Method and system for configurable qualification and registration in a fixed network automated meter reading system
First Claim
1. A method of establishing a wireless communication network among a plurality of nodes, comprising the following steps performed at one of the plurality of nodes:
- (a) identifying other nodes that are capable of communicating with said one node, the other nodes defining a subset of said plurality of nodes;
(b) for each node in the subset, determining whether two-way communications between that node and said one node satisfy a qualification threshold, and if so, identifying that node as one for which two-way communications with said one node can be performed;
(c) storing information about each of the nodes identified in step (b), said identified nodes comprising a level of said wireless communication network; and
(d) adjusting the qualification threshold and repeating steps (a) through (c) using the adjusted qualification threshold.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A dynamic self-configuring system for collecting metering data comprises a collector meter. The collector meter scans for meters that are operable to directly communicate with the collector and registers such meters as level one meters. The collector transmits instructions to the level one meters to scan for meters that are operable to directly communicate with the level one meters. The collector registers meters that respond as level two meters. A qualification threshold used in the registration process is adjustable.
134 Citations
55 Claims
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1. A method of establishing a wireless communication network among a plurality of nodes, comprising the following steps performed at one of the plurality of nodes:
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(a) identifying other nodes that are capable of communicating with said one node, the other nodes defining a subset of said plurality of nodes;
(b) for each node in the subset, determining whether two-way communications between that node and said one node satisfy a qualification threshold, and if so, identifying that node as one for which two-way communications with said one node can be performed;
(c) storing information about each of the nodes identified in step (b), said identified nodes comprising a level of said wireless communication network; and
(d) adjusting the qualification threshold and repeating steps (a) through (c) using the adjusted qualification threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 48, 49, 55)
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17. A method of establishing a wireless communication network among a plurality of nodes, comprising the following steps performed at one of the plurality of nodes:
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(a) identifying other nodes that are capable of communicating with said one node, said other nodes defining a subset of said plurality of nodes;
(b) for each node in the subset, (i) transmitting a predetermined number of messages to the node, the node being expected to transmit a response for each of said transmitted messages;
(ii) receiving a number of responses from the node;
(iii) comparing the number of responses received from the node to a predetermined threshold value; and
(iv) if the number of responses received from the node satisfies the predetermined threshold value, identifying the node as one for which two-way communications with said one node can be performed;
(c) storing information about each of the nodes identified in step (b)(iv), said identified nodes comprising a level of said wireless communication network; and
(d) adjusting the predetermined threshold value and repeating steps (a) through (c) using the adjusted threshold value. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A device comprising:
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a memory;
wireless communication electronics for transmitting and receiving messages; and
a processor that executes instructions that enable said device to establish at least a portion of a wireless communication network among a plurality of devices, the instructions, when executed by the processor, causing said device to;
(a) identify other devices that are capable of communicating with said device, the other devices defining a subset of said plurality of devices;
(b) for each device in the subset, determine whether two-way communications between that device and said device satisfy a qualification threshold, and if so, identify that device as one for which two-way communications with said device can be performed;
(c) store information about each of the devices identified in step (b) in said memory, said identified devices comprising a level of the wireless communication network; and
(d) adjust the qualification threshold and repeat steps (a) through (c) using the adjusted qualification threshold. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A processor-readable medium having stored thereon instructions for establishing a wireless communication network among a plurality of nodes, the instructions, when executed by a processor at one of the plurality of nodes, causing the processor at said one node to:
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(a) identify other nodes that are capable of communicating with said one node, the other nodes defining a subset of said plurality of nodes;
(b) for each node in the subset, determine whether two-way communications between that node and said one node satisfy a qualification threshold, and if so, identify that node as one for which two-way communications with said one node can be performed;
(c) store information about each of the nodes identified in step (b), said identified nodes comprising a level of said wireless communication network; and
(d) adjust the qualification threshold and repeat steps (a) through (c) using the adjusted qualification threshold. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. In a wireless communication network comprising a plurality of nodes, wherein one node defines a collector of the network which communicates with each of a subset of nodes defining a first level of the network, and wherein each node of the first level further communicates with another subset of nodes different from said first level and from the nodes that communicate with other first level nodes, all the nodes that communicate with a respective first level node defining a second level of the network, and wherein each second level node communicates with the collector through its respective first level node, and further wherein the network is established by a process comprising:
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(a) identifying from the collector other nodes that are capable of communicating with the collector;
(b) for each node identified in step (a), determining from the collector whether two-way communications between that node and the collector satisfy a qualification threshold, and if so, identifying that node as one for which two-way communications with the collector can be performed;
(c) storing information about each of the nodes identified in step (b), said identified nodes comprising the first level of the wireless communication network; and
(d) instructing each first level node to perform steps (a) through (c) from the first level node, the nodes identified in step (b) from each first level node together comprising the second level of said wireless communication network, a method comprising;
(i) instructing the collector to adjust the qualification threshold and to re-perform steps (a) through (c) using the adjusted qualification threshold to establish a new first level of nodes, and (ii) instructing each first level node to re-perform steps (a) though (c) from the first level node using the adjusted qualification threshold to establish a new second level of the network. - View Dependent Claims (47, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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Specification