Method of RF-based communication
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for RF- based communication, comprising the steps of:
- generating a first count that is linearly incremented over time, transmitting a signal by a transmitter, the signal including the count at the time that the signal is transmitted; and
receiving the transmitted signal by a receiver, and generating a second count that is linearly incremented over time, the first count being asynchronous with respect to the second count.
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Abstract
An RF based communication system includes a transmitter for transmitting a signal. The transmitter is powered by an external power source and has a transmitter counter for generating a count. The count is linearly incremented over time. The transmitted signal includes the count at the time that the signal is transmitted. A receiver is communicatively coupled to the transmitter for receiving the signal transmitted by the transmitter. The receiver has a receiver counter, the receiver counter being asynchronous with respect to the transmitter counter.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for RF- based communication, comprising the steps of:
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generating a first count that is linearly incremented over time, transmitting a signal by a transmitter, the signal including the count at the time that the signal is transmitted; and
receiving the transmitted signal by a receiver, and generating a second count that is linearly incremented over time, the first count being asynchronous with respect to the second count. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method of metering communication for communicating data related to metered consumption of electrical energy to provide support for time-of-use and demand billing in the presence of at least one power outage event, the metering communication system being communicatively coupled to a sensor for sensing power consumption and for sensing power outage events, the sensor generating a sensor output signal having data related to at least the sensed power consumption and to power outage events, the metering communication system comprising the steps of:
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communicating by means of an encoder device with the sensor for receiving the sensor output signal therefrom;
periodically generating an encoded RF signal for transmission by the encoder device;
including a power outage flag associated with the encoded RF signal, setting the flag responsive to the sensor output signal and including data related to a power outage event;
decoding the encoded RF signal received from the encoder device by means of an interrogate/receiver device; and
transferring the decoded RF signal to a billing system by means of data transfer means. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
including a plurality of discrete components in he encoded RF signal, each of said components being related to electrical power consumption during a selected interval of time; and
associating a power outage flag with each discrete component.
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8. The method of claim 7 including the step of powering the encoder device solely by the electrical power being metered.
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9. The method of claim 8 including the step of incrementally increasing a count in the encoder device as a function of time.
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10. The method of claim 9 including the step of incrementally increasing a count in the interrogate/receiver as a function of time, the interrogate/receiver count being asynchronous with respect to the encoder device count.
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11. The method of claim 10 including the step of the interrogate/receiver device counting at a rate substantially equal to a real time counter.
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12. The method of claim 11 including the step of flagging the decoded RF signal received from the encoder device prior to transmission to a billing system for each interval in which the consumption of electrical energy is estimated.
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13. The method of claim 12 including the step of determining the difference between a predicted and an actual encoder count to predict a total power outage duration.
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14. The method of claim 13 including the step of determining the IFS difference between a predicted and an actual encoder count to predict a total power outage duration of a plurality of power outages.
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15. The method of claim 14 including the step of indicating a position in a buffer corresponding to a N-1 consumption value, the N-1 consumption value being a differentially encoded consumption value which occurred at a most recent consumption interval.
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16. The method of claim 15 including the step of incrementing a pointer to identify a newly received N-1 consumption value.
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17. The method of claim 16 including the steps of:
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providing N-1 storage bins in the buffer;
storing a differential consumption value in each of said bins;
and writing to each of said bins once every N-1 intervals.
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18. The method of claim 17 including the steps of:
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displacing the oldest consumption value in the buffer with the most recently received differential consumption value; and
incrementing the pointer by one to indicate the most recently received differential consumption value at the time of displacement.
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19. The method of claim 18 including the step of writing the most recently arrived full consumption value and the buffer pointer to non-volatile memory at the time of a power outage.
Specification