Method and system for controlling a multi-terminal system
View Patent ↗A method and system for controlling a terminal includes a receiving unit in communication with the plurality of terminals receiving a command signal and converting the command signal to a serial port control signal. The receiving unit formats the serial port control signal to form a formatted signal. A terminal device receives the formatted signal, recovers the serial port control signal from the formatted signal and controls a terminal device in response to the serial port control signal.
1. A method comprising:
converting a command signal to a serial port control signal;
formatting the serial port control signal to form a formatted signal;
communicating the formatted signal to a terminal device;
recovering the serial port control signal from the formatted signal at the terminal device; and
controlling the terminal device in response to the serial port control signal.
2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein prior to converting a command signal to a serial port control signal, receiving a command signal from a network command device.
3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein converting the command signal comprises converting the command signal to a serial port control signal and a terminal identifier.
4. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein communicating the formatted signal comprises communicating the formatted signal to a receiving device in response to the terminal identifier.
5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the formatted signal to terminal device comprises communicating the formatted signal to a plurality of terminal devices.
6. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein controlling a terminal device in response to the serial port control signal comprises controlling a plurality of terminal devices in response to the serial port control signal.
7. A method as recited in claim 6 wherein controlling a plurality of terminal devices in response to the serial port control signal comprises simultaneously tuning the plurality of terminal devices to a predetermined channel.
8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein controlling a terminal device in response to the serial port control signal comprises tuning a terminal device to a predetermined channel.
9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein formatting the serial port control signal comprises communicating the formatting the serial port signal into a real time transfer protocol signal.
10. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising communicating an acknowledgement signal from the terminal to a receiving unit in response to controlling the terminal device in response to the serial port control signal.
11. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein controlling the terminal device comprises controlling the terminal device in a vehicle.
12. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein controlling the terminal device comprises controlling the terminal device in a building.
13. A method of controlling a terminal device comprising:
generating a command signal for the terminal device having a terminal device identifier;
communicating the command signal and the terminal device identifier to a receiving unit;
converting the command signal to a serial port signal;
communicating a packetized signal incorporating the serial port signal to a terminal device corresponding to the terminal device identifier;
extracting the serial port signal from the packetized signal; and
implementing the serial port signal at the receiving unit.
14. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein generating a command signal comprises generating the command signal for a plurality of terminals having a plurality of terminal device identifiers and wherein communicating the packetized signal comprises communicating the packetized signal incorporating the serial port signal to the plurality of terminals corresponding to the plurality of terminal device identifiers.
15. A method as recited in claim 13 further comprising communicating an acknowledgement signal from the terminal to the receiving unit in response to implementing the serial port signal at the receiving service.
16. A system comprising:
a receiving unit receiving a command signal, determining a corresponding serial port signal and formatting the serial port signal to form a formatted signal; and
a terminal device receiving the formatted signal, recovering the serial port signal from the formatted signal and controlling function in response to the serial port signal.
17. A system as recited in claim 16 wherein the terminal device comprises a plurality of terminal devices.
18. A system as recited in claim 17 wherein the plurality of terminals is disposed within a building.
19. A system as recited in claim 17 wherein the plurality of terminals is disposed within a vehicle.
20. A system as recited in claim 17 wherein the plurality of terminals is simultaneously tuned in response to the serial port control signal.
21. A system as recited in claim 16 further comprising a network management device generating the command signal.
22. A system as recited in claim 16 wherein the formatted signal comprises an IP encoded signal.