System for automated management of spontaneous node migration in a distributed fixed wireless network

• US 20060072465A1
• Filed: 09/24/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elster Electricity LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Elster Electricity LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Kathryn J., Garianov, Alexei, Scoggins, Sean M., Rudran, Dileep, Christopher, Russell G., Nemecz, Susane K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,742,430 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/241
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0859 by keeping history of different configuration generations or by rolling back to previous configuration versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Methods and systems of managing node migration in a wireless network where nodes may spontaneously migrate from a first communication path to a second communication path. The system includes a first collector disposed within the first communication path and a second collector disposed within the second communication path, a network management server that determines a network state and maintains a database of the network state. When the network management server detects that a node has migrated from the first communication path to the second communication path, information associated with the node is retrieved from the first collector and downloaded to the second collector to ensure the proper operation of the node in the network.

Claims

1. A system for managing nodes migrating from a first communication path to a second communication path in a wireless network, comprising:

a first collector disposed within said first communication path and a second collector disposed within said second communication path;

a network management server that determines a network state; and

a network management system that maintains a database of said network state,

wherein when said network management server detects that a node has migrated from said first communication path to said second communication path, information associated with said node is retrieved from said network management server and downloaded to said second collector.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising updating a current network state database and a historical network state database to reflect that said node has migrated from said first communication path to said second communication path.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said information associated with said node comprises configuration information.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said configuration information is downloaded to said second collector to determine operational characteristics of said node within said second communication path.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said information associated with said node comprises data collected by said node.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said data is merged with data collected by said second collector from said node after said node migrated to said second communication path.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said information is removed from said first collector after being downloaded to said second collector.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said node comprises a utility meter.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said node comprises a utility meter and said first and second intermediary nodes comprise a collector.

9. A method of managing nodes that spontaneously migrate among plural communication paths in a wireless network, comprising:

detecting a migration of a node from a first communication path to a second communication path;

updating a network state;

retrieving information associated with said node from a global configuration database; and

downloading said information to a second intermediary node in said second communication path.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

updating a current network state database and a historical network state database to reflect that said node has migrated from said first communication path to said second communication path.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

configuring said node in said second communication path in accordance with said information.

12. The method of claim 9, said information including first collected data associated with said node, said method further comprising:

merging said first collected data with second collected data collected after said node migrated to said second communication path.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

removing said information from said first intermediary node after being downloaded to said second intermediary node.

15. A method for managing a spontaneous migration of a meter from a first collector in a first communication path to a second collector in a second communication path, comprising:

detecting said spontaneous migration;

retrieving configuration information and first collected data associated with said meter;

contacting said second collector and download said configuration information and said first collected data; and

merging said first collected data with second collected data associated with said meter stored in said second collector.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

updating a current network state database and a historical network state database to reflect that said node has migrated from said first communication path to said second communication path.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

removing said information and said first collected data from said first collector.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

updating a data collection requirements server to reflect that said node has migrated from said first communication path to said second communication path.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said data collection requirements indicate what types of data said meter is collect.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein said configuration information determines operating characteristics of said meter.