Modular wireless fixed network for wide-area metering data collection and meter module apparatus
First Claim
1. A fixed-base wireless network system for wide-area metering data collection, comprising:
- a plurality of meter modules, each meter module to monitor, store, encode, selectively insert a receive/transmit flag bit in the transmitted metering data and periodically transmit metering data;
at least one receiver base station to receive, decode, store, and forward metering data;
at least one network transceiver/relay deviceto receive and decode messages including the metering data from said plurality of meter modules,to identify, from the decoded messages, messages received from specified meter modules among said plurality of meter modules according to a list of the specified meter modules stored in a memory of said at least one network transceiver/relay device, the list of the specified meter modules specifying a subset of the plurality of meter modules,to encode and retransmit a first decoded message identified as being received from a meter module included in the list of the specified meter modules upon determination that the first decoded message includes the receive/transmit flag bit inserted by the meter module included in the list of the specified meter modules, andto not retransmit a second decoded message identified as being received from the meter module included in the list of the specified meter modules upon determination that the second decoded message does not include the receive/transmit flag bit; and
a data operations center to communicate with said receiver base station, receive decoded metering data from said receiver base station, and validate and store metering data in a database for said plurality of meter modules.
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Abstract
A one-way direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) communications wide-area network is the data collection channel (uplink) of an automatic meter reading (AMR) system, and a paging network, or other suitable communication channel is the optional forward (downlink) channel. The communications network may include one-way meter modules (transmitters) each communicatively coupled to a corresponding electric, gas or water utility meter, and may include two-way meter modules (transceivers) each coupled to such a corresponding utility meter. The meter modules monitor, store, encode and periodically transmit metering data via radio signals (air messages) in an appropriate RF channel. Metering data air messages are collected by a network of receiver Base Stations (BS) and forwarded to a Data Operations Center (DOC), which acts as a metering data gateway. The reception range of each base station is typically over 5 miles in urban areas, allowing sparse infrastructure deployment for a wide variety of metering data collection applications.
35 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A fixed-base wireless network system for wide-area metering data collection, comprising:
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a plurality of meter modules, each meter module to monitor, store, encode, selectively insert a receive/transmit flag bit in the transmitted metering data and periodically transmit metering data; at least one receiver base station to receive, decode, store, and forward metering data; at least one network transceiver/relay device to receive and decode messages including the metering data from said plurality of meter modules, to identify, from the decoded messages, messages received from specified meter modules among said plurality of meter modules according to a list of the specified meter modules stored in a memory of said at least one network transceiver/relay device, the list of the specified meter modules specifying a subset of the plurality of meter modules, to encode and retransmit a first decoded message identified as being received from a meter module included in the list of the specified meter modules upon determination that the first decoded message includes the receive/transmit flag bit inserted by the meter module included in the list of the specified meter modules, and to not retransmit a second decoded message identified as being received from the meter module included in the list of the specified meter modules upon determination that the second decoded message does not include the receive/transmit flag bit; and a data operations center to communicate with said receiver base station, receive decoded metering data from said receiver base station, and validate and store metering data in a database for said plurality of meter modules. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24)
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23. A fixed-base wireless network system for wide-area metering data collection, comprising:
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a plurality of meter modules to monitor, store, encode, periodically transmit metering data, and selectively insert a receive/transmit flag bit in the transmitted metering data; at least one receiver base station to receive, decode, store, and forward metering data; at least one network transceiver/relay device to receive and decode messages including the metering data from said plurality of meter modules, to encode and retransmit a first decoded message received from a meter module upon determination that the first decoded message includes the receive/transmit flag bit inserted by the meter module, and to not retransmit a second decoded message received from the meter module upon determination that the second decoded message does not include the receive/transmit flag bit; and a data operations center to communicate with said receiver base station, receive decoded metering data from said receiver base station, and validate and store metering data in a database for said plurality of meter modules. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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Specification