Data broadcasting with a prepare-to-broadcast message

• US 8,792,406 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2012
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron Global Sarl (Itron, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Inventors: Nguyen, Viet-Hung, Bartier, Jerome, Monier, Fabrice, Mainaud, Bastien
• Primary Examiner(s): Rutkowski, Jeffrey M
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, HARDIKKUMAR D
• Application Number:
  US13/365,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20130195022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/713 using frequency hopping
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services

Abstract

Techniques for broadcasting data in a multi-channel network having a control channel and multiple data channels are described. A node wishing to broadcast data may determine a particular data channel from among the multiple data channels, a modulation technique, and a data rate to be utilized to broadcast the data. The broadcasting node may transmit a message over the control channel indicating that the data will be broadcast on the particular data channel using the modulation technique and at the determined data rate. The broadcasting node and a node wishing to receive the data may switch to the particular data channel. The broadcast node may broadcast the data over the particular data channel, while the receiving node may receive the data. After broadcasting the data or a predetermined time period has expired, the broadcasting node and receiving node may switch to the control channel.

Claims

1. A method implemented in a multi-channel network having a control channel and a plurality of data channels, comprising:

under control of a node configured with computer-executable instructions;

transmitting or receiving a message on the control channel after a determination has been made that a number of bits or bytes of data for a broadcast is greater than a number of bits or bytes of the message, the message indicating;

(i) the data will be broadcast on a particular data channel of the plurality of data channels, and (ii) a modulation technique of the broadcast;

switching to the particular data channel based at least in part on the transmitted or received message;

broadcasting or listening for a broadcast of the data on the particular data channel based at least in part on the modulation technique; and

switching to the control channel after the data has been broadcast or a predetermined time period has expired.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the particular data channel, the modulation technique, and a data rate for broadcasting the data; and

determining that the number of bits or bytes of the data is greater than the number of bits or bytes of the message, wherein the message indicates that the data will be broadcast on the determined particular data channel with the determined modulation technique and at the determined data rate.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining the particular data channel includes determining the modulation technique based at least in part on capabilities of other nodes located within a predetermined proximity to the node.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the determined modulation technique comprises a modulation technique that provides a longest communication range from among a plurality of modulation techniques that are available to other nodes located within a predetermined proximity to the node.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at a media access control sub-layer of the node and from another layer of the node, a command requesting to broadcast the data with the modulation technique, and wherein the modulation technique indicated in the message comprises the modulation technique identified in the command.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

transmitting or receiving the message includes transmitting the message on the control channel, and broadcasting or listening for a broadcast of the data includes broadcasting the data on the particular data channel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

transmitting or receiving the message includes receiving the message on the control channel, broadcasting or listening for a broadcast of the data includes listening for the broadcast of the data on the particular data channel.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the data has not been previously received,

wherein the switching to the particular data channel includes switching to the particular data channel in response to determining that the data has not been previously received.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the data on the particular data channel after switching to the particular data channel, wherein the switching to the control channel includes switching to the control channel after receiving the data on the particular data channel.

16. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method of claim 1.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcasting or listening for a broadcast of the data includes broadcasting or listening for a broadcast of the data after a predetermined time interval has expired since the message was transmitted or received on the control channel, the predetermined time interval comprising a short inter-frame space.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is associated with consumption of at least one of electricity, water, or gas.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein broadcasting or listening for a broadcast of the data includes broadcasting the data on the particular data channel, the data being broadcast over the particular data channel without having received a communication from a neighboring node that indicates an availability of the neighboring node to receive the data.

10. A network computing device of a multi-channel network having a control channel and a plurality of data channels, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory communicatively coupled to the one or more processors; and

one or more modules stored in the memory and executable on the one or more processors to perform acts including;

determining (i) a particular data channel from the plurality of data channels for broadcasting data, and (ii) a modulation technique for broadcasting the data;

determining that a number of bits or bytes of the data is greater than a number of bits or bytes of a message, the message indicating that the data will be broadcast on the particular data channel according to the modulation technique;

transmitting the message over the control channel upon determining that the number of bits or bytes of the data is greater than the number of bits or bytes of the message;

switching to the particular data channel;

broadcasting the data over the particular data channel based at least in part on the modulation technique; and

switching to the control channel after the data has been broadcast.

11. The network computing device of claim 10, wherein the acts further include:

retransmitting the message over the control channel a predetermined number of times that is specified by an upper layer above a media access control sub-layer of the network computing device; and

rebroadcasting the data over the particular data channel after each retransmission of the message.

12. The network computing device of claim 10, wherein:

the transmitting the message includes transmitting the message over the control channel which is located on a first channel of the network, and

the acts further include;

redefining the control channel from the first channel to a second channel of the network; and

retransmitting the message over the control channel when the control channel is redefined to the second channel.

13. The network computing device of claim 12, wherein the acts further include:

rebroadcasting the data over a data channel of the plurality of data channels after the control channel has been redefined to the second channel and the message has been retransmitted.

15. The network computing device of claim 10, wherein the data is broadcast over the particular data channel without having received a communication from a neighboring node that indicates an availability of the neighboring node to receive the data.

14. A method implemented in a multi-channel network having a control channel and a plurality of data channels, comprising:

under control of a node configured with computer-executable instructions;

receiving a message on the control channel after a determination has been made that a number of bits or bytes of data for a broadcast is greater than a number of bits or bytes of the message, the message indicating;

(i) the data will be broadcast on a particular data channel of the plurality of data channels, and (ii) a modulation technique of the broadcast;

after the message has been received, switching to the particular data channel;

listening for a broadcast of the data on the particular data channel based at least in part on the modulation technique;

receiving the data on the particular data channel; and

switching to the control channel after the data has been received or a predetermined time period has expired.

20. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method of claim 14.