Patent ID: 8010640
Filing Date: 2011-08-30
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for automatic configuration of wirelessly communicating remotely deployed digital devices within a particular carrier's wireless network on behalf of a utility company customer that uses configured digital devices to receive information collected by equipment operatively connected to configured digital devices and to provide commands to equipment operatively connected to the configured digital devices via a customer data management system, the digital devices communicating with the customer data management system upon activation on and via the particular carrier's wireless network, comprising: providing a configuration server for storing configuration information associated with the unconfigured digital devices in association with (a) customer information, (b) device status information, and (c) wireless network activation information corresponding to parameters for digital devices required for communications by the digital devices on the particular carrier's wireless network; providing a plurality of unconfigured digital devices, comprising integrated module components, configured for default communication with the configuration server but not the customer data management system via the particular carrier's wireless network; providing a list file to the configuration server, the list file associated with the plurality of unconfigured digital devices and including customer profile information for each integrated module component corresponding to a network address for the customer data management system; activating an unconfigured digital device, from the plurality of digital devices, for operation on the particular carrier's wireless network; recording a status of the unconfigured digital device to “activated” in the device status information in the stored configuration information; upon power-up of the unconfigured device in within the particular carrier's wireless network, receiving at the configuration server a request from the unconfigured digital device for configuration data via the particular carrier's wireless network; providing configuration information to the unconfigured digital device from the configuration server via the wireless network, the configuration information including customer data for configuring the unconfigured digital device and the network address for registering the digital device for communications with the customer data management system; in response to successful receipt of the configuration information from the configuration server by the unconfigured digital device, changing the status of the unconfigured digital device to “configured” in the device status information in the stored configuration information; receiving a “registered” communication at the configuration server from the customer data management system indicating that a configured digital device has successfully communicated with the customer data management system to register for operations; and in response to receipt of the “registered” communication, changing the status of the digital device to “registered” in the device status information in the stored configuration information, wherein the digital devices are coupled to utility meters, whereby an unconfigured digital device is remotely activated and configured for communications and operations with the customer data management system via the particular carrier's wireless network.