System and method of providing a geographic view of nodes in a wireless network

• US 7,327,998 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Issued: 02/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elster Electricity LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Elster Electricity LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Kumar, Navaneet, Scoggins, Sean M., Rudran, Dileep, Kelley, Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid; Lester G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHEDRICK, CHARLES TERRELL
• Application Number:
  US11/020,694
• Publication Number:
  US 20060135119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 455/406, 455/457, 455/405, 709/224, 345/419, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 455/405
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A geographic view rendering tool receives geographic location data for nodes in a wireless network and renders a geographic view displaying the nodes at their corresponding geographic locations. The geographic view may be displayed overlaying a digital map. The geographic view may also display network information such as, for example, node connections data, communication success rates for the nodes, and occurrences of communications events at the nodes. The nodes may be displayed in a manner representative of corresponding network information using, for example, a variety colors and icons.

Claims

1. A method for providing a geographic view of nodes in a wireless network, comprising:

receiving geographic location data and operating status data for the nodes in the wireless network comprising a collector and a plurality of meters that communicate wirelessly with the collector, each of the meters having a wireless communication path to the collector that is either a direct path or an indirect path through one or more intermediate meters that serve as repeaters, the wireless communication paths between each meter and the collector defining a layout of the network, the geographic location data comprising a digital land parcel for each node;

associating each node with a corresponding geographic location by computing a center point of the node'"'"'s digital land parcel and associating the node with the computed center point; and

rendering a geographic view of the nodes overlaying an aerial photograph, the geographic view displaying each of the nodes at their corresponding geographic location on the aerial photograph, the geographic view further displaying the operating status data directly within the geographic view without first requiring interaction with an item in the geographic view.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the geographic location data comprises receiving longitude coordinates and latitude coordinates.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving node connection data; and

displaying in the geographic view at least one connection between the nodes.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein displaying in the geographic view the at least one connection between the nodes comprises displaying in the geographic view a connection path from a meter to a collector.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving node connection data; and

displaying in the geographic view an orphaned node that is not connected to any of the other nodes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the operating status data directly within the geographic view comprises displaying communications success rates for the nodes directly within the geographic view.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising displaying each of the nodes in a color corresponding to its communications success rate.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the operating status data directly within the geographic view comprises displaying in the geographic view a visual alert adjacent to a location of a communications event occurrence to indicate the occurrence.

9. The method of claim 8, comprising displaying in the geographic view the visual alert corresponding to at least one member of a group comprising a node tampering incident, a node health related alarm, a low battery indication, a maintenance indication, a disconnection, a reconnection, a power outage, a power restoration, and a communications problem.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying in the geographic view a plurality of sub-networks within the network layout, each sub-network displayed in a corresponding color.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising displaying a plurality of sub-networks each comprising nodes that are associated with a particular network component.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving historical network information; and

displaying in the geographic view the historical network information.

13. The method of claim 1, comprising rendering the geographic view according to geographic information systems standards.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a query to display network information in accordance with a specified criteria; and

displaying the network information in accordance with the specified criteria.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising rendering a geographic view that displays a tampered node at a new location that is different from a previous location at which the tampered node was displayed in a previously rendered geographic view.

16. A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 1.

39. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving updated node connection data comprising data regarding dynamic changes to node communications paths; and

displaying in the geographic view the dynamic changes to the node communications paths.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

polling, by a network management system, network elements to track the dynamic changes to the node communications paths.

41. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

receiving at a network management system from a network element a notification of the dynamic changes to the node communications paths.

42. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving updated operating status data comprising dynamic changes to the operating status data; and

displaying in the geographic view the dynamic changes to the operating status data.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

polling, by a network management system, network elements to track the dynamic changes to the operating status data.

44. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

receiving at a network management system from a network element a notification of the dynamic changes to the operating status data.

17. A system for providing a geographic view of a network layout, comprising:

a wireless local area network with a plurality of nodes comprising a collector and a plurality of meters that communicate wirelessly with the collector, each of the meters having a wireless communication path to the collector that is either a direct path or an indirect path through one or more intermediate meters that serve as repeaters, the wireless communication paths between each meter and the collector defining a layout of the network;

a geographic view rendering tool that receives geographic location data and operating status data for the nodes the geographic location data comprising a digital land parcel for each node, associates each node with a corresponding geographic location by computing a center point of the node'"'"'s digital land parcel and associating the node with the computed center point, and renders the geographic view overlaying an aerial photograph displaying the nodes at their corresponding geographic locations on the aerial photograph, the geographic view further displaying the operating status data directly within the geographic view without first requiring interaction with an item in the geographic view.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the geographic location data comprises longitude coordinates and latitude coordinates.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the geographic view displays network information collected from the wireless local area network.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the network information comprises node communications paths between nodes.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the geographic view displays a connection path from a meter to a collector.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the operating status data comprises communication success rates for the nodes.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the geographic view displays the nodes in colors corresponding to their associated communications success rates.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the operating status data comprises data indicating an occurrence of a communications event.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the geographic view displays a visual alert adjacent to a location of the communications event occurrence to indicate the occurrence.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the communications event is at least one member of a group comprising a node tampering incident, a node health related alarm, a maintenance indication, a disconnection, a reconnection, a power outage, a power restoration, and a communications problem.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the geographic view displays a plurality of sub-networks within the network layout, each sub-network displayed in a corresponding color.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein each sub-network comprises nodes that are associated with a particular network component.

29. The system of claim 19, wherein the network information is historical network information.

30. The system of claim 17, wherein the geographic view is rendered according to geographic information systems standards.

31. The system of claim 17, wherein the geographic view rendering tool can be queried to display the geographic view in accordance with a specified criteria.

32. The system of claim 17, wherein the geographic view displays a tampered node at a new location that is different from a previous location at which the tampered node was displayed in a previously rendered geographic view.

33. The system of claim 20, wherein the node communications paths changes dynamically, and the geographic view displays dynamic changes to the node communications paths.

34. The system of claim 33, further comprising a network management system that polls network elements to track the dynamic changes to the node communications paths.

35. The system of claim 33, further comprising a network management system that is notified by network elements of the dynamic changes to the node communications paths.

36. The system of claim 17, wherein the operating status data changes dynamically, and the geographic view displays dynamic changes to the operating status data.

37. The system of claim 36, further comprising a network management system that polls network elements to track the dynamic changes to the operating status data.

38. The system of claim 36, further comprising a network management system that is notified by network elements of the dynamic changes to the operating status data.