Automatic meter reading system employing common broadcast command channel
First Claim
1. An automated meter reading system having a host server interfaced to a plurality of nodes, each node communicating with a number of utility meters, the system comprising:
- a topology database for maintaining and selecting a group of noninterfering nodes such that no inbound transmission from any of said plurality of nodes in the selected group interferes with others of said plurality of nodes in the selected group; and
a first outbound RF broadcast channel from the host server for communicating with the selected group to initiate the reading of meters that communicate with those nodes of the selected group.
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Abstract
An automated meter reading system is provided. The system includes a host server interfaced to a plurality of nodes where each node communicates with a number of utility meters. The system selects a group of noninterfering nodes and uses an RF broadcast from the host server to initiate the reading of meters and the uploading of meter data provided by those meters to the nodes and, ultimately, to the host server. The system also has a number of gateways that communicate with a plurality of nodes, grouped to form sets of noninterfering gateways. In this embodiment, the system selects a set of noninterfering gateways and uses an RF broadcast from the host server to initiate the reading of meters and the uploading of meter data provided by those meters to the nodes and, ultimately, through the gateways to the host server. A method for using an outbound RF channel to automatically read meters is also provided.
258 Citations
10 Claims
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1. An automated meter reading system having a host server interfaced to a plurality of nodes, each node communicating with a number of utility meters, the system comprising:
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a topology database for maintaining and selecting a group of noninterfering nodes such that no inbound transmission from any of said plurality of nodes in the selected group interferes with others of said plurality of nodes in the selected group; and a first outbound RF broadcast channel from the host server for communicating with the selected group to initiate the reading of meters that communicate with those nodes of the selected group. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 5)
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4. The system of 3, wherein the second outbound RF broadcast channel is an existing channel currently being used for demand side management.
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6. The system of 1, wherein the host server receives meter data read from at least one million meters in no more than about five minutes.
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7. The system of 1, wherein the first outbound RF broadcast channel is an existing channel currently being used for demand side management.
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8. A method for using an outbound RF channel to automatically read meters, wherein the meters communicate with at least one node, each node communicating with a number of meters and a host server, the method comprising the steps of:
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defining a number of groups of noninterfering nodes such that no inbound transmission from the nodes in each group interferes with others of the nodes in the group; selecting a first group of noninterfering nodes; broadcasting a read command to each node in the first group; selecting a second group of noninterfering nodes; broadcasting said read command to each node in the second group. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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Specification