Autonomous remote management device by SMS for printers, copiers and fax machines

The present invention consists of an electronic device which allows remote management of printers, copiers and/or fax machines (henceforth remote units) , that is, without requiring connection to a computer. It consists of three main modules: an SMS terminal; a controlling card; and the case. The controlling card consists of a digital system comprising a central processing unit such as a microcontroller, and a set of peripheral integrated circuits which define the following functions for the system: 1) the series connection of the SMS terminal, such as by a UART 2) connection to the remote unit by a port extension chip, such as integrated 8255. 3) Storage of the program and data in a local memory. 4) Management of the error protection and power system.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The electronic device disclose consists of three main modules: an SMS terminal; a controlling card; and the case itself. The function of the SMS terminal is to receive and send shore messages. It may be embodied by conventional mobile sets provided with a specific control software, or by GSM, GSM stage 2 or UTSM modems which already include such software. Each terminal is associated to a telephone number which identifies the printer. The controlling card allows to control the SMS terminal and the remote unit without requiring a computer. It comprises a processing unit such as a Motorola 68hcll 8 bit microcontroller or its equivalent, and a set of peripheral integrated circuits which define the following functions for the system: 1) the series connection of the SMS terminal by a UART or its technological equivalent for this purpose 2) connection to the remote unit by a port extension chip, such as integrated 8255. 3) Storage of the program and data in a local memory. 4) Management of the error protection and power system. The case is the third element involved, and although it is not part of the electronics it does incorporate the required connections for the cables of the remote unit, as well as a magnetised surface for attachment to a side of said unit. The prefered use of the autonomous remote device is the management of printers, copiers and/or fax machines, but the autonomous device could be also used for management of other type of remote units. As non limiting examples, the following units can be mentioned: pay per view digital television decoders (in which the device may activate reception of channels without recurring to the conventional fixed telephone line as previously, as well as other functions which the remote unit allows for management and billing of the various services associated), motor vehicles (in which the number of kilometres travelled can be monitored for purposes of maintenance or billing by distance travelled, or to remotely check the state of the vehicle, or block it due to theft, as well as other functions which the remote unit allows for management and billing of the various services associated), supply counters for gas, electricity or water (for performing the reading without having to send workers or to provide credit to continue consumption, such as by allowing the customer to prepay a certain amount of water, gas or electricity supply, as well as other functions which the remote unit allows for management and billing of the various services associated), elevators (for monitoring their operational status and program maintenance, sending rescue personnel if the alarm is activated, as well as other functions which the remote unit allows for management and billing of the various services associated), ships (for monitoring their operational status, and programming their maintenance, as well as other functions which the remote unit allows), industrial machinery (for monitoring their operational status, and programming maintenance, checking cycle counters for later billing by usage, as well as other functions which the remote unit allows for management and billing of the various services associated), property protection alarms (to send an alarm signal to the central station without requiring the use of a conventional telephone line, monitoring the status of the installation, as well as other functions which the remote unit allows for management and billing of the various services associated), computers, both personal and servers, “thin clients” and others (to measure the use of hardware or applications used by it, and the status and versions of these, as well as other functions which the remote unit allows for later billing for use and management and billing of the various services associated). 
 PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION A typical operation scheme for the system is as follows. When data is desired from one of the distributed remote units, a short message is sent from the central station with the instruction for obtaining said data to the telephone number associated to the remote nit. The device connected to the remote unit will receive the short message and process it, immediately sending the instruction to the remote unit. This unit shall supply the data requested sending it to the device, where it is processed and then sent to the central station via another short message. Additionally, when the remote unit detects a malfunction or is low on toner, or simply after reaching a set number of cycles (or copies), it generates an instruction which is received by the device, which processes it and sends it to the central station by an SMS short message.