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REMOTE CONTROLLED APPARATUS This invention relates to an apparatus for remotely controlling a device. In particular such an apparatus may be controlled using a mobile phone.
It is known to use a mobile phone in order to pay for items from vending machines. For example, in Finland, it is possible to use a mobile phone to buy chocolate from vending machines, operate jukeboxes or to operate automatic car wash systems. In Sweden it is possible for mobile phone users to use their phones to pay car parking fees.
Such known systems are operated by means of a telephone call to a particular number, causing their mobile phone to be debited by a fixed amount.
However, the problem with such known systems is that they are inflexible, and a call to a particular number has a predefined effect.
The present invention provides a flexible system for operating devices remotely, particularly although not exclusively by use of a mobile phone.
According to the present invention there is provided an apparatus for controlling a device comprising a modem; an interface for connection to said device; a programmable computer connected to the modem and the interface, and arranged to decode a first message received via the modem;
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and operate the device via said interface in dependence upon content of the message received.
Preferably, the first message is a text message sent using standard Short Messaging Service (SMS), thus providing flexibility using a standard facility which is easily available, particularly using a mobile phone.
In a preferred embodiment the computer is further arranged to send a second message via the modem to the mobile phone to confirm receipt of said first message.
In one embodiment of the invention the device is switched on or switched off in dependence upon the message received.
In another embodiment of the invention the device is a vending machine, and the computer is arranged to control the vending machine to vend products in dependence upon the content of the message received; and the second message is arranged to debit the mobile phone account by use of reverse billing.
If the vending machine has a keypad the second message may contain a code which may be entered to the vending machine via the keypad; and the computer is arranged to control the vending machine to vend products in dependence upon receipt of said code.
In another embodiment of the invention the computer is arranged to operate the device for a period of time in
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dependence upon the content of the message received; the second message is arranged to debit the mobile phone account by an amount, which is dependent upon the period of time, by use of reverse billing. In this embodiment of the invention a third message may be sent via the modem to the mobile phone when the period of time is about to expire such that another message may be sent by the mobile phone in order to operate the device for a further period of time.
According to another aspect of the invention there is also provided a method of controlling a device comprising the steps of receiving a message via a modem; decoding the message; controlling the device in dependence upon the content of the message.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 illustrates a lamp which is remotely controlled using a first embodiment of the present invention;Figure 2 is a flow chart illustrating the method of operating the lamp of Figure 1;Figure 3 is a flow chart illustrating the method of operating a parking meter;Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating an optional extension to the method illustrated in Figure 3; andFigure 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method of operating a vending machine.
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Figure 1 illustrates a first embodiment of the invention in which the apparatus controls a device which is a lamp.
The apparatus comprises a computer 3 connected to a modem2 and having an interface for connection to a lamp 4. The computer comprises a memory and a central processing unit.
The memory stores a computer program which codes instructions for carrying out the method of the present invention.
Referring additionally to Figure 2, a coded first message is composed using a mobile phone 1 at step 10 and sent to the modem 2 in the conventional manner at step 12 by using a phone number allocated to the modem 4. The modem receives the coded first message and sends said message to the computer 3. On receipt of the message, the computer decodes the received message at step 14 in order to determine the action that is required to be performed. In this embodiment there are two coded instructions which may be sent i. e. the lamp 4 may either be turned on or turned off. Depending upon the coded instruction received, the computer 3 operates the lamp 4 via the interface at step 16 in order to either turn the light on or turn the light off. The computer 3 may also generate a coded second message to be sent to the mobile phone 1, and send the second message via the modem 2 to inform the originating mobile phone that the required action has been performed (optional step not shown on the flow chart of Figure 2) It is possible to operate many types of equipment using this embodiment of the invention, for example ovens/cookers, heaters/heating systems, washing machines/driers, alarm systems/security devices, automatic gates/garage doors or any other device which one may
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require to turn on or off remotely.
Although the invention has been described with reference to use of a mobile phone to generate the first message, any device capable of sending a suitable coded message may be used in the first embodiment.
In another embodiment the invention may be used to control a timed device, in this example a parking meter as will now be described with reference to figures 3 and 4.
Having parked a car next to a parking meter, a user uses their mobile phone to compose and send a coded first message to the apparatus embodying the invention at steps 20 and 22, using a phone number displayed on the parking meter. The message is received by the computer 3, via the modem 2 and decoded at step 24 in order to determine the required time for parking. A second message is generated by the computer 3 at step 26 for sending back to the mobile phone, which uses a facility known as'reverse billing'. Reverse billing allows a message which is sent by a goods/service provider to a mobile phone to bill an amount to that mobile phone user's account. The goods/service provider is reimbursed by the relevant mobile telecommunications company. The generated message is sent back to the originating mobile phone, Therefore, the mobile phone user's account will be debited for the cost of the parking. At step 28 the computer 3 operates the parking meter (or a related display device) to display remaining time in dependence upon the content of the message received.
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Referring now to Figure 4 which illustrates an optional extension to the method described with reference to Figure3, when time/credit on the parking meter has reduced to a pre-set level (for example 50 pence/% an hour remaining) as determined at step 30, then a message is generated by the computer 3 at step 32 and that message is sent to the mobile phone 1 via the modem 2 at step 34 to inform the user that there is limited time/credit remaining on the parking meter.
The user may reply to such a reminder message at step 36 in order to increase the time or credit remaining on the parking meter by the pre-set amount. This will enable the user of the phone 1 to increase time/credit on the parking meter without having to return to the parking meter. The computer then generates and sends a message using reverse billing, at step 38, as described previously, and operates the parking meter display at step 39 as before.
In another embodiment the device to be operated using the apparatus of the present invention is a vending machine, which will be described now with reference to Figure 5.
A user uses a mobile phone to dial a phone number displayed on the vending machine. A coded first message is composed by a user at step 40 and sent to the modem 2 at step 42. The message is then sent to the computer 3. The computer 3 decodes the contents of the received message at step 44. In response to the contents of the message the computer 3 generates a second message for transmission back to the user at step 46. This message uses reverse billing to debit the user's mobile phone account, and the computer operates the vending machine via the interface at step 48 to cause the vending machine to vend items in dependence upon the content of the coded first message.
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In another embodiment of the invention the second message generated at step 46 facilitates payment using reverse billing as before. In addition, the second message contains a six digit code number. The mobile phone user then inputs the six digit number into the vending machine using a keypad o the vending machine at their leisure. In this embodiment step 48 is not carried out automatically, but only on receipt of the code number. The code number need not be used immediately and may be used, for example, up to one month after the six digit code number has been issued.
In the embodiments described herein, the computer 3 is a programmable computer. However, the computer 3 together with the modem 4 could be implemented using a bespoke printed circuit board (PCB) for a particular application.