System and method for improved transmission of meter data
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Accused Products
Abstract
The system includes a number of first meters, which are typically battery powered transmit only devices. The system includes a number of two-way meters, which are operable to both transmit and receive data. The first meters transmit their data to the collector either directly or indirectly via the two-way meters, which serve as intermediaries. Multiple records from each first meter may be stored at each of the two-way meters, thereby ensuring that records from a one-way meter will not be blocked when an attempt is made to forward them to the collector. Furthermore, multiple records from each first meter may be stored at the collector, thereby enabling the transmission and storage of meter records in a number of different formats. Additionally, records from each first meter are marked to reflect a sequence in which they are generated, thereby ensuring that the collector will store the most recent data records available.
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Citations
64 Claims
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1. (canceled)
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2. A method for collecting a device record generated at a first device, the device record comprising a sequence number identifying a sequence in which the device record is generated the method comprising:
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receiving the device record at a collector, storing the received device record at the collector if the update sequence number indicates that the received device record is more recently generated than an existing device record from the first device already stored at the collector. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15)
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12. The method of claim 12, further comprising:
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upon receiving the time stamped device record at the collector, comparing the received timestamped device record to another time stamped device record already stored at the collector;
determining that the other timestamp is invalid; and
overwriting the other timestamtped device record with the received timestamtped device record.
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16. A method for transmitting a device record generated at a first device to a two-way device, the method comprising:
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receiving the device record at the two-way device; and
storing the device record at the two-way device in one of a plurality of memory locations. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An automated device reading system comprising:
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a first device that generates and transmits a device record comprising a sequence number identifying a sequence in which the device record is generated; and
a collector that receives the device record from the one way device and stores the received device record if the sequence number indicates that the received device record is more recently generated than an existing device record from the first device already stored at the data collector. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. An automated device reading system comprising:
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a first device that generates and transmits a device record;
a two-way device that receives the device record from the one way device and stores the device record in one of a plurality of memory locations. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A processor-readable medium having stored thereon instructions for establishing a wireless communication network among a plurality of devices, the instructions, when executed by a processor at a collector, causing the processor at said collector to:
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receive a device record generated at a first device, the device record comprising a sequence number identifying a sequence in which the device record is generated;
store the received device record if the update sequence number indicates that the received device record is more recently generated than an existing device record from the first device already stored at the collector. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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57. A processor-readable medium having stored thereon instructions for establishing a wireless communication network among a plurality of devices, the instructions, when executed by a processor at a two-way device, causing the processor at said two-way device to:
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receive a device record generated at a first device; and
store the device record in one of a plurality of memory locations. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
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Specification