Method and system for controlling path redundancy in the acquisition of utility meter data

• US 8,188,886 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2008
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Badger Meter Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Badger Meter Incorporated
• Inventors: Lazar, Mark, Schultz, Randy, Webb, Dennis, Saadeh, Theresa, Graudenz, Jacob, Kirgner, Yacov, Kirgner, Anna, Locker, Yarum, Sharabi, Erez
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAUER, SCOTT ALLEN
• Application Number:
  US12/182,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20100026516A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.07
• US Class Current: 340/870.07
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

A method and system by which certain radio transmitters are assigned to certain reception nodes for the purpose of transmitting metering data derived from a plurality of utility meters to a system management computer. The reception nodes are configured to receive and process data transmissions only from those transmitters with data paths assigned to particular reception nodes, and to ignore data transmissions from non-listed transmitters, thereby assuring that on a continuous basis, a majority of the transmitters will utilize only one data path. Lists may be formed for the transmitters and reception nodes in the system management computer and transmitted to the reception nodes. The status of data transmissions through the repeaters may also be uploaded to the system management computer for analysis of data update rates and data path redundancy.

Claims

1. A method for controlling redundancy in data paths from a plurality of transmitters through reception nodes in a meter data acquisition network, the method comprising:

providing corresponding lists of transmitters assigned to respective reception nodes;

transferring the corresponding lists of transmitters to respective reception nodes;

receiving transmissions of metering data at the respective reception nodes from transmitters according to the corresponding lists of transmitters; and

ignoring transmissions of metering data at the respective receivers from transmitters not on the corresponding lists of transmitters for the respective reception nodes; and

wherein the reception nodes include at least one data collector and a plurality of receivers, and wherein the list of transmitters for each respective receiver is transferred from a computer to the data collector and then from the data collector to the respective receivers; and

wherein the computer uploads data from the data collector, including data for calculating a percentage of path redundancy between the transmitters and the data collector.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitters that are on at least two corresponding lists of transmitters are a minority of transmitters transmitting data through the respective reception nodes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the reception nodes include at least one data collector and a plurality of receivers, and wherein the metering data is re-transmitted from the receivers to the data collector, and wherein the metering data is transferred from the data collector to the computer.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each receiver is a part of a repeater that also includes a transmitter, and wherein the corresponding lists of transmitters are transferred from the computer to the respective repeaters through the data collector.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising uploading to the computer a list of repeaters assigned to the data collector.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising uploading to the computer lists of transmitters assigned to the respective receivers and a status of transmissions being received at the receivers from the transmitters assigned to the respective receivers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the corresponding lists of transmitters assigned to said respective receivers are each transferred in a file of data that is downloaded from a computer to a data collector.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising

obtaining the list of transmitters for which transmissions are received at one of the reception nodes;

and

modifying the list to change transmitters on the list for which transmissions are received and processed by said one of the reception nodes.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said one of the reception nodes is a data collector.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the reception nodes include at least one data collector and a plurality of repeaters which receive metering data from transmitters and re-transmit metering data to the data collector, and wherein said one of the reception nodes is one of the receivers.

11. A networked system for controlling redundancy of data paths from a plurality of transmitters through at least two repeaters to a data collector, the networked system comprising:

a data collector for receiving utility metering data from a plurality of transmitters operating with utility meters distributed within at least a portion of a service area;

at least two repeaters that receive radio frequency transmissions with metering data from respective pluralities of transmitters, said two repeaters also re-transmitting the metering data to the data collector in radio frequency transmissions; and

said repeaters each receiving from the data collector a corresponding list of transmitters assigned to the respective repeater; and

said repeaters each ignoring transmissions from any of the transmitters in the pluralities of transmitters that are not on the corresponding list of transmitters assigned to the respective repeater; and

a computer for exchanging data with said data collector including receiving data on transmissions received from the plurality of transmitters through said repeaters and the computer transmitting the corresponding lists of transmitters to the respective repeaters; and

wherein the computer uploads data from the data collector, including data for calculating a percentage of path redundancy between the transmitters and the data collector.

12. The networked system of claim 11, wherein transmitters that are on at least two corresponding lists of transmitters are a minority of transmitters transmitting data through the respective receivers to the data collector.

13. The networked system of claim 11, wherein the computer runs applications including an application in which a user can view status data concerning lists of transmitters that are listed with respective repeaters.

14. The networked system of claim 11, wherein said application provides an ability to manage the corresponding list of any respective repeater including adding or deleting transmitters.

15. The networked system of claim 11, wherein the data collector transfers to the computer a status of transmissions being received at the respective receivers and being re-transmitted to the data collector.

16. The networked system of claim 11, wherein the transmitters are located near corresponding utility meters and receive metering data signals which are converted to radio frequency signals.