초록 ▼

The system provides a way to use a single RF channel in a cellular, RF meter reading system. In order to avoid adjacent cell concentrator interference while reducing the overall time required to perform repetitive tasks such as meter reading and performing load survey reads, the system has each of t

The system provides a way to use a single RF channel in a cellular, RF meter reading system. In order to avoid adjacent cell concentrator interference while reducing the overall time required to perform repetitive tasks such as meter reading and performing load survey reads, the system has each of the concentrators send out a general command to all of the meter interface units ("MIUs") in its cell, and the MIUs then each send back their data in turn. In order to accomplish that result, the MIUs in each cell are preprogrammed to transmit a preset time period (different for each MIU in a particular cell) following receipt of the general command requesting data.

대표청구항 ▼

[ I claim:] [1.] A cellular based, fixed network AMR system which comprises:(a) a plurality of concentrator units which are each located in a fixed position;(b) at least two cells, each containing a concentrator unit which is able to use RF communications to transmit to meter interface units ("MIUs"

[ I claim:] [1.] A cellular based, fixed network AMR system which comprises:(a) a plurality of concentrator units which are each located in a fixed position;(b) at least two cells, each containing a concentrator unit which is able to use RF communications to transmit to meter interface units ("MIUs") within the cell and to receive RF communications from MIUs within the cell;(c) means within each of said MIUs for transmitting data to said concentrator unit in said cell in a serial fashion such that upon receipt by said MIUs of a command from the concentrator unit within said cell to transmit data, each of said MIUs will transmit its data to said concentrator serially, each of said MIUs transmitting its respective data in a predefined time slot, such that only one of said is in each cell is transmitting its data at any time and;(d) means associated with each of said concentrators for sending a unique number to each of said MIUs, said unique number being representative of how long each of said MIUs should wait before transmitting a reply to a general request for data transmitted by said concentrator, said unique numbers being selected to provide each of said MIUs with a time period for transmission which is at least as great as the time required by that MIU to transmit its data to said concentrator and to insure that each of said time periods further includes additional guard time, thereby preventing MIUs which are adjacent in transmission time from interfering with each other's transmissions;whereby more than one MIU is able to respond to a single request for data from said concentrator without need for said concentrator to make more than one call for such data.