SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING REMOTE DEVICES WITH A DUAL-MODE WIRELESS COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL

• US 20110310929A1
• Filed: 08/29/2011
• Published: 12/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SIPCO LLC (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SIPCO LLC (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Inventors: PETITE, THOMAS D., HUFF, RICHARD, ALDORETTA, DAVID P., STEVENS, CANDIDA
• Granted Patent: US 8,379,564 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/130
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

The present invention is generally directed to systems and device for monitoring remote device with a wireless, dual-mode communication protocol. As such, a representative embodiment is a system for monitoring and controlling remote devices. The system includes a first and a second remote device; and a first and a second wireless transceiver integrated with the respective remote devices. The wireless transceivers are configured to communicate with at least one of a spread-spectrum communication protocol and a fixed-frequency communication protocol.

Claims

1-54. -54. (canceled)

55. A wireless transceiver used within a system for monitoring remote devices, said wireless transceiver comprising:

an RF transceiver for communicating in a spread-spectrum communication protocol and a fixed-frequency communication protocol, the RF transceiver comprising;

a spread-spectrum communication protocol chipset for communicating in a first modulation scheme at a first radiating-power level; and

a fixed-frequency communication protocol chipset for communicating in a second modulation scheme at a second radiating-power level;

a data controller coupled to the RF transceiver for processing data communicated by the RF transceiver; and

a memory comprising spread-spectrum logic implemented by at least one of the data controller and the RF transceiver, the spread-spectrum logic configured to;

prepare a preamble portion and a data portion of a transmit-communication frame, the preamble portion comprising a first data channel index indicative of a first data channel frequency for communicating the data portion of the transmit-communication frame;

transmit the preamble portion of the transmit-communication frame at a first frequency channel; and

transmit the data portion of the transmit-communication frame at the first data channel frequency.

56. The transceiver of claim 55, wherein the memory further comprises:

an acquisition channels table storing a first set of frequency channels designated for communicating the preamble portion of the transmit-communication frame; and

a data channels table storing a second set of frequency channels designated for communicating the data portion of the transmit-communication frame.

57. The transceiver of claim 56, wherein the spread-spectrum logic is further configured to:

receive a preamble portion of a receive-communication frame at a second frequency channel;

detect a second data channel index in the preamble portion of the receive-communication frame indicative of a second data channel frequency for communicating a data portion of the receive-communication frame; and

receive the data portion of the receive-communication frame at the second data channel frequency.

58. The transceiver of claim 57, wherein spread-spectrum logic is further configured to traverse through the first set of frequency channels in the acquisition channels table until synchronizing with a transmitting transceiver at a frequency channel, whereupon the frequency channel at which synchronization occurs is the second frequency channel.

59. The transceiver of claim 57, wherein the first frequency channel and the second frequency channel are the same.

60. The transceiver of claim 55, wherein the spread-spectrum logic is further configured to change the first or second modulation scheme for either of said communication protocols in accordance with a received remote command.

61. The transceiver of claim 55, wherein the spread-spectrum logic is further configured to change the radiating-power levels for either of said communication protocols in accordance with a received remote command.

62. The transceiver of claim 55, wherein the first modulation scheme is the same as said second modulation scheme.

63. The transceiver of claim 55, wherein the memory further comprises a receiver address table storing identification addresses of other devices with which the transceiver may communicate.

64. The transceiver of claim 63, wherein the receiver address table further stores a communication protocol and modulation scheme for each of the other devices with which the transceiver may communicate.

65. The transceiver of claim 55, wherein the memory further comprises fixed-frequency logic implemented by at least one of the data controller and the RF transceiver, the fixed-frequency logic configured to:

prepare a preamble portion and a data portion of a fixed-frequency communication frame; and

transmit the preamble portion and the data portion at a fixed-frequency designated channel frequency.

66. The transceiver of claim 65, wherein the memory further comprises a fixed-frequency channels table for storing a third set of frequency channels designated for communicating the fixed-frequency communication frame.

67. The transceiver of claim 55, further comprising a data interface coupled to said data controller for communicating data to and from at least a first remote device.

68. The transceiver of claim 56, wherein the first remote device is a utility meter, and wherein the data communicated is utility consumption data.

69. The transceiver of claim 56, wherein the first remote device is a pipe leakage sensor, and wherein the data communicated is leakage data.

70. The transceiver of claim 56, wherein the first remote device is a water quality sensor, and wherein the data communicated is water quality data.

71. The transceiver of claim 56, wherein the first remote device is an identification tag, and wherein the data communicated is identification data.

72. A dual-mode transceiver device, comprising:

a wireless transceiver configured to communicate with at least one of a spread spectrum communication protocol and fixed-frequency communication protocol, the wireless transceiver further configured to communicate with a second wireless transceiver with said spread spectrum communication protocol; and

a logic element configured to;

transmit or receive a first portion of a communication frame at a first frequency channel, wherein the first portion of the communication frame comprises a data channel index that indicates a second frequency channel;

switch to the second frequency channel; and

transmit or receive a second portion of the communication frame at the second frequency channel.

73. In a system for monitoring and controlling remote devices, the system comprising a plurality of remote devices, a gateway, and a plurality of wireless transceivers, wherein each wireless transceiver in the plurality of wireless transceivers is configured to communicate signals via at least one of a fixed-frequency communication protocol and a spread-spectrum communication protocol, a dual-mode transceiver integrated with at least one remote device in the plurality of remote devices, the dual-mode transceiver comprising:

an RF transceiver configured to communicate with at least one of a first wireless transceiver in the plurality of wireless transceivers and the gateway;

a data controller in communication with the RF transceiver, the data controller configured to process data to be communicated by the RF transceiver; and

memory comprising;

a receiver address table storing an identification address, a receiver communication protocol, and a receiver modulation scheme for the at least one of the first wireless transceiver and the gateway.

a spread-spectrum logic implemented by at least one of the data controller and the RF transceiver, the spread-spectrum logic configured to execute a spread-spectrum transmit process if the receiver communication protocol is the spread-spectrum communication protocol, the spread-spectrum transmit process comprising;

preparing a preamble portion and a data portion of a transmit-communication frame, the preamble portion comprising a first data channel index indicative of a first data channel frequency for communicating the data portion of the transmit-communication frame;

transmitting the preamble portion of the transmit-communication frame to the at least one of the first wireless transceiver and the gateway at a first frequency channel with the receiver modulation scheme; and

transmitting the data portion of the transmit-communication frame to the at least one of the first wireless transceiver and the gateway at the first data channel frequency with the receiver modulation scheme; and

a fixed-frequency logic implemented by at least one of the data controller and the RF transceiver, the fixed-frequency logic configured to execute a fixed-frequency transmit process if the receiver communication protocol is the fixed-frequency protocol, the fixed-frequency transmit process comprising;

preparing the preamble portion and the data portion of the transmit-communication frame; and

transmitting the preamble portion and the data portion to the at least one of the first wireless transceiver and the gateway at a fixed-frequency designated channel frequency with the receiver modulation scheme.

74. The dual-mode transceiver of claim 73, wherein the memory further comprises a receive logic configured to execute a receive process, the receive process comprising:

receiving a preamble portion of a receive-communication frame from at least one of the first wireless transceiver and the gateway at a second frequency channel;

detecting a second data channel index in the preamble portion of the receive-communication frame indicative of a second data channel frequency for communicating a data portion of the receive-communication frame; and

receiving the data portion of the receive-communication frame at the second data channel frequency.