Wireless communications application specific enabling method and apparatus

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method for communicating messages between a remote monitoring device coupled to a communicator and a central monitoring station over a cellular telephone network that includes a voice channel and a control channel wherein the voice channel conveys data and the control channel conveys control signals that manage access to and use of the voice channel, the method comprising the steps of:

a) transmitting a message from the remote monitoring device to the communicator, the message comprising data related to a specific application;

b) receiving at the communicator the message transmitted from a remote monitoring device;

c) encoding at the communicator the message transmitted from the remote monitoring device to create an encoded message for transmission over the the control channel as control signals to the central monitoring station;

d) transmitting the encoded message from the communicator to the central monitoring station over the control channel, bypassing the voice channel;

e) receiving at the central monitoring station the encoded message transmitted from the communicator over the control channel; and

f) decoding at the central monitoring station the encoded message transmitted from the communicator over the control channel to extract the message transmitted by the remote monitoring device to the communicator.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote monitoring device comprises an alarm system, and the step of receiving at the communicator the message transmitted from the remote monitoring device comprises receiving at the communicator data specifying a status of the alarm system transmitted from the alarm system.

3. the method of claim 1, wherein the remote monitoring device comprises a tracking system, and the step of receiving at the communicator the message transmitted from the remote monitoring device comprises receiving at the communicator tracking data transmitted from the tracking system.

4. the method of claim 1, wherein the step of encoding at the communicator the message transmitted from the remote monitoring device to create an encoded message from transmission over the control channel as control signals to the central monitoring station comprises manipulating a Mobile Identification Number (MIN) of the communicator to create a manipulated MIN that includes the message.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of transmitting the encoded message from the communicator to the central monitoring station over the control channel, bypassing the voice channel, comprises transmitting the manipulated MIN from the communicator to the central monitoring station over the control channel, bypassing the voice channel.

6. the method of claim 5, wherein the step of decoding at the central monitoring station the encoded message transmitted from the communicator over the control channel to extract the message transmitted by the remote monitoring device to the communicator comprises extracting the message from the manipulated MIN transmitted from the communicator to the central monitoring station over the control channel, bypassing the voice channel.

7. A cellular telephone network that includes a plurality of voice channels and a control channel wherein the plurality of voice channels convey data and the control channel conveys control signals that manage access to and use of the plurality of voice channels, comprising:

a remote data source;

a communicator coupled to the remote data source to receive a message transmitted from the remote data source, the message comprising data related to a specific application, the communicator encoding the message to create an encoded message for transmission over the control channel as control signals and transmitting the encoded message over the control channel, bypassing the plurality of voice channels;

a Mobile Telephone Switching Office (MTSO) coupled to the communicator to receive the encoded message from the communicator via the control channel and transmit the encoded message in its encoded form over the control channel, bypassing the plurality of voice channels; and

a central monitoring decoding system coupled to the MTSO to receive the encoded message from the MTSO over the control channel, bypassing the plurality of voice channels, the central monitoring decoding system decoding the encoded message to extract the message transmitted from the remote data source to the communicator.

8. In a wireless data communications network that includes a voice channel for transmitting voice data and a control channel for transmitting control data that controls access to and use of the voice channel, a method for transmitting messages between a remote device coupled to a communicator and a central monitoring station over the control channel of the wireless data communications network, comprising the steps of:

a) transmitting a message from the remote device to the communicator, the message comprising data related to a specific application;

b) receiving at the communicator the message transmitted from the remote device;

c) encoding at the communicator the message transmitted from the remote device to create an encoded message for transmission over the control channel as control signals to the central monitoring station, by passing the voice channel

d) transmitting the encoded message from the communicator over the control channel to the central monitoring station;

e) receiving at the central monitoring station the encoded message transmitted from the communicator over the control channel; and

f) decoding at the central monitoring station the encoded message transmitted from the communicator over the control channel to retrieve the message transmitted from the remote device to the communicator.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the control channel for transmitting control data the controls access to and use of the voice channel includes a digital traffic channel for transmitting control data, the step of transmitting the encoded message from the communicator over the control channel to the central monitoring station includes the step of transmitting the encoded message from the communicator over the digital traffic channel to the central monitoring station, and the step of receiving at the central monitoring station the encoded message transmitted from the communicator over the control channel includes the step of receiving at the central monitoring station the encoded message transmitted from the communicator over the digital traffic channel.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the remote device coupled to the communicator includes a monitoring system and the step of receiving at the communicator the message transmitted from the remote device includes the step of receiving at the communicator the message transmitted from the monitoring system.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the monitoring system coupled to the communicator includes an alarm system and the step of receiving at the communicator the message transmitted from the monitoring system includes the step of receiving at the communicator the message transmitted from the alarm system, wherein the message transmitted from the alarm system specifies the status of the alarm system.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the monitoring system coupled to the communicator includes a tracking system and the step of receiving at the communicator the message transmitted from the monitoring system includes the step of receiving at the communicator the message transmitted from the tracking system, wherein the message transmitted from the tracking system specifies a location of an object.

13. the method of claim 10, wherein the monitoring system coupled to the communicator includes a public utility meter and the step of receiving at the communicator the message transmitted from the monitoring system includes the step of receiving at the communicator the message transmitted from the public utility meter, wherein the message transmitted from the public utility meter specifies public utility usage information.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the step of encoding at the communicator the message transmitted from the remote device to create an encoded message for transmission over the control channel as control signals to the central monitoring station further comprises manipulating a Mobile Identification Number (MIN) assigned to the communicator to create a manipulated MIN that includes the message transmitted from the remote device to the communicator; and

the step of transmitting the encoded message from the communicator over the control channel to the central monitoring station includes transmitting the manipulated MIN from the communicator over the control channel to the central monitoring station.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of decoding at the central monitoring station the encoded message transmitted from the communicator over the control channel to retrieve the message transmitted from the remote device to the communicator comprises deriving at the central monitoring station the message from the manipulated MIN transmitted from the communicator over the control channel to the central monitoring station.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the step of encoding at the communicator the message transmitted from the remote device to create an encoded message for transmission over the control channel as control signals to the central monitoring station further comprises manipulating an Electronic Serial Number (ESN) assigned to the communicator to create a manipulated ESN that includes the message transmitted from the remote device to the communicator; and

the step of transmitting the encoded message from the communicator over the control channel to the central monitoring station includes transmitting the manipulated ESN from the communicator over the control channel to the central monitoring station.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of decoding at the central monitoring station the encoded message transmitted from the communicator over the control channel to retrieve the message transmitted from the remote device to the communicator comprises deriving at the central monitoring station the message from the manipulated ESN transmitted from the communicator over the control channel to the central monitoring station.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the step of encoding at the communicator the message transmitted from the remote device to create an encoded message for transmission over the control channel as control signals to the central monitoring station further comprises manipulating a Shared Secret Data (SSD) to create a manipulated SSD that includes the message transmitted from the remote device to the communicator; and

the step of transmitting the encoded message from the communicator over the control channel to the central monitoring station includes transmitting the manipulate SSD from the communicator over the control channel to the central monitoring station.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of decoding at the central monitoring station encoded message transmitted from the communicator over the control channel to retrieve the message transmitted from the remote device to the communicator comprises deriving at the central monitoring station the message from the manipulated SSD transmitted from the communicator over the control channel to the central monitoring station.

20. In a wireless data communications network that includes a voice channel for transmitting voice data and a control channel for transmitting control data that controls access to and use of the voice channel, a method for transmitting messages from an application specific central monitoring station coupled to a central monitoring station to a remote device coupled to a communicator, over the control channel of the wireless data communications network, comprising the steps of:

a) transmitting a message from the application specific central monitoring system to the central monitoring station, the message comprising data related to a specific application;

b) receiving at the central monitoring station the message transmitted from the application specific central monitoring system;

c) encoding at the central monitoring station the message to create an encoded message for transmission over the control channel as control signals to the communicator; and

d) transmitting the encoded message from the central monitoring station over the control channel, bypassing the voice channel, to the communicator;

e) receiving at the communicator the encoded message transmitted from the central monitoring station over the control channel;

f) decoding at the communicator the encoded message transmitted from the central monitoring station over the control channel to extract the message;

g) transmitting the message from the communicator to the remote device; and

h) receiving at the remote device the message transmitted from the communicator.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the control channel for transmitting control data that controls access to and use of the voice channel includes a digital traffic channel and the step of transmitting the encoded message from the central monitoring station over the control channel, bypassing the voice channel, to the communicator includes the step of transmitting the encoded message from the central monitoring station over the digital traffic channel to the communicator.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of receiving at the central monitoring station the message transmitted from the application specific central monitoring station includes the step of receiving at the central monitoring station the message transmitted from a security system central monitoring station, wherein the message transmitted from the security system central monitoring station specifies a request for status from a remote alarm system couples to the communicator.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of receiving at the central monitoring station the message transmitted from the application specific central monitoring station includes the step of receiving at the central monitoring station the message transmitted from a tracking system central monitoring station, wherein the message transmitted from the tracking system central monitoring station specifies a request for a location of a remote object coupled to the communicator.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of receiving at the central monitoring station the message transmitted from the application specific central monitoring system includes the step of receiving at the central monitoring station the message transmitted from a public utilities central monitoring station, wherein the message transmitted from the public utilities central monitoring system specifies a request for a public utility meter reading from a public utility meter coupled to the communicator.