Number of sons management in a cell network

• US 20080086560A1
• Filed: 09/13/2007
• Published: 04/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron Global Sarl (Itron, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Inventors: Monier, Fabrice, Bartier, Jerome
• Granted Patent: US 7,827,268 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/006 Remote reading of utility meters to a non-fixed location, i.e. mobile location
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/16 in which transmission is by pulses
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7143 Arrangements for generation of hop patterns
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15 Active relay systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/127 based on intermediate node capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/005 Routing actions in the presence of nodes in sleep or doze mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/10 based on available power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/248 Connectivity information update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0015 one node acting as a reference for the others
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/002 Mutual synchronization
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/8418 adapted for focusing electric field or current, e.g. tip-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

The present technology relates to protocols relative to utility meters associated with an open operational framework. More particularly, the present subject matter relates to protocol subject matter for advanced metering infrastructure, adaptable to various international standards, while economically supporting a 2-way mesh network solution in a wireless environment, such as for operating in a residential electricity meter field. The present subject matter supports meters within an ANSI standard C12.22/C12.19 system while economically supporting a 2-way mesh network solution in a wireless environment, such as for operating in a residential electricity meter field, all to permit cell-based adaptive insertion of C12.22 meters within an open framework. Cell isolation is provided through quasi-orthogonal sequences in a frequency hopping network. Additional features relate to apparatus and methodology subject matters relating to Number-of-sons'"'"' management.

Claims

1. Methodology for an advanced metering system mesh network with adaptive neighborhood management of communications links, comprising:

establishing a network including a central facility and a plurality of node devices, at least some of which node devices comprise metrology devices, and at least some of which node devices comprise father node devices which provide a communications link for others of the node devices defining son node devices of a given respective father node device;

configuring the network for bi-directional communications between the central facility and each of the plurality of node devices via associations with respective of the father node devices;

from each existing son node device associated with a given specific father node device, providing information to such given specific father node device about alternative father communications links available to such existing son node device;

for each father node device, upon receiving a request from a non-son node device to become a son node device thereof, evaluating such information from its existing son node devices and evaluating its capacity to accept a new son node device, and

if having such capacity, accepting such requesting non-son node device as a new son node device thereof, or

if not having such capacity, removing from its existing son node devices an existing son node device which has indicated an available alternative father communications link thereto, and then accepting such requesting non-son node device as a new son node device thereof.

2. Methodology as in claim 1, wherein an existing son node device is synchronized with its respective father node device.

3. Methodology as in claim 2, wherein a father node device sends a removal notification to any existing son node device which it is removing as a son node device;

and such removed son node device thereafter reacquires synchronization with one of its available alternative father communications links.

4. Methodology as in claim 1, wherein available alternative father communications links comprise fathers and brothers available to a respective node device for synchronization therewith, and the information passed from an existing son device to its respective existing father device with which it is synchronized is whether or not the number of such fathers and brothers available to a respective node device for synchronization therewith is above a predetermined threshold.

5. Methodology for an advanced metering system mesh network with adaptive management of father-son communications links, comprising:

establishing a network including a central facility and a plurality of node devices, at least some of which node devices comprise metrology devices, at least some of which node devices comprise cell masters which provide communications between the central facility and others of the node devices associated therewith in respective cells formed by each respective cell master, and at least some of which node devices comprise father node devices which provide a synchronized communications link between a respective cell master and others of the node devices defining son node devices of a given respective father node device;

configuring the network for bi-directional communications between the central facility and each of the plurality of node devices via associations with respective of the father node devices and of the cell masters;

at each node device, establishing and updating information about each such node device and its respective neighbor relationships and communications links, including a flag notification confirming that such node device has available to it potential fathers above a predetermined number thereof, each such node device including such flag notification as applicable in its transmissions;

at each father node device, monitoring such flag notifications from its existing son node devices, and upon receiving a synchronization request from a non-son node device so as to become a son node device thereof, evaluating such flag notifications from its existing son node devices and evaluating its capacity to accept a new son node device, and

if having such capacity, synchronizing with such requesting non-son node device as a new son node device thereof, or

if not having such capacity, removing from its existing son node devices an existing son node device which via its flag notification has indicated an available alternative father communication link thereto, sending a removal notification to such existing son node device being removed, and synchronizing with such requesting non-son node device as a new son node device thereof,

whereby non-son node devices are not refused synchronization into the network.

6. Methodology as in claim 5, wherein:

such information about each such node device and its respective neighbor relationships and communications links includes confirming that such node device has available to it potential fathers and brothers for available synchronization therewith, and above a predetermined number thereof; and

any son node device removed by its respective prior father node device thereafter reacquires synchronization with one of its available alternative synchronization communications links.

7. Methodology as in claim 5, wherein each respective father node device maintains a table of existing son node devices, and evaluating the capacity of a particular father node device to accept a new son node device is based on whether such maintained table of such respective father node device is full.

8. Methodology as in claim 5, wherein the flag notification comprises a set bit in a message format of transmissions from each respective node device.

9. Methodology as in claim 5, wherein:

such information about each such node device and its respective neighbor relationships and communications links includes confirming that such node device has available to it potential fathers and brothers for available synchronization therewith, and above a predetermined number thereof;

the flag notification comprises a set bit in a message format of transmissions from each respective node device;

any son node device removed by its respective prior father node device thereafter reacquires synchronization with one of its available alternative synchronization communications links; and

each respective father node device maintains a table of existing son node devices, and evaluating the capacity of a particular father node device to accept a new son node device is based on whether such maintained table of such respective father node device is full.

10. An advanced metering system mesh network with adaptive neighborhood management of communications links, comprising:

a central facility; and

a plurality of node devices, at least some of which node devices comprise metrology devices, and at least some of which node devices comprise father node devices which provide a communications link for others of said node devices defining son node devices of a given respective father node device, with said network configured for bi-directional communications between said central facility and each of said plurality of node devices via associations with respective of said father node devices;

wherein

each existing son node device associated with a given specific father node device is further configured for providing information to such given specific father node device about alternative father communications links available to such existing son node device;

each father node device is further configured, upon receiving a request from a non-son node device to become a son node device thereof, for evaluating such information from its existing son node devices and evaluating its capacity to accept a new son node device, and

if having such capacity, accepting such requesting non-son node device as a new son node device thereof, or

if not having such capacity, removing from its existing son node devices an existing son node device which has indicated an available alternative father communications link thereto, and then accepting such requesting non-son node device as a new son node device thereof.

11. An advanced metering system mesh network as in claim 10, wherein an existing son node device is synchronized with its respective father node device.

12. An advanced metering system mesh network as in claim 11, wherein each respective father node device is further configured for sending a removal notification to any existing son node device which it is removing as a son node device;

and such removed son node device is further configured for thereafter reacquiring synchronization with one of its available alternative father communications links.

13. An advanced metering system mesh network as in claim 10, wherein available alternative father communications links comprise fathers and brothers available to a respective node device for synchronization therewith, and the information passed from an existing son device to its respective existing father device with which it is synchronized is whether or not the number of such fathers and brothers available to a respective node device for synchronization therewith is above a predetermined threshold.

14. An advanced metering system mesh network with adaptive management of father-son communications links, comprising:

a central facility; and

a plurality of node devices, at least some of which node devices comprise metrology devices, at least some of which node devices comprise cell masters which provide communications between said central facility and others of said node devices associated therewith in respective cells formed by each respective cell master, and at least some of which node devices comprise father node devices which provide a synchronized communications link between a respective cell master and others of said node devices defining son node devices of a given respective father node device, with said network configured for bi-directional communications between said central facility and each of said plurality of node devices via associations with respective of said father node devices and of said cell masters;

wherein

each node device is configured for establishing and updating information about its respective neighbor relationships and communications links, including a flag notification confirming that such node device has available to it potential fathers above a predetermined number thereof, and is further configured for including such flag notification as applicable in its transmissions;

each father node device is further configured for monitoring such flag notifications from its existing son node devices, and upon receiving a synchronization request from a non-son node device so as to become a son node device thereof, evaluating such flag notifications from its existing son node devices and evaluating its capacity to accept a new son node device, and

if having such capacity, synchronizing with such requesting non-son node device as a new son node device thereof, or

if not having such capacity, removing from its existing son node devices an existing son node device which via its flag notification has indicated an available alternative father communication link thereto, sending a removal notification to such existing son node device being removed, and synchronizing with such requesting non-son node device as a new son node device thereof,

whereby non-son node devices are not refused synchronization into the network.

15. An advanced metering system mesh network as in claim 14, wherein:

each node device is further configured that such information about each such node device and its respective neighbor relationships and communications links includes confirming that such node device has available to it potential fathers and brothers for available synchronization therewith, and above a predetermined number thereof; and

any son node device removed by its respective prior father node device is further configured for thereafter reacquiring synchronization with one of its available alternative synchronization communications links.

16. An advanced metering system mesh network as in claim 14, wherein each respective father node device maintains a table of existing son node devices, and evaluating the capacity of a particular father node device to accept a new son node device is based on whether such maintained table of such respective father node device is full.

17. An advanced metering system mesh network as in claim 14, wherein each respective node device is further configured that transmitting such flag notification comprises including a set bit in a message format of transmissions from each such respective node device.

18. An advanced metering system mesh network as in claim 14, wherein:

each node device is further configured that such information about each such node device and its respective neighbor relationships and communications links includes confirming that such node device has available to it potential fathers and brothers for available synchronization therewith, and above a predetermined number thereof;

each respective node device is further configured that transmitting such flag notification comprises including a set bit in a message format of transmissions from each such respective node device;

any son node device removed by its respective prior father node device is further configured for thereafter reacquiring synchronization with one of its available alternative synchronization communications links; and

each respective father node device maintains a table of existing son node devices, and evaluating the capacity of a particular father node device to accept a new son node device is based on whether such maintained table of such respective father node device is full.

19. A metrology device for use with an advanced metering system mesh network with adaptive neighborhood management of communications links, and including a central facility, a plurality of node devices, with at least some of such node devices comprising such metrology devices, and at least some of such node devices comprising father node devices providing synchronized communications links for others of the node devices defining son node devices of a given respective father node device, with each node device configured for bi-directional communications with such central facility via associations with respective of the father node devices, said metrology device comprising:

a metrology portion configured to measure consumption of a utility commodity;

a transmitter portion configured to transmit consumption information and other data; and

a receiver portion configured to receive information from other network devices in an associated network;

wherein said metrology device portions are configured for providing to its respective father node device on an associated network information about alternative father communications links available to such metrology device in such associated network, so that such respective father node device may make determinations about removing such metrology device as a son thereof in lieu of other node devices on such associated network.

20. A metrology device as in claim 19, wherein said metrology device portions are further configured for including in transmissions from said metrology device a flag notification indicating whether such metrology device has available to it potential fathers above a predetermined number thereof.

21. A metrology device as in claim 20, wherein said metrology device portions are further configured that transmitting such flag notification comprises including a set bit in a message format of transmissions from such metrology device.

22. A metrology device as in claim 19, wherein said metrology device portions are further configured for responding to a removal notification from its respective father node device of an associated network by thereafter reacquiring synchronization with one of its available alternative father communications links.