초록 ▼

A method for communicating utility usage-related information from a plurality of meter modules to a plurality of data accumulator units, each of which periodically transmits data to a control computer, including the steps of periodically transmitting from each meter module a first signal indicative

A method for communicating utility usage-related information from a plurality of meter modules to a plurality of data accumulator units, each of which periodically transmits data to a control computer, including the steps of periodically transmitting from each meter module a first signal indicative of utility usage-related information and wherein the first signal includes a flag for self-configuring the communications network when the meter module is initially installed. The signal strength of the first signals from a meter module received at a data accumulator unit are measured and ranked by the control computer based on received signal strength. The ranking based on signal strength is utilized to enable only a limited number of data accumulators (those which received the strongest first signals) to receive, record and store data from a particular meter module.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What I claim is:] [14.] A method of communication utility usage-related information, including meter identification data and utility usage data from a plurality of meter modules, each of which senses, stores and transmits utility meter related information from an associated utility meter to a plur

[ What I claim is:] [14.] A method of communication utility usage-related information, including meter identification data and utility usage data from a plurality of meter modules, each of which senses, stores and transmits utility meter related information from an associated utility meter to a plurality of spaced-apart data accumulator units, each of which receives from a plurality of meter modules a plurality of first signals, each of which is indicative of said utility usage information associated with the meter module which transmits said first signal, and further periodically transmits data indicative of some of the first signals received by the data accumulator unit to a control computer comprising the steps of:periodically transmitting from each of the plurality of meter modules a first signal indicative of utility usage-related information;receiving at each of the plurality of data accumulator units a plurality of first signals, each of which is transmitted by its associated meter module;storing at each of the data accumulator units data indicative of utility related information received by the data accumulator unit from some of said received first signals;transmitting to the control computer data from each of the data accumulator units which is indicative of utility usage-related information sensed by said plurality of meter modules;periodically transmitting a flag included in said first signal for a predetermined time period from each of said plurality of meter modules to said data accumulator units;measuring the received signal strength of at least some of said received first signals at each of said data accumulator units;storing the received signal strength of said received first signals for which the received signal strength is measured;said steps of measuring and storing the received signal strength of said received first signals are performed at the data accumulator units;transmitting to said control computer the received signal strength of said received first signals for which said signal strength is measured which is received and stored at each of said data accumulator units;comparing the received signal strength for each first signal including a flag associated with a particular meter module which first signal is received at a plurality of data accumulator units;determining and ranking by signal strength which of the plurality of data accumulator units received the strongest first signals for a particular meter module; andenabling only a limited number of data accumulator units which have received the strongest first signals, including a flag from a particular meter module, to receive, record and store the data indicative of utility usage-related information at a particular meter module.