Cell isolation through quasi-orthogonal sequences in a frequency hopping network

• US 8,437,378 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2011
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron Global Sarl (Itron, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Inventors: Picard, Gilles
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Fan
• Application Number:
  US13/099,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20110206087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 375/130, 375/132, 375/138
• US Class Current: 375/130
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/006 Remote reading of utility meters to a non-fixed location, i.e. mobile location
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/16 in which transmission is by pulses
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7143 Arrangements for generation of hop patterns
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15 Active relay systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/127 based on intermediate node capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/005 Routing actions in the presence of nodes in sleep or doze mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/10 based on available power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/248 Connectivity information update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0015 one node acting as a reference for the others
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/002 Mutual synchronization
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/8418 adapted for focusing electric field or current, e.g. tip-shaped
• 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

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 methodology and apparatus subject matter relating to quasi-orthogonal sequences in a frequency hopping network.

Claims

1. Methodology for generating a pseudo-random sequence for use in an advanced metering system frequency hopping network, comprising:

establishing a network including a central facility and a plurality of end devices, at least some of which end devices comprise metrology devices, and wherein each end device is associated with one of a plurality of cells, each cell being assigned a unique cell identifier;

constructing an outer hopping sequence for a given cell using the given cell'"'"'s unique cell identifier as a seed;

using the elements of the outer hopping sequence to select a specific N-hop inner hopping sequence, where integer N is the number of channels used by the advanced metering system frequency hopping network; and

applying the selected sequence as a transceiver hopping pattern for a selected end device within the given cell.

2. Methodology as in claim 1, wherein constructing the outer hopping sequence comprises:

breaking up the cell identifier for a given cell into a plurality of parts; and

generating a sequence starting with elements corresponding to respective selected ones of the plurality of parts of the cell identifier and forming subsequent elements in the sequence by repeatedly adding a plurality of prior sequence elements together.

3. Methodology as in claim 1, wherein the outer hopping sequence (OHS) is constructed by breaking up the cell identifier for a given cell into at least two parts and combining the at least two parts in a Fibonacci sequence according to the following relationship:

OHS(0)=Cell Identifier(0)

OHS(1)=Cell Identifier(1);

OHS(n)=OHS(n−

1)+OHS(n−

2), n=2, 3, 4,L,M−

1;

where the integer M is the length of the outer hopping sequence.

4. Methodology as in claim 1, wherein the outer hopping sequence (OHS) is constructed by breaking up the cell identifier into at least four parts and combining the at least four parts in a Tetranacci sequence according to the following relationship:

OHS(n)=Cell Identifier(n), n=0,1,2,3

OHS(n)=OHS(n−

1)+OHS(n−

2)+OHS(n−

3)+OHS(n−

4), n=4,L,M−

1

where the integer M is the length of the outer hopping sequence.

5. Methodology as in claim 1, wherein the inner hopping sequence is calculated iteratively with knowledge of a previous hop and hopping sequence number.

6. Methodology as in claim 1, wherein the inner hopping sequence is generated with a Galois field of order p, where p is a prime number.

7. Methodology as in claim 6, wherein the selected specific N-hop inner hopping sequence is selected from a plurality of k different inner hopping sequences, and wherein the k-th inner hopping sequence (IHS) is generated by the k-th primitive element (a) and can be expressed as:

IHS(k)=(1,α

_kmα

_k²,α

_k³, . . . α

_k^N-1).

8. Methodology as in claim 1, further comprising:

configuring the network for bi-directional communications between the central facility and each of the plurality of end devices; and

configuring each end device in the given cell to operate a transceiver using a sequence generated according to said constructing and using steps;

wherein all end devices in the given cell are synchronized with one another.

9. Methodology as in claim 1, wherein said advanced metering system frequency hopping network operates according to a slotted aloha protocol.