MESHED NETWORKING OF ACCESS POINTS IN A UTILITY NETWORK

• US 20100074176A1
• Filed: 07/27/2009
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron Networked Solutions, Inc. (Itron, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Silver Spring Networks, Inc. (Itron, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ramasastry, Jay, Pace, James, Flammer, George III
• Granted Patent: US 9,743,337 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/45 Utility meters networked together within a single building
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/04 Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point
• 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 meshed networking of access points in a utility network provides a more efficient and cost effective arrangement for communicating data between meters and the utility by linking the access points of multiple subnetworks for purposes of communicating with the utility. As a result, each individual subnetwork is not required to directly communicate with the utility. For those access points that are relieved of the need to directly communicate with the utility, the communication mechanism, e.g., cellular modem, can be eliminated, or deactivated, to thereby reduce capital expenditures and/or operational costs. Additionally, links to a WAN can be selectively activated or disabled to provision bandwidth, for example, on demand, to react to changing conditions in the subnetworks.

Claims

1. A network, comprising:

a plurality of subnetworks, each subnetwork comprising;

one or more measuring nodes; and

an access point configured to communicate with the one or more measuring nodes,

wherein the subnetworks are configured to send and receive data representative of or controlling consumption of a commodity or its usage to and from their associated measuring nodes via their respective access points;

a node external to the subnetworks;

an access point network interface associated with each of the access points of the subnetworks, each access point network interface configured to communicate with access points of other subnetworks; and

a backhaul network interface associated with a designated access point of one of the subnetworks, said backhaul network interface configured to communicate with the node external to the subnetworks,

wherein the access points of the subnetworks are configured to forward data to the designated access point to be relayed to the node external to the subnetworks.

2. The network of claim 1, wherein the access points of the subnetworks are configured to forward data directly to the designated access point.

3. The network of claim 1, wherein the access points of the subnetworks are configured to forward data to the designated access point via the access points of neighboring subnetworks.

4. The network of claim 1, wherein the access points communicate with one another via a frequency-hopping spread spectrum network.

5. The network of claim 1, wherein the commodity is at least one of electricity, gas and water.

6. The network of claim 1 wherein the node external to the subnetwork is a utility server.

7. The network of claim 1, wherein the backhaul network interface comprises at least one of a cellular modem, a GPRS modem, a fiber optic link, an EV-DO link, a WiMAX link and a broadband Internet connection configured to communicate with the node external to the subnetworks.

8. The network of claim 1, wherein the access point network interface associated with each of the access points of a subnetworks comprises a radio transceiver that communicates with access points of other subnetworks.

9. The network of claim 8 wherein the access point network interface transceiver comprises a modem which is one of frequency hopping spread spectrum, cellular, CDMA, EV-DO and WiMax.

10. The network of claim 1, wherein the measuring nodes of a subnetwork are configured to communicate with the access point using at least one of power line carrier and radio frequency communication.

11. The network of claim 1, wherein the access point comprises an RF transceiver.

12. The network of claim 1, wherein the backhaul network interface comprises an RF transceiver.

13. The network of claim 1, further comprising a relay transceiver configured to link subnetworks to the designated access point.

14. The network of claim 13, wherein the access point network interfaces associated with the access points of each subnetwork and any intermediate relays form an access point network.

15. The access point network of claim 14, wherein the access point network interfaces are configured to communicate using at least one of frequency hopping spread spectrum, GPRS, CDMA, EV-DO and WiMax.

16. A network, comprising:

a plurality of subnetworks, each subnetwork comprising;

one or more measuring nodes; and

an access point configured to communicate with the one or more measuring nodes,

wherein the subnetworks are configured to collect or send data representative of or controlling consumption of a commodity or its usage at their associated measuring nodes from their respective access points;

a node external to the subnetworks;

an access point network interface associated with each of the access points of the subnetworks, each access point network interface configured to communicate with access points of other subnetworks; and

a plurality of backhaul network interfaces, each backhaul network interface associated with a respective access point of the subnetworks, each backhaul network interface configured to be selectively activated or disabled to relay data from the subnetworks to the node external to the subnetworks,

wherein the access points of the subnetworks are configured to forward data to an activated backhaul network interface to be relayed to the node external to the subnetworks.

17. The network of claim 16, wherein the plurality of backhaul network interfaces are configured to provide a subnetwork with multiple paths to relay collected data from the subnetwork to the node external to the subnetworks.

18. The network of claim 16, wherein different ones of said plurality of backhaul network interfaces relay data to the external node via different respective communication media.

19. The network of claim 16, wherein different ones of said plurality of backhaul network interfaces relay data to the external node via different respective communication protocols.

20. A method of communicating in a network, comprising:

establishing a plurality of subnetworks, each subnetwork comprising one or more measuring nodes;

communicating, by an access point, with the one or more measuring nodes, wherein the subnetworks are configured to send and receive data representative of or controlling consumption of a commodity or its usage to and from their associated measuring nodes via their respective access points;

associating an access point network interface with each of the access points of the subnetworks, each access point network interface configured to communicate with access points of other subnetworks; and

associating a backhaul network interface with a designated access point of one of the subnetworks, said backhaul network interface configured to communicate with a node external to the subnetworks,

wherein the access points of the subnetworks are configured to forward data to the designated access point to be relayed to the node external to the subnetworks.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the access points of the subnetworks are configured to forward data directly to the designated access point.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the access points of the subnetworks are configured to forward data to the designated access point via the access points of neighboring subnetworks.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the access points communicate with one another via a frequency-hopping spread spectrum network.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the commodity is at least one of electricity, gas and water.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein the node external to the subnetwork is a utility server.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the backhaul network interface comprises at least one of a cellular modem, a GPRS modem, a fiber optic link, an EV-DO link, a WiMAX link and a broadband Internet connection configured to communicate with the node external to the subnetworks.

27. The method of claim 20, where the access point network interface associated with each access point of a subnetwork comprises a radio transceiver that communicates with access points of other subnetworks.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the access point network interface transceiver comprises a modem which is one of frequency hopping spread spectrum, cellular, CDMA EV-DO and WiMax.

29. The method of claim 20, wherein the measuring nodes of a subnetwork are configured to communicate with the access point using at least one of power line carrier and radio frequency communication.

30. The method of claim 20, wherein the access point comprises an RF transceiver.

31. The method of claim 20, wherein the backhaul network interface comprises an RF transceiver.

32. A method of communicating in a network, comprising:

establishing a plurality of subnetworks, each subnetwork comprising one or more measuring nodes;

communicating, by an access point, with the one or more measuring nodes, wherein the subnetworks are configured to send and receive data representative of or controlling consumption of a commodity or its usage to and from their associated measuring nodes via their respective access points; and

associating an access point network interface with each of the access points of the subnetworks, each access point network interface configured to communicate with access points of other subnetworks; and

providing a plurality of backhaul network interfaces, each backhaul network interface associated with a respective access point of the subnetworks, each backhaul network interface configured to be selectively activated or disabled to relay data from the subnetworks to the node external to the subnetworks,

wherein the access points of the subnetworks are configured to forward data to an activated backhaul network interface to be relayed to the node external to the subnetworks.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the plurality of backhaul network interfaces are configured to provide a subnetwork with multiple paths to relay collected data from the subnetwork to the node external to the subnetworks.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein different ones of said plurality of backhaul network interfaces relay data to the external node via different respective communication media.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein different ones of said plurality of backhaul network interfaces relay data to the external node via different respective communication protocols.

36. An access point for a utility network that includes a plurality of subnetworks, comprising:

a first interface configured to communicate with one or more measuring nodes comprising a subnetwork;

a second interface configured to communicate with access points of other subnetworks;

a third interface configured to communicate with a node external to the subnetworks; and

a controller configured to forward data received at said second interface from access points of other subnetworks to said third interface to be relayed to the node external to the subnetworks.

37. The access point of claim 36 wherein the node external to the subnetwork is a utility server.

38. The access point of claim 36, wherein the first interface is configured to communicate with the measuring nodes using at least one of power line carrier, frequency-hopping spread spectrum and direct-sequence spread spectrum communications.

39. The access point of claim 36, wherein the second interface is configured to communicate with the other access points using at least one of frequency-hopping spread spectrum, GPRS, CDMA, EV-DO, WiMax, cellular and satellite communications.

40. The access point of claim 36, wherein the third interface is configured to communicate with the node external to the subnetworks using at least one of a cellular modem, a GPRS modem, a fiber optic link, CDMA, EV-DO, WiMAX and a broadband Internet connection.