DUAL MODE MULTI-NETWORK AMR SYSTEM ENDPOINT AND RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS
First Claim
1. An automatic meter reading system comprising:
- at least one head-end network controller;
at least one data collection device communicatively coupled to the head-end controller;
a plurality of endpoint devices communicatively coupled to the at least one data collection device, wherein at least one endpoint device of the plurality of endpoint devices is configurable to operate in a first mode or a second mode;
wherein at least one endpoint device of the plurality of endpoint devices is adapted to independently determine whether to operate in the first mode or the second mode;
wherein in the first mode the at least one endpoint device operates according to a hub-and-spoke communication mode in which the at least one endpoint device communicates information intended for a data collection infrastructure device directly to at least one dedicated data collection infrastructure device, and the at least one endpoint device does not receive any information from a non-dedicated data collection infrastructure device; and
wherein in the second mode the at least one endpoint device operates according to a mesh communications mode in which the at least one endpoint device communicates information intended for a data collection infrastructure device via a non-dedicated data collection infrastructure device.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Automatic meter reading system and devices providing for dual mode mesh network and non-mesh network endpoint communication. The system includes a plurality of endpoint devices communicatively coupled to at least one data collection device. At least one endpoint device is configurable to operate in a first mode or a second mode. At least one endpoint is adapted to independently determine whether to operate in the first mode or the second mode. In the first mode the endpoint operates according to a hub-and-spoke communication mode in which it communicates information intended for a data collection infrastructure device directly to at least one dedicated data collection infrastructure device. In the second mode the endpoint operates according to a mesh communications mode in which it communicates information intended for a data collection infrastructure device via a non-dedicated data collection infrastructure device. At least some of the endpoint devices are capable of switching between a mesh-network mode and a non-mesh network mode.
12 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An automatic meter reading system comprising:
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at least one head-end network controller; at least one data collection device communicatively coupled to the head-end controller; a plurality of endpoint devices communicatively coupled to the at least one data collection device, wherein at least one endpoint device of the plurality of endpoint devices is configurable to operate in a first mode or a second mode; wherein at least one endpoint device of the plurality of endpoint devices is adapted to independently determine whether to operate in the first mode or the second mode; wherein in the first mode the at least one endpoint device operates according to a hub-and-spoke communication mode in which the at least one endpoint device communicates information intended for a data collection infrastructure device directly to at least one dedicated data collection infrastructure device, and the at least one endpoint device does not receive any information from a non-dedicated data collection infrastructure device; and wherein in the second mode the at least one endpoint device operates according to a mesh communications mode in which the at least one endpoint device communicates information intended for a data collection infrastructure device via a non-dedicated data collection infrastructure device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An improved endpoint device including communications circuitry and controller circuitry configured with program instructions that enable the endpoint device to communicate in an automatic meter reading (AMR) system utilizing the communications circuitry, the improvement comprising:
the controller circuitry being self-configurable to cause the endpoint device to communicate in a first mode or a second mode; wherein when configured in the first mode the endpoint device is adapted to operate according to a hub-and-spoke communication mode in which the endpoint device communicates information intended for a data collection infrastructure device directly to at least one dedicated data collection infrastructure device and the endpoint device does not receive any information from a non-dedicated data collection infrastructure device; wherein when configured in the second mode the endpoint device is adapted to operate according to a mesh network communication mode in which the endpoint device communicates information intended for a data collection infrastructure device via a non-dedicated data collection infrastructure device; and wherein the controller circuitry is adapted to independently determine whether to self-configure in the first mode or the second mode. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of operating an endpoint device, comprising:
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operating the endpoint device in a non-mesh network mode, in which the endpoint device is adapted to communicate information intended for a data collection infrastructure device directly to at least one dedicated data collection infrastructure device and the endpoint device does not receive any information from a non-dedicated data collection infrastructure device; periodically operating the endpoint device to listen for a mesh network; detecting, by the endpoint device, a presence of the mesh network; operating the endpoint device to determine whether the endpoint device is admitted to the mesh network; initializing the endpoint device to join the mesh network; and operating the endpoint device to communicate in a mesh network mode, in which the endpoint device is adapted to communicate information intended for a data collection infrastructure device via a non-dedicated data collection infrastructure device. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification