Systems and methods for dynamic squelching in radio frequency devices

• US 8,855,569 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2011
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2011
• 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, Shoesmith, William Charles, Grady, Robert Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US13/339,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20130109319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 455/63.1, 455/456.1, 455/67.11, 455/404.2, 455/67.13, 455/114.2, 455/511, 455/512, 370/311, 370/350, 370/432, 187/248, 340/870.02
• US Class Current: 455/63.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/345 Interference values signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR] H04B17/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 Synchronization between nodes

Abstract

Systems and methods for communicating with a radio frequency (RF) device are disclosed herein. In particular, a method of the present disclosure includes: listening for a first hailing signal to be received on at least one hailing channel selected from a plurality of hailing channels, selecting at least one hailing channel based upon a system time and a node identification; determining a noise floor for the at least one hailing channel; and upon receiving a noise signal on the at least one hailing channel, adjusting the noise floor in response to the noise signal.

Claims

1. A radio frequency (RF) apparatus for sending and receiving wireless communications, the RF apparatus further comprising:

an oscillator;

a memory configured to store a hailing channel frequency set and a data channel frequency set, the hailing channel frequency set comprising a plurality of hailing channels and the data channel frequency set comprising a plurality of data channels;

an antenna operatively configured to send and receive RF communications; and

a microprocessor operatively connected to the oscillator, the memory and the antenna, the microprocessor comprising;

logic to listen for a first hailing signal to be received on at least one hailing channel selected from the hailing channel frequency set, selecting the at least one hailing channel based upon a system time and a node identification;

logic to determine a noise floor for the at least one hailing channel;

logic to receive a noise signal on the at least one hailing channel; and

logic to adjust the noise floor in response to the noise signal.

2. The RF apparatus of claim 1, wherein the noise floor is based on a signal strength indicator.

3. The RF apparatus of claim 2, wherein the signal strength indicator is an indication of the amount of energy present in the at least one hailing channel.

4. The RF apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic to adjust the noise floor comprises:

logic to raise the noise floor to maintain a predefined false break ratio.

5. The RF apparatus of claim 4, wherein the false break ratio is approximately 800 false breaks per day.

6. The RF apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic to adjust the noise floor comprises:

logic to lower the noise floor to maintain a predefined false break ratio.

7. The RF apparatus of claim 6, wherein the false break ratio is approximately 800 false breaks per day.