Modular wireless fixed network for wide-area metering data collection and meter module apparatus

• US 20070252722A1
• Filed: 03/13/2006
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensus Spectrum, LLC (Xylem, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: M&FC Holding, LLC (Xylem, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zigdon, Shimon, Heth, Carmel
• Granted Patent: US 7,884,737 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.30
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/662 using a time/frequency relationship, e.g. time compression or expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/707 using direct sequence modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0196 Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/10 using a centralized architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

A one-way direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) communications wide-area network is the data collection channel (uplink) of an automatic meter reading (AMR) system, and a paging network, or other suitable communication channel is the optional forward (downlink) channel. The communications network may include one-way meter modules (transmitters) each communicatively coupled to a corresponding electric, gas or water utility meter, and may include two-way meter modules (transceivers) each coupled to such a corresponding utility meter. The meter modules monitor, store, encode and periodically transmit metering data via radio signals (air messages) in an appropriate RF channel. Metering data air messages are collected by a network of receiver Base Stations (BS) and forwarded to a Data Operations Center (DOC), which acts as a metering data gateway. The reception range of each base station is typically over 5 miles in urban areas, allowing sparse infrastructure deployment for a wide variety of metering data collection applications.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A method of encoding interval consumption values transmitted by a meter module in a metering data collection system, comprising:

collecting consumption values at selected intervals; and

compressing collected consumption data using a logarithmic table encoder to reduce the number of bits required in a data message for each consumption interval.

21. The method of claim 20, further including assigning a list of consumption encoding/decoding tables, adapted to various consumption patterns to said logarithmic table encoder;

and

specifying which set of encoding/decoding tables is assigned to each meter module.

23. The method of claim 20, further including the method of claim 22, thus reducing the number of bits required in an interval consumption data message and increasing the redundancy level of the data, while simultaneously enabling the transfer of more detailed interval consumption data related to smaller consumption intervals.

22. A method of increasing the redundancy level of interval consumption data transmitted by a meter module in a metering data collection system, comprising:

transferring interval consumption values from said meter module using multiple messages related to the same time period, and wherein each of said multiple messages has a time base; and

shifting the time base of each message compared to the previous message, in a cyclic manner, so that interval consumption data may be reconstructed even if some of the messages are not received thus increasing the redundancy level of the data while simultaneously enabling the transfer of more detailed interval consumption data related to smaller consumption intervals, within the metered time period.