Patent ID: 6150955
Filing Date: 2000-11-21
Classification: G01D,G07F,G08C,H04M,H04Q,H04W,Y02B,Y04S

Abstract:
An apparatus for transmitting data via a digital control channel of a digital wireless network, the digital wireless network including a base station controller and at least one base transceiver system associated with the base station controller, the apparatus comprising:a universal meter reader having meter data associated therewith, the universal meter reader further having an address;a plurality of data packets which are transmitted over the digital control channel, each of the plurality of data packets including a data packet header, wherein during conventional operation data packets are communicated from the base station controller to said at least one base transceiver system and each data packet header includes either a channel control identifier identifying its corresponding data packet as including channel control information or a dummy information identifier identifying its corresponding data packet as including dummy information;a control channel assembler/disassembler used to monitor the data packet headers transmitted from the base station controller to the base transceiver system; and,a remote device which transmits instructions to the universal meter reader via the control channel assembler/disassembler,wherein the control channel assembler/disassembler receives an instruction from the remote device, identifies a data packet header having a dummy information identifier, replaces the dummy information included in the data packet with diverted data, and replaces the dummy information identifier with a diverted data identifier which corresponds to the address of the universal meter reader, the diverted data including the instruction to be sent to the universal meter reader from the remote device, and wherein the control channel assembler/disassembler neither creates additional packets nor increases packet traffic in the control channel.