Connectionless obtainment of dynamic information over wireless transmission

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11689908-B2
Application number	US-202017085612-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2020
Priority date	Nov 1, 2019
Publication date	Jun 27, 2023
Grant date	Jun 27, 2023

Abstract

An embodiment provides a method for transferring information from at least one instrument to an application, including: establishing a central protocol structure, wherein the central protocol structure defines a format for information transmitted utilizing the central protocol structure; receiving, at the application and over a wireless communication channel information from the at least one instrument, wherein the information is formatted in view of the central protocol structure; and performing, within the application, an action with respect to the information within the application, wherein the performing comprises deciphering the information contained in view of the central protocol structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for transferring information from at least one instrument to an application running on a central device, comprising:
setting up a central protocol structure, wherein the establishing comprises creating a unique central protocol structure, wherein the central protocol structure is unique for a system comprising the at least one instrument and the application and is customized for a transfer of information between the at least one instrument to the application, wherein the creating comprises defining a format for information transmitted utilizing the central protocol structure, wherein the defined format identifies what information is transmitted in each data packet of the central protocol structure and a location of each data packet within the central protocol structure;
receiving, at the application, and over a short-range wireless communication channel, information from the at least one instrument, wherein the information is contained within a broadcast packet and formatted, by the at least one instrument, per the central protocol structure, wherein the broadcast packet is broadcast regardless of whether the application received the broadcast packet; and
performing, within the application, an action with respect to the information within the application, wherein the performing comprises deciphering, at the application, the information contained within the broadcast packet utilizing the format of the central protocol structure.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the short-range wireless communication channel uses UHF radio waves.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication channel comprises a short-range communication channel and the broadcast packet comprises an advertising packet.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information is dynamically updated as the at least one instrument changes data.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the performing an action comprises displaying the information and wherein the information displayed within the application is dynamically updated as the information is dynamically updated.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the application receives the information without connecting to the at least one instrument.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the formatting the information comprises serializing the information into byte data per the format defined by the central protocol structure.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the deciphering comprises de-serializing the information per the format defined by the central protocol structure.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the central protocol structure comprises an encrypted protocol buffer that encrypts information transmitted utilizing the central protocol structure; and wherein the performing comprises decrypting the information.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the application receives information from a number of instruments, wherein the number of instruments the application can receive information from at a single time is greater than 20 instruments.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information comprises at least one of: an instrument identifier, measurement data obtained by the instrument, timestamp information, and a parameter of the instrument.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the defining comprises utilizing a known wire protocol and customizing the known wire protocol for the system.

13. An information handling device for transferring information from at least one instrument to an application running on a central device, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory device that stores instructions executable by the processor to:
set up a central protocol structure, wherein the establishing comprises creating a unique central protocol structure, wherein the central protocol structure is unique for a system comprising the at least one instrument and the application and is customized for a transfer of information between the at least one instrument to the application, wherein the creating comprises defining format for information transmitted utilizing the central protocol structure, wherein the defined format identifies what information is transmitted in each data packet of the central protocol structure and a location of each data packet within the central protocol structure;
receive, at the application and over a short-range wireless communication channel information from the at least one instrument, wherein the information is contained within a broadcast packet and formatted, by the at least one instrument, per the central protocol structure, wherein the broadcast packet is broadcast regardless of whether the application received the broadcast packet; and
perform, within the application, an action with respect to the information within the application, wherein the performing comprises deciphering, at the application, the information contained within the broadcast packet utilizing the format of the central protocol structure.

14. The information handling device of claim 13 , wherein the information is dynamically updated as the at least one instrument changes data.

15. The information handling device of claim 13 , wherein the performing an action comprises displaying the information and wherein the information displayed within the application is dynamically updated as the information is dynamically updated.

16. The information handling device of claim 13 , wherein the application receives the information without connecting to the at least one instrument.

17. The information handling device of claim 13 , wherein the formatting the information comprises serializing the information into byte data per the format defined by the central protocol structure.

18. The information handling device of claim 17 , wherein the deciphering comprises de-serializing the information per the format defined by the central protocol structure.

19. The information handling device of claim 13 , wherein the central protocol structure comprises an encrypted protocol buffer that encrypts information transmitted utilizing the central protocol structure; and wherein the performing comprises decrypting the information.

20. The information handling device of claim 13 , wherein the wireless communication channel comprises a short-range communication channel and the broadcast packet comprises an advertising packet.

21. The information handling device of claim 13 , wherein the instrument is configured for testing a quality of a sample of water.

22. A product for transferring information from at least one instrument to an application, comprising:
a storage device that stores code, the code being executable by a processor and comprising:
code that sets up a central protocol structure, wherein the establishing comprises creating a unique central protocol structure, wherein the central protocol structure is unique for a system comprising the at least one instrument and the application and is customized for a transfer of information between the at least one instrument to the application, wherein the creating comprises defining a format for information transmitted utilizing the central protocol structure, wherein the defined format identifies what information is transmitted in each data packet of the central protocol structure and a location of each data packet within the central protocol structure;
code that receives, at the application and over a wireless communication channel information from the at least one instrument, wherein the information is contained within a broadcast pac

Assignees

• Hach Co

Inventors

• Harmon Brian Alan
• Lipinski Gregory James
• Williams Joseph Rockstan
• Mooney Theophilus Brian

Classifications

• H04W8/005

  Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals · CPC title

• H04W4/80 Primary

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• H04W84/18

  Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks · CPC title

• H04W76/14

  Direct-mode setup · CPC title

• H04W4/38

  for collecting sensor information · CPC title