Method and device for managing transmissions of measurements periodically carried out by a sensor

• US 9,854,334 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2010
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Kountouris, Apostolos
• Primary Examiner(s): Charioui, Mohamed
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rastovski, Catherine
• Application Number:
  US13/517,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20120278044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,563 Days
• Field of Search: 702189, 700292, 340657
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• 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 2209/826 where the data is sent periodically
• 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

A method and device are provided for managing transmissions of a plurality of sets of measurements performed periodically by a measurement sensor capable of communicating with a collection device via a radio network. The method determines, according to a random distribution law, a date of transmission for each set of measurements of the plurality and transmits a message relating to at least one set of measurements, on one of the dates of transmission determined for the plurality.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

managing transmissions of a plurality of sets of measurements performed iteratively by a measurement sensor communicating with a collection device via a radio network, each set of measurements being performed with a respective iteration at a regular time interval, wherein managing comprises the following acts performed by the measurement sensor;

for each set of measurements, determining a respective date of transmission for that set of measurements, the determination of said respective date of transmission for each set of measurements comprising a determination of a time window starting from an instant which is a function of a measurement date of one of said sets of measurements, or a function of a determined respective date of transmission of a preceding set of measurements of the plurality of sets of measurements, and a determination of a random value according to a random distribution law over said window, said respective date of transmission being said random value, wherein the determined time window has a length that is greater than said regular time interval; and

transmitting by the measurement sensor a message relating to at least one set of measurements over the radio network, on one of the respective dates of transmission determined for the plurality of sets of measurements, wherein the message comprises a measurement report relating to the at least one set of measurements performed by the measurement sensor.

2. The management method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the message relating to the set of measurements is a message comprising a measurement report relating to the set of measurements performed by the measurement sensor.

3. The management method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the message relating to the set of measurements is a request for a measurement report.

4. The management method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the message relating to the at least one set of measurements of said plurality of sets of measurements is transmitted on the respective date of transmission determined for said set of measurements.

5. The management method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the message relating to a set of measurements is transmitted on the respective date of transmission determined for the preceding set of measurements.

6. The management method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said message relates to at least a first set and a second set of the plurality of sets of measurements and is transmitted on one of the respective dates determined for the first set and second set of measurements.

7. The management method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the method also comprises transmitting a message relating to at least one of a false set of measurements or a set of redundant measurements on another of the dates determined for one said first and second sets of measurements.

8. The management method as claimed in claim 6, wherein no message is transmitted on another of the respective dates determined for the first and second sets of measurements.

9. The management method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the random distribution law is a uniform distribution law.

10. The management method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the random distribution law is an exponential distribution law.

11. A device for managing transmissions of a plurality of sets of measurements performed iteratively by a measurement sensor capable of communicating with a collection device via a radio network, each set of measurements being performed with a respective iteration at a regular time interval, wherein the device comprises:

a determination module configured to determine a respective date of transmission for each set of measurements of the plurality of sets of measurements, the determination of said respective date of transmission for each set of measurements comprising a determination of a time window starting from an instant which is a function of a measurement date of one of said sets of measurements, or a function of a determined respective date of transmission of a preceding set of measurements of the plurality of sets of measurements, and a determination of a random value according to a random distribution law over said window, said respective date of transmission being said random value, wherein the determined time window has a length that is greater than said regular time interval; and

a processing module configured to transmit a message relating to at least one set of measurements over the radio network, on one of the respective dates of transmission determined for the plurality of sets of measurements, wherein the message comprises a measurement report or a request for a measurement report relating to the at least one set of measurements performed by the measurement sensor.

12. A sensor comprising:

a measurement module configured to perform a plurality of sets of measurements iteratively, each iteration being performed at a regular interval and generating a respective set of measurements of the plurality of sets of measurements; and

a management device comprising;

a determination module configured to determine a respective date of transmission for each set of measurements of the plurality of sets of measurements, the determination of said respective date of transmission for each set of measurements comprising a determination of a time window starting from an instant which is a function of a measurement date of one of said sets of measurements, or a function of a determined respective date of transmission of a preceding set of measurements of the plurality of sets of measurements, and a determination of a random value according to a random distribution law over said window, said respective date of transmission being said random value, wherein the determined time window has a length that is greater than said regular time interval; and

a processing module configured to transmit a message relating to at least one set of measurements over the radio network, on one of the respective dates of transmission determined for the plurality of sets of measurements to a collection device via a radio network.

13. A collection device comprising:

a management device configured to communicate with a measurement sensor over a radio network, the management device comprising;

a determination module configured to determine a respective date of transmission for each of a plurality of sets of measurements performed iteratively by the measurement device, each set of measurements being performed with a respective iteration at a regular time interval, the determination of said respective date of transmission for each set of measurements comprising a determination of a time window starting from an instant which is a function of a measurement date of one of said sets of measurements, or a function of a determined respective date of transmission of a preceding set of measurements of the plurality of sets of measurements, and a determination of a random value according to a random distribution law over said window, said respective date of transmission being said random value, wherein the determined time window has a length that is greater than said regular time interval; and

a processing module configured to transmit a message relating to at least one set of measurements over the radio network, on one of the respective dates of transmission determined for the plurality of sets of measurements.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device comprising a computer program product stored thereon and comprising instructions for implementing a management method when the instructions are loaded and run by a processor, wherein the management method comprises:

managing transmissions of a plurality of sets of measurements performed iteratively by a measurement sensor communicating with a collection device via a radio network, each set of measurements being performed with a respective iteration at a regular time interval, when the instructions are loaded and run by a processor, wherein managing comprises;

for each set of measurements, determining a respective date of transmission for that set of measurements, the determination of said respective date of transmission for each set of measurements comprising a determination of a time window starting from an instant which is a function of a measurement date of one of said sets of measurements, or a function of a determined date of transmission of a preceding set of measurements of the plurality of sets of measurements, and a determination of a random value according to a random distribution law over said window, said respective date of transmission being said random value, wherein the determined time window has a length that is greater than said regular time interval; and

transmitting a message relating to at least one set of measurements over the radio network, on one of the respective dates of transmission determined for the plurality of sets of measurements, wherein the message comprises a measurement report or a request for a measurement report relating to the at least one set of measurements performed by the measurement sensor.

15. A method comprising:

managing transmissions of a plurality of sets of measurements performed iteratively by a measurement sensor communicating with a collection device via a radio network, each set of measurements being performed with a respective iteration at a regular time interval, wherein managing comprises the following acts performed by the collection device;

for each set of measurements of the plurality of sets of measurements, determining a respective date of transmission for that set of measurements, the determination of said respective date of transmission for each set of measurements comprising a determination of a time window starting from an instant which is a function of a measurement date of one of said sets of measurements, or a function of a determined date of transmission of a preceding set of measurements of the plurality of sets of measurements, and a determination of a random value according to a random distribution law over said window, said respective date of transmission being said random value, wherein the determined time window has a length that is greater than said regular time interval; and

transmitting by the collection device a message relating to at least one set of measurements over the radio network, on one of the respective dates of transmission determined for the plurality of sets of measurements, wherein the message comprises a request for a measurement report from the measurement sensor relating to the at least one set of measurements performed by the measurement sensor.