Crystal drift compensation in a mesh network
First Claim
1. A method for compensating for drift in node device clocks in an advanced metering system mesh network, comprising:
- establishing a network including at least one root node and a plurality of node devices, with at least some of the node devices comprising metrology devices;
configuring the network for bi-directional communications among the at least one root node and each of the plurality of node devices;
providing each node device with a crystal controlled internal clock;
conducting packet communications among the root node and the plurality of node devices; and
configuring each node device to realign its internal clock each time the node device communicates with another node device closer to the root node than itself,whereby each node device will realign its clock to be in synchronization with the network thereby compensating for time differences caused by drift in any of the node device clocks.
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Abstract
The present technology relates to protocols relative to utility meters associated with an open operational framework. More particularly, the present subject matter relates to protocol subject matter for advanced metering infrastructure, adaptable to various international standards, while economically supporting a 2-way mesh network solution in a wireless environment, such as for operating in a residential electricity meter field. The present subject matter supports meters within an ANSI standard C12.22/C12.19 system while economically supporting a 2-way mesh network solution in a wireless environment, such as for operating in a residential electricity meter field, all to permit cell-based adaptive insertion of C12.22 meters within an open framework. Cell isolation is provided through quasi-orthogonal sequences in a frequency hopping network. Additional features relate to apparatus and methodology subject matters relating to crystal drift compensation in a mesh network.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for compensating for drift in node device clocks in an advanced metering system mesh network, comprising:
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establishing a network including at least one root node and a plurality of node devices, with at least some of the node devices comprising metrology devices; configuring the network for bi-directional communications among the at least one root node and each of the plurality of node devices; providing each node device with a crystal controlled internal clock; conducting packet communications among the root node and the plurality of node devices; and configuring each node device to realign its internal clock each time the node device communicates with another node device closer to the root node than itself, whereby each node device will realign its clock to be in synchronization with the network thereby compensating for time differences caused by drift in any of the node device clocks. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for compensating for crystal frequency drift in an advanced metering system mesh network, comprising:
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establishing a network including at least one root node and a plurality of node devices, with at least some of the node devices comprising metrology devices; configuring the network for bi-directional communications among the at least one root node and each of the plurality of node devices; providing each of the plurality of node devices with a crystal controlled internal clock; conducting communications among the root node and the plurality of node devices using a repeating hyperframe subdivided into a repeating time slot packet protocol; and configuring each node device to resynchronize its internal clock each time the node device communicates with the root node or another node closer than itself to the root node, whereby the node device will realign its internal clock to be in synchronization with the network, thereby compensating for crystal frequency drift. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An advanced metering system mesh network, comprising:
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at least one root node; a plurality of node devices, with at least some of the node devices comprising metrology devices, said plurality of node devices configured for bi-directional communications among the at least one root node and others of said plurality of node devices using a repeating hyperframe subdivided into a repeating time slot sequence packet protocol; and a plurality of crystal controlled internal clocks, respectively associated with each of said plurality of node devices, wherein each of said node devices is configured to resynchronize its respective internal clock each time each respective node device communicates with said at least one root node or another node device closer than itself to the at least one root node, whereby the respective node device will realign its internal clock to be in synchronization with the network, thereby compensating for crystal frequency drift. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification