Read-ahead techniques for data logging

• US 8,594,599 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2011
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Inventors: Cornwall, Mark K., Holmdahl, Bret
• Primary Examiner(s): Rego, Dominic E
• Application Number:
  US13/168,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20120329499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 455/155.1, 455/226.4, 455/405, 340/870.01, 340/870.02, 324/435
• US Class Current: 455/155.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Radio messages may be transmitted by endpoints delivering utility consumption data. A portable unit may traverse a route among the endpoints and obtain the consumption data. If the endpoints are sufficiently grouped, communication between the portable unit and a plurality of endpoints may be possible in a same power cycle to a radio of the portable unit while the portable unit is at a single location. In a two-way communication environment, the portable unit may send commands to a plurality of endpoints during a single power cycle, which may result in responses from the plurality of endpoints during the same power cycle. Such communications may be performed with endpoints that are ahead of a current endpoint on the route being traversed, and may constitute read-ahead data. Read-ahead data reduces power cycles to the radio, because when the portable unit reaches an endpoint on the route whose data has previously been read, a power cycle is not required.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions, comprising instructions for:

downloading a list of endpoints into a portable device, the list of endpoints including an association between one or more endpoints in the list of endpoints and a command, the command commanding that data be sent to the portable device;

cycling power to a radio in the portable device;

receiving, on the radio of the portable device, messages from endpoints on the list of endpoints;

identifying a current endpoint in the list of endpoints, the current endpoint being associated with a command and being a first endpoint in the list of endpoints for which data has not yet been populated into a format for upload to a head-end;

obtaining the command from the list of endpoints, the obtained command associated with the current endpoint from which a message was received at the portable device;

transmitting the command to the endpoint associated with the message received at the portable device;

receiving a response to the transmitted command from the endpoint;

receiving input from an operator;

in response to the input, cycling power to the radio receiving the messages and transmitting the command;

receiving a message from an endpoint past the current endpoint on the list of endpoints, the message including consumption data;

transmitting a command to the endpoint past the current endpoint on the list of endpoints; and

receiving a response to the transmitted command from the endpoint past the current endpoint on the list of endpoints.

2. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, additionally comprising instructions for:

in response to the receiving of the input from the operator;

if data on a current endpoint in the list of endpoints is available in a buffer, then populating data from the buffer into the format for upload to the head-end;

or

if data on the current endpoint in the list of endpoints is not available in the buffer, then cycling power to the radio.

3. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, additionally comprising instructions for:

extending a scheduled end of the power cycle to allow reception of a response to a command sent prior to the scheduled end of the power cycle.

4. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, additionally comprising instructions for:

cycling power to the radio sufficiently to reduce a duty cycle of the radio to below fifty percent of a total operational time;

receiving a plurality of messages during a power cycle to the radio; and

transmitting a command associated with one of the plurality of messages, wherein the transmitting is performed during the power cycle to the radio.

5. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, additionally comprising instructions for:

concluding the power cycle as soon as either data is obtained from the current endpoint or after a pre-configured timeout is reached.

6. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, additionally comprising instructions for:

buffering the message including consumption data; and

populating data into the format for upload to the head-end, wherein;

the data includes the buffered consumption data; and

the populating is performed sequentially in time according to an ordering of the list of endpoints.

7. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, additionally comprising instructions for:

calling an application programming interface (API) to pass the response to the command to an application; and

populating data passed to the application into a data structure for upload to the head-end, wherein the populating is performed sequentially in time according to an ordering of the list of endpoints.

8. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving a message triggers a search of the list of endpoints for a command associated with an endpoint from which the message was received.

9. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, additionally comprising instructions for:

buffering data from the response which is out-of-sequence with respect to the list of endpoints; and

populating a data structure with data from the response which is not out-of-sequence with respect to the list of endpoints.

10. A method in a portable device for gathering data, comprising:

configuring the portable device with a list of endpoints, the list of endpoints including an association between one or more endpoints in the list of endpoints and a command, the command commanding that data be sent to the portable device;

cycling power to a radio of the portable device;

receiving messages from endpoints when the radio is powered on, the messages including an endpoint identification (ID) and consumption data;

identifying a current endpoint in the list of endpoints, the current endpoint being associated with a command and being a first endpoint in the list of endpoints for which data has not yet been populated into a format for upload to a head-end;

obtaining the command from the list of endpoints, the obtained command associated with the current endpoint from which a message was received at the portable device;

transmitting the obtained command to each endpoint from which a message is received and for which a command exists in the list of endpoints;

receiving responses from the endpoints to which a command was sent, the responses including additional consumption data;

receiving input from an operator;

in response to the input, initiating the cycling of the power to the radio receiving the messages and transmitting the commands;

receiving a message from an endpoint past the current endpoint on the list of endpoints, the message including consumption data;

transmitting a command to the endpoint past the current endpoint on the list of endpoints; and

receiving a response to the transmitted command from the endpoint past the current endpoint on the list of endpoints.

11. The method of claim 10, additionally comprising:

in response to the receiving of the input from the operator;

if data on a current endpoint in the list of endpoints is available in a buffer, then populating data from the buffer into the format for upload to the head-end;

or

if data on the current endpoint in the list of endpoints is not available in the buffer, cycling power to the radio.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein cycling power to the radio comprises:

terminating the power cycle a fixed period of time after initiating the power cycle.

13. The method of claim 10, additionally comprising:

searching the list of endpoints for commands associated with endpoints associated with the received messages.

14. The method of claim 10, additionally comprising:

buffering the message including consumption data; and

populating data into the format for upload to the head-end, wherein;

the data includes the buffered consumption data; and

the populating is performed sequentially in time according to an ordering of the list of endpoints.