Address stripping in a meter reading wireless mesh network and associated system

• US 8,217,805 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2009
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Waschka, George A. Jr., Bardgett, Jim, Loufek, Mary Lynne, Billhartz, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lauture, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US12/551,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20110051702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.02, 340/870.03, 370/338, 370/310, 370/216, 370/312, 370/252, 370/241, 370/256, 370/254, 370/351, 370/401
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/34 Source routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update

Abstract

A meter reading system includes a meter reading wireless mesh network having wireless meter reading nodes in communication with an access point. Each wireless meter reading node has an address associated therewith. The meter reading wireless mesh network is configured to define a given downstream route, from the access point to a given node via successive intermediate nodes, based upon addresses of the successive intermediate nodes and the given node. The respective address at each successive intermediate node is stripped while routing data along the given downstream route from the access point to the given node.

Claims

1. A method for operating a meter reading wireless mesh network comprising a plurality of wireless meter reading nodes in communication with an access point, each wireless meter reading node having an address associated therewith, the method comprising:

defining a given downstream route, from the access point to a given node via successive intermediate nodes, based upon addresses of the successive intermediate nodes and the given node; and

stripping the respective address at each successive intermediate node while routing data along the given downstream route from the access point to the given node.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein routing the data comprises routing packet data along with the addresses of the successive intermediate nodes and the given node until stripped by one of the successive intermediate nodes.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein routing the data comprises routing time-of-day billing data.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein routing the data comprises routing load control data.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising communicating data along an upstream route from the given node to the access point via the successive intermediate nodes.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein communicating data along the upstream route from one node to a next node is based on the address of the next node.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein communicating data along the upstream route comprises communicating packet data along with only the address of the next node.

8. The method according to claim 5 wherein communicating data along the upstream route comprises communicating meter reading data.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein each of the wireless meter reading nodes communicates using an unlicensed frequency band.

10. The method according to claim 1 further comprising communicating between the access point and a remote station.

11. A meter reading system comprising:

a meter reading wireless mesh network comprising an access point, and a plurality of wireless meter reading nodes in communication with said access point, each wireless meter reading node having an address associated therewith, said meter reading wireless mesh network configured to

define a given downstream route, from said access point to a given node via successive intermediate nodes, based upon addresses of the successive intermediate nodes and the given node, and

strip the respective address at each successive intermediate node while routing data along the given downstream route from the access point to the given node; and

a remote station configured to communicate with said access point.

12. The meter reading system according to claim 11 wherein said meter reading wireless mesh network routes the data by routing packet data along with the addresses of the successive intermediate nodes and the given node until stripped by a successive node.

13. The meter reading system according to claim 11 wherein said meter reading wireless mesh network routes the data by routing time-of-day billing data.

14. The meter reading system according to claim 11 wherein said meter reading wireless mesh network routes the data by routing load control data.

15. The meter reading system according to claim 11 wherein said meter reading wireless mesh network is configured to communicate data along an upstream route from the given node to the access point via the successive intermediate nodes.

16. The meter reading system according to claim 15 wherein said meter reading wireless mesh network communicates data along the upstream route from one node to a next node based on the address of the next node.

17. The meter reading system according to claim 16 wherein communicating data along the upstream route comprises communicating packet data along with only the address of the next node.

18. The meter reading system according to claim 15 wherein communicating data along the upstream route within said meter reading wireless mesh network comprises communicating meter reading data.

19. The meter reading system according to claim 11 wherein each of the wireless meter reading nodes communicates using an unlicensed frequency band.

20. A wireless meter reading node for a meter reading wireless mesh network comprising a plurality of wireless meter reading nodes in communication with an access point, each wireless meter reading node having an address associated therewith, the wireless meter reading wireless node comprising:

a wireless transceiver; and

a controller coupled to said wireless transceiver and configured to route data along a defined given downstream route, from the access point to a given node via successive intermediate nodes, based upon addresses of the successive intermediate nodes and the given node, said controller stripping the respective address of the wireless meter reading node when it is a successive intermediate node while routing data along the given downstream route.

21. The wireless meter reading node according to claim 20 wherein said controller routes the data by routing packet data along with the addresses of the successive intermediate nodes and the given node until stripped by a successive node.

22. The wireless meter reading node according to claim 20 wherein said controller routes the data by routing time-of-day billing data.

23. The wireless meter reading node according to claim 20 wherein routing the data by said controller within the meter reading wireless mesh network comprises routing load control data.

24. The wireless meter reading node according to claim 20 wherein the meter reading wireless mesh network is configured to communicate data along an upstream route from the given node to the access point via the successive intermediate nodes.

25. The wireless meter reading node according to claim 24 wherein said wireless transceiver communicates data along the upstream route from one node to a next node based on the address of the next node.

26. The wireless meter reading node according to claim 25 wherein said wireless transceiver communicates data along the upstream route within said meter reading wireless mesh network, the data comprising packet data along with only the address of the next node.

27. The wireless meter reading node according to claim 24 wherein said wireless transceiver communicates data along the upstream route within said meter reading wireless mesh network, the data comprising meter reading data.

28. The wireless meter reading node according to claim 20 wherein said wireless transceiver communicates using an unlicensed frequency band.