Node migration

• US 10,097,411 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2016
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mueller International LLC (Mueller Water Products Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mueller International LLC (Mueller Water Products Incorporated)
• Inventors: Splitz, David Edwin, Magley, Dale McLeod, Dukes, Brent
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Jr., Otis L
• Application Number:
  US15/161,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20170339016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• 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: H04Q 2209/50 using a mobile data collecting device, e.g. walk by or drive by
• 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

A method includes periodically sending an Advanced Meter Reading (AMR) beacon from a node at a first regular time interval, the AMR beacon containing a register identification and a reading detected by the node, and periodically listening, at the node, for a communication such that instances of listening occur at a second regular time interval smaller than the first time interval. In one aspect of the disclosure, the communication is a mobile command from a mobile transceiver. In another aspect of the disclosure, the communication is a Network System Status Request or a parent assignment command from a stationary transceiver.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

periodically sending an Advanced Meter Reading (AMR) beacon from a node at a first regular time interval, the AMR beacon containing a register identification (ID) and a reading detected by the node;

periodically listening, at the node, for a communication such that instances of listening occur at a second regular time interval smaller than the first regular time interval; and

receiving the communication at the node;

wherein the communication is a repeating pattern of hail messages, and wherein each hail message has a hail duration smaller than the second regular time interval.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the hail messages alternate between at least two hailing channels of the node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein instances of listening by the node have a timing with respect to the repeating pattern of hail messages such that if an instance of listening falls within an invalid period for one hail message, a next instance of listening will fall within a valid period for a later hail message, enabling a successful hail.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second regular time interval is between 16 and 17 times larger than the hail duration.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the hail duration is about 180 milliseconds (ms).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein an initial instance of listening occurs after an initial AMR beacon and is separated from the initial AMR beacon by an offset ranging from and including about 0.2 seconds to and including about 10 seconds.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first regular time interval ranges from and including about 1 second to and including about 30 seconds, the second regular time interval ranges from and including about 0.5 seconds to and including about 30 seconds, and the node repeatedly sends the AMR beacon at a power of about 15 dBm, and at a frequency of about 915 Mhz.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a mobile command at the node.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising executing the mobile command by performing an action selected from a group consisting of performing a task, sending a reply communication, and both performing a task and sending a reply communication.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein any reply communication from the node is sent at a power of about 15 dBm, and at a frequency of about 915 Mhz.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at the node a Network System Status Request (NSSR) from a stationary transceiver; and

sending an identification (ID) communication from the node in response to the NSSR, the ID communication containing both a node ID and the register ID.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving, at the node, a parent assignment command, the parent assignment command causing the node to transition to an Advanced Metering Infrastructure mode.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data from a stationary transceiver;

processing the data to determine whether the periodic sending of the AMR beacons should be halted; and

halting the sending of the AMR beacons responsive to a determination that the data comprises an instruction to stop sending AMR beacons.

14. A node, comprising:

a processor; and

logic processed by the processor to

periodically send an Advanced Meter Reading (AMR) beacon from the node at a first regular time interval, the AMR beacon containing information identifying the node and containing a reading detected by the node,

periodically listen, at the node, for a communication such that instances of listening occur at a second regular time interval smaller than the first regular time interval, and

receive the communication at the node,

wherein the communication is a repeating pattern of hail messages, and wherein each hail message has a hail duration smaller than the second regular time interval.

15. The node of claim 14, wherein the logic is further processed by the processor to detect hail messages alternating between at least two hailing channels of the node.

16. The node of claim 14, wherein the logic is further processed by the processor to time instances of listening by the node with respect to the repeating pattern of hail messages such that if an instance of listening falls within an invalid period for one hail message, a next instance of listening will fall within a valid period for a later hail message, enabling a successful hail.

17. The node of claim 14, wherein the logic is further processed by the processor to:

receive at the node a Network System Status Request (NSSR) from a stationary transceiver; and

send an identification (ID) communication from the node in response to the NSSR, the ID communication containing both a node ID and a register ID.

18. The node of claim 17, wherein the node is further processed by the processor to:

receive a parent assignment command; and

cause the node to transition to an Advanced Metering Infrastructure mode in response to receipt of the parent assignment command.

19. The node of claim 14, wherein the logic is further processed by the processor to:

receive data from a stationary transceiver;

process the data to determine whether the periodic sending of the AMR beacons should be halted; and

halt the sending of the AMR beacons responsive to a determination that the data comprises an instruction to stop sending AMR beacons.