Patent ID: 8126665

Claim:
A device for monitoring a meter, the device comprising: an antenna adapted for receiving via a network incoming data from a client remote control station, and for transmitting via a network outgoing data to said client remote control station; a cellular modem coupled to said antenna for establishing a wireless telephony data connection; a server processor coupled to said server modem for receiving and processing incoming data, and for processing and communicating outgoing data to said modem for transmission via said antenna and said network to said client remote control station; a communication interface connected to said server processor and connectable to said meter for communicating incoming data from said server processor to said meter, and for communicating said outgoing data from said meter to said server processor; and program code residing in said modem for: receiving a message inquiring whether the network is available; generating a reply indicating network availability; receiving an instruction to listen for an inbound data call; generating an acknowledgment of the instruction received; facilitating the opening of a traffic channel between the modem and the network; generating a message to the server processor indicating that there is a traffic channel open on the network; facilitating establishing a point-to-point protocol (PPP) between the modem and the network; generating a message to the server processor that a PPP is set up between the modem and the network; facilitating establishing a mobile IP number between the modem and the network; generating a message to the server processor to enter into a Listen mode; generating a request to establish a connection between the modem and the client remote control station; generating a connection message to the server processor; facilitating establishing a transmission control protocol (TCP) between the modem and client remote control station; generating a message to the server processor to enable data carrier detect (DCD) signaling; facilitating the transmission of data between the server processor and the client remote control station; closing the connection between the modem and client remote control station; generating a message to the server processor to disable DCD signaling; generating a message to the server processor to enter a Listen mode; generating a request to close the connection between the server processor and the client remote control station and enter into one of a circuit switch data (CSD) mode and a TCP-IP mode; receiving from the server processor a message indicating that the server processor is exiting from the Listen mode; generating an acknowledgment that the server processor is no longer in the Listen mode; facilitating closing of the mobile IP and PPP connection between the modem and the network; and generating a message to the server processor to disconnect from the modem.