Cellemetry Data Services Explained

Cellemetry Data Services, abbreviated Cellemetry and stylized Cellemetry^sm, was a cellular-telephony-based Internet of things^{[1] [2] [3]} network introduced commercially in 1996.^{[4] [5]} Cellemetry was designed to operate over the existing cellular network, allowing it to be rapidly deployed.^[6]

History

Cellemetry was invented by Peter Roach, Scott Laster, and Ed Comer in 1994^[7] while working for BellSouth^sm.^[8] BellSouth^sm partnered with Numerex^sm[9] to offer Cellemetry and Numerex eventually acquired the rights to Cellemetry data service.^[10] Numerex^sm was eventually acquired by Sierra Wireless.^[11] The Cellemetry network was decommissioned^[12] when the cellular network transitioned from analog to digital cellular. Sierra Wireless still uses the Cellemetry name, with a different technology.

Products and technology

Cellemetry operated by sending messages over the signalling channel of the analog cellular network.^[13] It used a non-dialable telephone number as the device identifier and inserted a device generated data message in place of the phone serial number. The Cellemetry device would then send out a registration message^{[14] [13]} to the home cellular system. The Cellemetry message would then transverse the SS7) signaling network along with normal traffic. When the message arrived at the home cellular system, a specialized server^[15] would act as the home location register (HLR^[16]) and would take the message off of the cellular network and send it to the intended application or application service provider.^{[17] [18] [19] [20] [21]} For an outbound message, the Cellemetry server would receive a message from an application or service provider, and then send a 'ring' signal to the device as if it was ringing a normal cellular telephone.

The inbound channel (device to the network) channel was much more robust than the outbound channel (network to device). Outbound messages were generally restricted to trigger messages that caused a large number of devices to perform an action, report status, or other similar action. For example, an outbound messages might cause a set of vending machines to report their inventory level, change pricing, etc. Later versions of Cellemetry used other signaling messages such as USSD messages^[22] as the outbound messaging mechanism.

Cellemetry had a number of advantages that led to its widespread adoption worldwide.

• CSMA-style channel sharing with exponential backoff.^[23]
• Since the Cellemetry messages were carried over the cell site signaling channel, they tended to have a higher coverage than cellular voice calls. This was mainly due to the architecture of the signaling channel where the messages are repeated several times (typically three) and included check bits. This allowed Cellemetry devices to be placed further into buildings or on the edge of the cellular coverage were normal voice calls may not have been possible^[24]
• Cellemetry devices utilized many of the components of a traditional analog cellular telephone. This allowed the Cellemetry devices to take advantages of the cost efficiencies of the rapidly growing cellular telephone base.^[23] Many early Cellemetry modems were analog cellular telephones without the human interface or the case.

As the analog cellular network was phased out, the analog Cellemetry devices were eventually discontinued or transitioned to the GSM network using a different technology.

Legacy

Cellemetry was used for monitoring and control of:

• Highway crash attenuators, traffic control signal, flood water, and tower beacons^[25]
• Railroad equipment / signals^[26]
• Public busses
• School buses^[27]
• Automatic vehicle location and wireless information systems^[28]
• Trucks^[29]
• Alarm systems
• Shipping container location^[30]
• Refrigerated transport^[31]
• Vending machines
• Galvanic corrosion for pipelines^[32]

External links

• Book: Wiebe, Michael. A Guide to Utility Automation: AMR, SCADA, and IT Systems . 1999 . PennWell Books. 9780878147670 .
• Book: Bedell, Paul . Wireless Crash Course . 2005 . McGraw Hill Professional. 9780071452809 .

Notes and References

1. Web site: What is the IoT? Everything you need to know about the Internet of Things right now. Steve. Ranger. ZDNet.
2. Web site: History of IoT Innovation &Technology Leadership . Sierra Wireless.
3. Web site: Digital Communications Technologies - History.
4. Book: Harte, Lawrence. The Comprehensive Guide to Wireless Technologies. APDG Publishing. 2000. 9780965065849.
5. Web site: BellSouth Chalking Up Contracts for Cellemetry. 30 November 1999.
6. Web site: With Footprint Nearly in Place, Cellemetry Focuses on Applications. 30 November 1999.
7. Web site: BellSouth Tests New Technology for Wireless Tracking Capability. 30 November 1999.
8. Web site: History of BellSouth Corporation . FundingUniverse.
9. Eight New Cellular Carriers Provide BellSouth's Cellemetry Data Service Using New Centralized Service Bureau . Wireless Telecommunications Monthly Newsletter . Information Gatekeepers Inc . April 1998.
10. Web site: Numerex buys Cingular s Cellemetry shares - 2003-03-31 - Atlanta Business Chronicle. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20030416185942/http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2003/03/31/daily10.html. 2003-04-16.
11. Web site: Sierra Wireless, Inc. Completes Acquisition of Numerex Corp.. Sierra Wireless.
12. Web site: Analog cellular networks, R.I.P.: 1983 - 2008. Engadget. 18 February 2008 .
13. Web site: Archived copy . 2019-03-07 . 2019-07-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190722104722/http://alarmsbc.com/tech/pdf/overskyroute.pdf . dead .
14. Book: Arokiamary, V. Jeyasri . Cellular and Mobile Communications . 2019 . Technical Publications. 9788184315851 .
15. Book: Wireless Personal Communications: Advances in Coverage and Capacity . Jeffrey H. . Reed . Theodore S. . Rappaport . Brian D. . Woerner . 2012 . Springer Science & Business Media. 9781461562375 .
16. Web site: Home Location Register (HLR). TechTarget – SearchNetworking.
17. Web site: Products. 30 November 1999. RCR Wireless News.
18. Web site: News Releases. phx.corporate-ir.net.
19. Web site: Cellular System Solves Lift Station Monitoring Problems. waterworld.com. December 2002 .
20. Web site: InterTrak, Televoke & Numerex Introduce Automotive Safety Product, LifeTrak; Security is More Important Than Ever Before. theautochannel.com.
21. Web site: Cellemetry, LLC: Private Company Information . Bloomberg L.P..
22. Web site: How ussd works — Ussd Airflow 0.0 documentation. django-ussd-airflow.readthedocs.io.
23. Book: Evans, Thomas F.. Cellemetrysm — Telemetry Via Cellular . Wireless Personal Communications: Advances in Coverage and Capacity. Jeffrey H.. Reed. Theodore S.. Rappaport. Brian D.. Woerner. 1997. Springer US. 1–9. 10.1007/978-1-4615-6237-5_1. 9781461562375.
24. https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/e5/b4/2e/203d20bddce458/US5526401.pdf
25. Web site: Nu-Metrics to offer Cellemetry solutions. 1999-11-30. RCR Wireless News. 2019-04-09.
26. Cellemetry-operated railroad switch heater. US. 6995666. 2003-07-03.
27. Web site: School Busses to Use Cellemetry Service. 1999-11-30. RCR Wireless News. 2019-04-09.
28. Web site: Cellemetry Signs Vehicle Location Pact with AVL Information Systems. January 11, 2001. businessfleet.com. 2019-04-09.
29. Web site: ProMiles.com / Company/ Press Releases / HighwayMaster. wap.promiles.com. 2019-04-09.
30. Web site: Numerex Signs Tomal Systems To Cellemetry Data Service Network. govcon.com. 2019-04-09.
31. Web site: FreshTrak Introduces Refrigerated Tracking System. truckinginfo.com. 2019-04-09.
32. Web site: Patent US 6,553,336 B1. insight.rpxcorp.com. 2019-04-09.