Reporting the state of an apparatus to a remote computer patented

[Scott Whyte]

Thought this was relevent to nanog readership..

Abstract

The state of an apparatus is reported to a remote computer using an
embedded device in the apparatus. The embedded device detects the
state, generates an electronic mail message that reports the state
using a self-describing computer language, and sends the electronic
mail message to the remote computer. The remote computer receives the
electronic mail message and extracts the state of the embedded device
from the message.

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=6,757,714.WKU.&OS=PN/6,757,714&RS=PN/6,757,714

Further,  "Axeda has 11 additional patents pending in the United
States and 10 international patents pending covering other aspects of
the remote management of intelligent devices."

http://www.axeda.com/products/drm-technology/patented-technology.html