Monitoring and reporting system using cellular carriers

A method of servicing a vending machine capable of communicating with a central station using a cellular carrier, the vending machine including a telemetry device comprising a cellular transceiver and an antenna coupled to the cellular transceiver, the method comprising:

• receiving an incoming signal in the cellular transceiver;
• generating a receiver signal strength indication based on the received signal;
• generating human perceivable signals based on the receiver signal strength indication, wherein a rate of the human perceivable signals is indicative of the strength of incoming receiver signals;
• adjusting a position of the antenna based on the human perceivable signals to increase the reception strength of incoming signals;
• measuring a strength of noise associated with an incoming signal;
• and
• using feedback to adjust the amplitude of a peak-to-peak outgoing signal to reduce the noise.

A method of modifying, supplementing or replacing software code residing in memory associated with one of a plurality of sub-units of a vending machine, the method comprising:

• transmitting segments of software code from a remote station to a telemetry device in the vending machine using a cellular carrier;
• assembling the segments of software code in the telemetry device;
• and
• routing the assembled software code to a coin mechanism in the vending machine to update existing software in the coin mechanism.

A method of modifying, supplementing or replacing software code residing in memory associated with one of a plurality of sub-units of a vending machine, the method comprising:

• transmitting segments of software code from a remote station to a telemetry device in the vending machine using a cellular carrier;
• assembling the segments of software code in the telemetry device;
• and
• routing the assembled software to a bill validator in the vending machine to update existing software in the bill validator.

A method of modifying, supplementing or replacing software code residing in memory in a vending machine, the method comprising:

• transmitting segments of software code from a remote station to a telemetry device in the vending machine using a cellular carrier;
• assembling the segments of software code in the telemetry device;
• storing the assembled software code in a currently unused memory bank of the vending machine;
• reconfiguring the vending machine so that at least some old software code is no longer accessed during subsequent vending machine operations, wherein the act of reconfiguring includes swapping memory banks containing the old software code and the assembled software code.

A telemetry device for use in a monitoring system, the telemetry device comprising:

• a cellular transceiver;
• a digital signal processor-based modem;
• and
• memory storing software corresponding to protocols for a plurality of cellular network technologies each of which uses a different protocol for receiving and transmitting signals,
• wherein the telemetry device is configurable to provide monitored information to a central station using a first one of the cellular network technologies, and wherein the telemetry device can be reconfigured, in response to signals received from the central station using the first cellular network technology, to transmit and receive signals subsequently using a second one of the cellular network technologies.

A telemetry device for use in a monitoring system, the telemetry device comprising:

• a cellular transceiver;
• a digital signal processor-based modem;
• and
• memory storing software corresponding to protocols for a plurality of cellular network technologies,
• wherein the telemetry device is configurable to provide monitored information to a central station using a first one of the cellular network technologies, and wherein the telemetry device can be reconfigured, in response to signals received from the central station using the first cellular network technology, to transmit and receive signals subsequently using a second one of the cellular network technologies, and
• wherein the cellular transceiver comprises frequency band filters which are adjustable so that the cellular transceiver transmits and receives signals in frequency ranges of a selected one of the cellular network technologies.

A telemetry device for use in a monitoring system, the telemetry device comprising:

• a cellular transceiver;
• a digital signal processor-based modem;
• and
• memory storing software corresponding to protocols for a plurality of cellular network technologies,
• wherein the telemetry device is configurable to provide monitored information to a central station using a first one of the cellular network technologies, and wherein the telemetry device can be reconfigured, in response to signals received from the central station using the first cellular network technology, to transmit and receive signals subsequently using a second one of the cellular network technologies;
• and
• wherein the cellular receiver includes:
• an antenna;
• a transmitter;
• a receiver;
• a duplexer with a first port connected to the antenna, a second port connected to the receiver and a third port connected to the transmitter;
• a first switch connected between the antenna and the transmitter;
• and
• a second switch connected between the antenna and the receiver,
• whereby the cellular transceiver can transmit and receive signals using either a duplex or half duplex carrier.