Endpoint repeater functionality selection

• US 9,420,515 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2011
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Inventors: Cumeralto, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Benlagsir, Amine
• Application Number:
  US13/275,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20130093600A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,764 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.01
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/36 Repeater circuits H04B3/58 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/10 based on available power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Disclosed are apparatus and methodology for improving communications among battery operated network endpoints and a central facility. A battery operated endpoint may determine its remaining battery capacity and decide whether it is able to provide message repeating services to other endpoints within the network. The endpoint may make such decision based also on its own communications reliability to a central facility either directly or via other endpoints operating as repeaters.

Claims

1. A method for improving communications among battery operated network endpoints and a central facility, comprising:

evaluating, by a repeater endpoint a repeater availability, wherein the repeater availability comprising communication reliability and battery capacity of the repeater endpoint, wherein the communication reliability includes determining having a sufficient quality of service connection from the repeater endpoint to at least other endpoints or the central facility, and wherein the battery capacity of the repeater endpoint includes determining being above a predetermined level;

transmitting a signal from the repeater endpoint intended for the at least other endpoints, the repeater endpoint having water or gas metering functionality and belonging to a group of repeater endpoints configured to share a repeater load of messages from the at least other endpoints, wherein the at least other endpoints also having the water or gas metering functionality, wherein the signal is configured to indicate availability of repeater functionality at the repeater endpoint sufficient to support repeating the repeater load of messages from the at least other endpoints based on the evaluating of the repeater availability of the repeater endpoint, wherein the signal comprises a packet header having a discovery bit, wherein the discovery bit indicates to the at least other endpoints that the repeater endpoint has enough battery capacity to receive the repeater load of messages and to forward the repeater load of messages, and wherein the group of repeater endpoints are designated as repeater endpoints based at least in part on proximity to the at least other endpoints that are out-of-range of the central facility and based at least in part on battery capacity of the group of repeater endpoints being sufficient to repeat the repeater load of messages from the at least other endpoints;

receiving the repeater load of messages at the repeater endpoint from the at least other endpoints to which the signal was transmitted that requires the repeater functionality to be heard at the central facility; and

relaying the received repeater load of messages from the at least other endpoints requiring the repeater functionality, wherein the relaying is performed by the group of repeater endpoints in a shared manner, wherein the shared manner distributes workload over at least two repeater endpoints of the group of repeater endpoints to prevent any single repeater endpoint from the group of repeater endpoints from performing the entire relaying required by the at least other endpoints that are out of range.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein said transmitting the signal is based on reliability of a communication path from the repeater endpoint to the central facility.

3. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting measurement data to the central facility.

4. The method as in claim 3, wherein the measurement data is consumption measurement data.

5. The method as in claim 3, wherein the measurement data describes at least one of water, gas, or oil consumption.

6. A network, comprising:

a central facility; and

a plurality of endpoints having water or gas metering functionality, selected of the plurality of endpoints being battery powered and having capability to operate as repeaters, wherein the selected endpoints are selected based at least in part on proximity to other endpoints that are out-of-range of the central facility and based at least in part on battery capacity of the selected endpoints being sufficient to repeat messages sent from the out-of-range endpoints;

wherein the selected endpoints share a repeater load and perform functions comprising;

evaluating, by the selected endpoints a repeater availability, wherein the repeater availability comprising communication reliability and the battery capacity of the selected endpoints, and wherein the communication reliability includes determining having a sufficient quality of service connection from the selected endpoints to the out-of-range endpoints or the central facility, and wherein the battery capacity of the selected endpoints includes determining being above a predetermined level;

transmitting signals from the selected endpoints intended for the out-of-range endpoints, the signals configured with preambles having a discovery bit to indicate to the out-of-range endpoints availability of repeater functionality thereat sufficient to support repeating the messages from the out-of-range endpoints based on the evaluating of the repeater availability of the selected endpoints;

receiving the messages at the selected endpoints from the out-of-range endpoints that require the repeater functionality to be heard at the central facility; and

relaying the received messages, wherein the relaying is performed by the selected endpoints in a shared manner, wherein the shared manner distributes workload over at least two endpoints of the selected endpoints to prevent any single endpoint of the selected endpoints from performing the entire relaying required by the out-of-range endpoints.

7. The network as in claim 6, wherein the signals are provided based at least in part on reliability of a communication path to the central facility.

8. The network as in claim 6, wherein the selected endpoints are selected based at least in part on reliability of a communication path from a respective endpoint of the plurality of endpoints to the central facility.

9. The network as in claim 6, further comprising:

a measurement device associated with each of the plurality of endpoints.

10. The network as in claim 9, wherein said measurement device comprises a consumption measurement device.

11. The network as in claim 10, wherein the consumption measurement device comprises a water, gas, or oil meter.

12. A method, comprising:

collecting measurement data at an endpoint in a network of battery operated endpoints having water or gas metering functionality;

evaluating, by the endpoint a repeater availability, wherein the repeater availability comprising communication reliability and battery capacity of the endpoint, and wherein the communication reliability includes determining having a sufficient quality of service connection from the endpoint to other endpoints or a central facility, and wherein the battery capacity of the endpoint includes determining being above a predetermined level;

transmitting, from the endpoint and intended for the other endpoints in the network, the transmitting endpoint belonging to a group of endpoints selected to share a repeater load from the other endpoints, wherein the shared repeater load comprising packets with a preamble configured with a discovery bit to indicate to the other endpoints availability of repeater functionality usable by the other endpoints based on the evaluating of the repeater availability of the endpoint, wherein the group of selected endpoints are selected based at least in part on proximity to the other endpoints that are out-of-range of the central facility and based at least in part on battery capacity of the group of selected endpoints being sufficient to repeat messages from the other endpoints;

receiving the messages at the endpoint from the other endpoints at which the discovery bit was received that is out-of-range of the central facility and that requires the repeater functionality to be heard at the central facility; and

relaying the received messages from the other endpoints, wherein the relaying is performed by the selected group of endpoints in a shared manner, wherein the shared manner distributes workload over at least two endpoints of the selected group of endpoints to prevent any single endpoint from of the selected group of endpoints from performing the entire relaying required by the other endpoints that are out of range.

13. The method as in claim 12, wherein the evaluating comprises evaluating links of the endpoint in the network to the other endpoints upstream in the network.

14. The method as in claim 12, wherein:

the evaluating includes evaluating upstream links of the endpoint in the network and determining if the battery capacity of the endpoint in the network is sufficient to share the repeater load.

15. The method as in claim 12, wherein the discovery bit indicates availability of sufficient battery power to perform the relaying and availability of a reliable communication path to perform the relaying.