System for communication with a remote meter interface
First Claim
1. A method for communicating with remote interfaces, comprising steps of:
- organizing time in a repeater station for alternating between scheduled time segments allocated to scheduled ones of said remote interfaces for scheduled communications with said scheduled remote interfaces and acquisition time segments for unscheduled communications with unscheduled ones of said remote interfaces, one of said scheduled time segments alternating with one of said acquisition time segments;
allocating a first of said scheduled time segments in said repeater station to a first of said scheduled remote interfaces having a first identification;
initiating a first of said scheduled communications within said first scheduled time segment by transmitting a data signal having sensor data and said first identification from said first scheduled remote interface;
receiving first scheduled time segment signal energy including said data signal at said repeater station during said first scheduled time segment;
transmitting a repeater signal including said sensor data from said repeater station when said first identification is detected in said first scheduled time segment signal energy;
receiving said repeater signal at a master station; and
transmitting said sensor data from said master station for use by a central office.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for communication between multiple remote meter interfaces (RMI)s and a central office. The system includes multiple RMIs for reading meters and transmitting wireless data signals including meter readout information; multiple base repeater stations for receiving the wireless data signals where each particular base repeater station recognizes the wireless data signal only from particular RMIs that have been identified to the base repeater station, concentrates the information from the identified RMIS, and passes the concentrated information through a master base station and a wide area network (WAN) to a central office. The base repeater station includes a receiver for receiving the wireless data signal, a transmitter for passing concentrated information to the master station, and a microcontroller including an identification (ID) list including the IDs of the RMIs with which the base repeater station is enabled to communicate.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method for communicating with remote interfaces, comprising steps of:
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organizing time in a repeater station for alternating between scheduled time segments allocated to scheduled ones of said remote interfaces for scheduled communications with said scheduled remote interfaces and acquisition time segments for unscheduled communications with unscheduled ones of said remote interfaces, one of said scheduled time segments alternating with one of said acquisition time segments; allocating a first of said scheduled time segments in said repeater station to a first of said scheduled remote interfaces having a first identification; initiating a first of said scheduled communications within said first scheduled time segment by transmitting a data signal having sensor data and said first identification from said first scheduled remote interface; receiving first scheduled time segment signal energy including said data signal at said repeater station during said first scheduled time segment; transmitting a repeater signal including said sensor data from said repeater station when said first identification is detected in said first scheduled time segment signal energy; receiving said repeater signal at a master station; and transmitting said sensor data from said master station for use by a central office. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A communication system having remote interfaces, comprising:
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a repeater station including a base processor for storing a first identification and organizing time for alternating between scheduled time segments allocated to scheduled ones of said remote interfaces for scheduled communications with said scheduled remote interfaces and acquisition time segments for unscheduled communications with unscheduled ones of said remote interfaces, one of said scheduled time segments alternating with one of said acquisition time segments; a first of said scheduled remote interfaces for initiating said scheduled communications within a first of said scheduled time segments allocated to said first scheduled remote interface by transmitting a data signal having sensor data and said first identification; the repeater station further including a base receiver coupled to said base processor for receiving first scheduled time segment signal energy during said first scheduled time segment and a base transmitter coupled to said base processor for transmitting a repeater signal including said sensor data when said data signal having said first identification is detected in said first scheduled time segment signal energy; and a master station for receiving said repeater signal and transmitting said sensor data for use by a central office. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification