Patent ID: 7424647

Claim:
An emission-monitoring system for transferring data from a first computer to a second computer, comprising: a first computer configured to generate a first message containing a first software variable having a first site-specific value, the first site-specific value indicative of whether one of a fault event, a maintenance event, or a calibration event has occurred; a second computer operably coupled to the first computer, the first computer further configured to transmit the first message to the second computer, the second computer further configured to store the first site-specific value in a first record of a first database, the first record being associated with the first software variable, the second computer further configured to determine whether the first site-specific value indicates that an event has occurred, wherein when the first site-specific value indicates that an event has occurred, the second computer is configured to generate a second software variable having both a second predetermined name and a value equal to a first standardized value indicating that an event has occurred, wherein when the first site-specific value indicates that an event has not occurred, the second computer is configured to generate a third software variable having both the second predetermined name and a value equal to a second standardized value indicating that an event has not occurred; and a third computer operably coupled to the second computer, the third computer configured to generate a second message containing a fourth software variable having a second site-specific value, the second site-specific value indicative of whether one of a fault event, a maintenance event, or a calibration event associated with the third computer has occurred; the second computer being operably coupled to the third computer, the third computer further configured to transmit the second message to the second computer, the second computer further configured to store the second site-specific value in a fourth record of the first database, the fourth record being associated with the fourth software variable, the second computer further configured to determine whether the second site-specific value indicates that an event has occurred, wherein when the second site-specific value indicates that an event has occurred the second computer is configured to generate a fifth software variable having both a second predetermined name and a value equal to the first standardized value indicating that an event has occurred, wherein when the second site-specific value indicates that an event has not occurred the second computer is configured to generate a sixth software variable having both the second predetermined name and a value equal to the second standardized value indicating that an event has not occurred.