High traffic data transmission

• US 9,047,760 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2012
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mueller International LLC (Mueller Water Products Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mueller International LLC (Mueller Water Products Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ali, Hassan, Brown, Timothy J., Grady, Robert Henry, Splitz, David Edwin, Dukes, Brent
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alizada, Omeed
• Application Number:
  US13/559,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20140028470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.02, 340/870.03
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 15/06 successively, i.e. using time division
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for communicating with a radio frequency (RF) device. An exemplary method includes: listening, by the collector node, during a listening period, for a hailing signal from a plurality of RF devices on a hailing channel, the hailing signal including identification of a specified data channel; in response to receiving the hailing signal from one of the plurality of RF devices, switching to the specified data channel and receiving data, by the collector node, on the specified data channel; collecting, by the collector node, during a collecting period, data from the plurality of RF devices; and receiving, by the collector node, the data from at least one of the plurality of RF devices, wherein the listening period and the collecting period occur at different times.

Claims

1. A method of receiving data by a collector node, comprising:

listening, by the collector node, during a listening period, for a hailing signal from a plurality of RF devices on a hailing channel, the hailing signal including identification of a specified data channel;

in response to receiving the hailing signal from one of the plurality of RF devices, switching to the specified data channel and receiving data, by the collector node, on the specified data channel;

collecting, by the collector node, during a collecting period, data from the plurality of RF devices;

receiving, by the collector node, the data from at least one of the plurality of RF devices;

receiving an alert notification from a second RF device during the collecting of the one of the plurality of RF devices;

terminating receiving data from the one of the plurality of RF devices; and

receiving an alert data message from the second RF device,

wherein the listening period and the collecting period occur at different times.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving the hailing signal from one of the plurality of RF devices, sending an acknowledgement to the one of the plurality of RF devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving data from the at least one of the plurality of RF devices includes receiving utility usage data read at a utility meter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the listening period and the collecting period are based on a time of day.

5. A method of transmitting data to a collector node, comprising:

initiating, by a remote node, transmitting data to the collector node during a first transmitting period, wherein initiating transmitting data to the collector node during the first transmitting period further comprises;

sending a hailing signal to the collector node on a hailing channel, the hailing signal including identification of a specified data channel, and

in response to receiving an acknowledgement from the collector node responsive to the hailing signal, switching to the specified data channel and sending data to the collector node on the specified data channel;

in response to receiving a request from the collector node during a second transmitting period, transmitting data to the collector node; and

transmitting, by the remote node, an alert notification during one of the first transmitting period and the second transmitting period.

6. A collector node, comprising:

a processor;

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver;

an antenna; and

a memory, the memory being configured to store instructions to be executed by the processor for performing the following;

listening, by the RF transceiver, during a listening period, for a hailing signal from a plurality of RF devices on a hailing channel, the hailing signal including identification of a specified data channel;

in response to receiving the hailing signal via the antenna from one of the plurality of RF devices, switching the RF transceiver to the specified data channel and receiving data, by the RF transceiver via the antenna, on the specified data channel;

collecting, by RF transceiver, during a collecting period, data from the plurality of RF devices;

receiving, by the RF transceiver via the antenna, the data from at least one of the plurality of RF devices; and

receiving an alert notification from a second RF device during the collecting of the one of the plurality of RF devices;

terminating receiving data from the one of the plurality of RF devices; and

receiving an alert data message from the second RF device,

wherein the listening period and the collecting period occur non-concurrently.

7. The collector node of claim 6, wherein the memory is further configured to perform the following:

in response to receiving the hailing signal from one of the plurality of RF devices, sending an acknowledgement to the one of the plurality of RF devices.

8. The collector node of claim 6, wherein receiving data from the at least one of the plurality of RF devices includes receiving utility usage data read at a utility meter.

9. The collector node of claim 6, wherein the listening period and the collecting period are based on a time of day.