysis.

PCT patent WO0013403 relates to a system and a method intended to carry out a callback by telephone in connection with a network such as the Internet in order to ensure recording and presentation of invoices in real time. The system includes a web server, a client computer, a corporate database, and a communications switch. The process comprises the following stages: electronic registration with an electronic service provider via the network, allocation to the customer of a unique telephone number for call back establishment, call establishment, calculation of the price of the telephone call and presentation to the customer of information on the price in real time. The activation of the network allows the customer to subscribe to a reminder and to carry it out immediately after registration. Price information can be personalized according to the customer through the use of price tables associated with the various components of the overall price (telephone rate) of the telephone call.

Patent WO0000908 relates to a server which allows on-demand access to web pages stored remotely and independently of a service provider. web pages. The web page service provider provides an index containing a reference to more detailed web pages. The more detailed web pages are stored locally at the third party providing the web pages, for example, on a computer located at the customer's site. When a user of the web page service initiates a request for a more detailed web page, the web page service telephone to the computer located at the customer, downloads the requested web page and provides it to the user. The index can be based on geographic information, thus providing access to web pages based on the location parameter of the client and the user.

The patent WO9927697 relates to a device and a method which make it possible to verify whether a customer is authorized to use a telephone gateway offered by a telephone gateway service provider. According to the invention, the client activates a link, comprising the telephone number of a subscriber B, on a web page of a web server; a verification function checks whether the client is authorized to use the telephone gateway; and a telephone call is established with the gateway based on said verification.

The object of the present invention is to allow the remote transmission of data in the preferential form of a web page, of an electronic mail or of an FTP transfer, by activation by an event such as a clock or an incoming call. The applications relate in particular to the remote collection of data from meters, automatic distribution equipment or control or monitoring equipment that does not have a permanent IP address.

The invention relates, according to its most general meaning, to a method for activating an information communication function by remote equipment [for example an electric meter or a water meter, a automatic vending machine or a programmable automaton] connectable to the Internet network and to a telecommunication network [by a telephone line or by a wireless telephone network such as the GSM network], said equipment comprising means for implementing Internet protocols, signal processing means for the effective transmission of physical signals on the telecommunications network and an interface with the telecommunications network capable of detecting an incoming call, the method comprising a step of activating said equipment connectable by a local or remote event [a telephone call or a timeout for example], and the connection to an Internet service provider ISP in response to said activation step characterized in that the method comprises a step of reading a temporary IP address assigned by the access provider during the connection stage and: either a stage of transmission of said temporary IP address to an Internet terminal or an information processing system, followed by a step of reading WEB pages stored locally by said remote equipment by said Internet terminal or by said information processing system, or a step of direct transmission of information by electronic mail (in transmission and / or in reception) between said remote equipment and an Internet terminal or an information processing system, without prior transmission of the temporary IP address.

Advantageously, it includes an initial step of verification by the remote equipment of the incoming call.

According to a variant, the step of verification by the remote equipment of the incoming call consists in verifying whether the identifier of the incoming call [for example the "Caller ID ”or phone number] is a pre-registered ID.

According to a particular embodiment, the event triggering the connection to the access provider is a clock.

Preferably, the equipment comprises a WEB page server for the preparation of a page comprising at least one prerecorded part and at least one part containing a variable updated by a measurement means associated with said equipment.

According to a preferred embodiment, the equipment comprises a monolithic electronic component integrated into the Internet comprising an architecture of the DSP (Digital Signal Processor) type for connection to a telecommunications network and the exchange of data in accordance with at least one part. protocols.

The invention also relates to equipment comprising a means for access to the Internet network and the implementation of Internet protocols, a means for access to a telecommunications network [by a telephone line or by a wireless telephone network. such as the GSM network], and an interface with the telecommunications network capable of detecting an incoming call, as well as a means for detecting an incoming call, and activating the connection to an Internet service provider FAI as well as possibly a memory for recording the temporary IP address assigned by the access provider during the connection step, and the transmission of said temporary IP address to a remote Internet terminal or to a processing system some information.

Preferably, the equipment includes a memory for recording the components of at least one web page. According to a variant, it includes a means for manufacturing a web page comprising components recorded in random access memory and components originating from a data acquisition means associated or integrated with the equipment.

The present invention will be better understood on reading the description of a nonlimiting exemplary embodiment which follows, with reference to the appended drawing in which: FIG. 1 represents a flow diagram. FIG. 1 represents the flow of data between the different devices: a remote device (1) a server of an Internet access provider (2) - a control station (3).

The remote device (1) is a device comprising an interface for access to a telephone network on the one hand and for access to the Internet network on the other hand. The means of access to these two networks are not described in detail in the context of the present invention because they are part of the state of the art.

The remote equipment can be constituted by an electricity or gas meter that can be read remotely, an automatic distributor or a programmable automaton, or any metrology equipment requiring verification or localized information retrieval. Such equipment is advantageously equipped with an integrated monolithic electronic component for connection to a telecommunications network and data exchange in accordance with at least part of the Internet protocols comprising an architecture of the DSP (Digital Signal Processor) type. Preferably, the component according to the invention further comprises an analog / digital conversion component for the connection with a telecommunications network. This component is for example a DSP component comprising modem functions in which a program for the execution of the reduced Internet protocols is also loaded.

It is a component comprising an integrated processor to process the digital signal and to produce intermediate data and a grouping of shared RAM (random access memory) to store intermediate digital data.

The modem program controls the connection to the physical network connecting the equipment to the internet access point (2). The program for the execution of Internet protocols processes both the low layers (PPP, IP, TCP) and the high layers (HTTP, SMTP, P0P3, FTP) of all Internet protocols. The program loaded in the DSP therefore contains several protocols among the following: PPP,

IP, CP, part of HTTP, for controlling a simple web server,

SMTP for sending emails,

POP3 for receiving messages,

FTP for downloading files, Telnet.

In order to allow the execution of these programs in the low capacity memories of the DSP, the data are processed according to a particular algorithm avoiding the use of a plurality of working memories. The equipment does not have a permanent IP address. It is activated by an incoming call generated by the control station (3). (Arrow 4)

The equipment (1) checks the incoming call, for example the Caller ID or any other information available in the call waiting signal to check if the caller has an access right.

In the case of a positive verification, the equipment opens a session by connecting to the server (2) of the access provider (Arrow 5).

The access provider assigns a temporary IP address, which is transmitted to the remote device (1). Two operating cases are then possible: in the first, this information is communicated to the control post (3) by the telephone link and the Internet network (Arrows 5 and 6). The control station (3) can then access the equipment web page server (1) via the access provider (2) to access the web page recorded by the remote equipment (1), comprising information fixed and variable information.

- in the second, data is transmitted directly by electronic mail (in transmission and / or in reception) between the equipment (1) and the control post (3) by the telephone link and the Internet network (Arrows 5 and 6 ).

Claims

CLAIMS 1 - Method for activating an information communication function by remote equipment (1) [for example an electric meter or a water meter, an automatic distributor or a programmable controller] connectable to the Internet network and to a telecommunications network [by a telephone line or by a wireless telephone network such as the GSM network], said equipment comprising means for implementing Internet protocols, signal processing means for the effective transmission of the signals physical on telecommunications network and an interface with the telecommunications network capable of detecting an incoming call, the method comprising a step of activating said equipment connectable by a local or remote event [a telephone call or a timer for example], and the connection to an ISP ISP in response to said activation step characterized by that the method comprises a step of reading a temporary IP address assigned by the access provider during the connection step and: - either a step of transmitting said temporary IP address to an Internet terminal or an information processing system, followed by a step of reading WEB pages stored locally by said remote equipment by said Internet terminal or by said system of information processing, ie a step of direct transmission of information by electronic mail (in transmission and / or in reception) between said remote equipment and an Internet terminal or an information processing system, without prior transmission of the temporary IP address. 2 - Method for activating an information communication function according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that it comprises an initial step of verification by the remote equipment (1) of the incoming call. 3 - Method for activating an information communication function according to claim 1, characterized in that said step of verification by the remote equipment (1) of the incoming call consists in verifying whether the identifier of the incoming call [eg “Caller ID” or telephone number] corresponds to a pre-recorded identifier. 4 - Method for activating an information communication function according to claim 1, characterized in that the event triggering the connection to the access provider is a clock. 5 - Method for activating an information communication function according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the equipment comprises a WEB page server for the preparation of a page comprising at least part prerecorded and at least one part containing a variable updated by a measurement means associated with said equipment. 6 - Method for activating an information communication function according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the equipment comprises a monolithic electronic component integrated into the Internet comprising a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) type architecture for connection to a network of telecommunications and data exchange in accordance with at least part of the Internet protocols. 7 - Equipment for activating an information communication function according to the method according to claim 1 characterized in that it comprises a means for accessing the Internet network and the implementation of Internet protocols, a means for access to a telecommunications network [by a telephone line or by a wireless telephone network such as the GSM network], and an interface with the telecommunications network capable of detecting an incoming call, as well as a means for detecting an incoming call, and activating the connection to an ISP Internet access provider and a memory for recording the temporary IP address assigned by the access provider during the connection step, and transmitting said temporary IP address to a remote Internet terminal. 8 - Equipment for activating an information communication function according to claim 7, characterized in that it comprises a memory for recording the components of a web page at least. 9 - Equipment for activating an information communication function according to claim 7, characterized in that it comprises means for the manufacture of a web page comprising components recorded in random access memory and components originating a means of data acquisition associated or integrated with the equipment. 10 - Equipment for activating an information communication function according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that it comprises a Internet integrated monolithic electronic component comprising a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) type architecture for connection to a telecommunications network and data exchange in accordance with at least part of the Internet protocols.