IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
UP-0900625
(2007-09-12)
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등록번호 |
US-7756030
(2010-08-02)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Clave, Arnaud
- Monier, Fabrice
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출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
18 인용 특허 :
96 |
초록
▼
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 economicall
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 Downlink routing mechanisms.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. A method for an advanced metering system mesh network with multiple mode downlink routing, comprising: establishing a network including a central facility and a plurality of node devices, with at least some of the node devices comprising metrology devices, and with at least s
What is claimed is: 1. A method for an advanced metering system mesh network with multiple mode downlink routing, comprising: establishing a network including a central facility and a plurality of node devices, with at least some of the node devices comprising metrology devices, and with at least some of the node devices comprising 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; configuring the network for bi-directional communications between the central facility and each of the plurality of node devices; from each node device associated with a given specific cell master in a respective cell formed thereby, providing information to the given specific cell master about communications links of each of the node devices in the respective cell; selectively sending a monocast downlink message from a given respective cell master to a specific node device associated therewith, using a monocast downlink path determined by the given respective cell master based on its received information from all node devices associated therewith; and selectively sending a broadcast downlink message from a given respective cell master to all node devices associated therewith; and wherein each node device provides updated information to its respective cell master about any changes to its communications links in the respective cell; each node device returns a Broken Link message to its respective cell master if it is unable after a predetermined number of retransmissions to successfully transmit a message to its intended recipient; and each cell master uses Broken Link messages and updated information received from the respective node devices in its respective cell in its subsequent determinations of any downlink monocast paths. 2. A method as in claim 1, wherein each of the node devices: retransmits incoming broadcast downlink messages but filters incoming broadcast downlink messages so as to delete any broadcast downlink message which it has already retransmitted so as to avoid duplicative retransmissions; retransmits up to a predetermined number of times any message transmitted thereby which fails to be acknowledged by its intended recipient, until the message is successfully transmitted; and filters from any retransmissions any message which is beyond a predetermined period of time after its original transmission from a cell master associated with the node device. 3. A method for an advanced metering system frequency hopping mesh network with dynamic multiple mode downlink routing to all node devices thereof, comprising: establishing a network including a central facility and a plurality of node devices, with at least some of the node devices comprising metrology devices, with at least some of the node devices comprising 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 with at least some of the node devices comprising father node devices which provide a communications link between a respective cell master and others of the node devices defining son node devices of a given respective father node device in the respective cell of the respective cell master; 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 cell masters; at each node device, maintaining a neighbor table containing information about each node device and its respective neighbor relationships and communications links within a respective cell formed by a respective cell master; from each node device associated with a given specific cell master in a respective cell formed thereby, forwarding the neighbor table thereof to the given specific cell master; at each node device associated with a given specific cell master in a respective cell formed thereby, updating its respective neighbor table when any changes occur to any of its respective neighbor relationships or communications links, and forwarding the updated neighbor table thereof to the given specific cell master; selectively sending a broadcast downlink message from a given respective cell master to all node devices associated therewith in its respective cell; and selectively sending a monocast downlink message from a given respective cell master to a specific node device associated therewith in the respective cell formed by the given respective cell master, using a monocast downlink path determined by the given respective cell master based on received neighbor tables from all node devices associated therewith in its respective cell, whereby the network dynamically adapts its downlink routing to changes in communications links among the node devices thereof. 4. A method as in claim 3, further comprising at each cell master, building a routing table thereat for determining a monocast downlink path to each respective node device within its respective cell, based on a predetermined minimum number of neighbor tables from the respective node devices within its respective cell, and updating the routing table based on any received information regarding changes to any of the respective node devices or the respective neighbor relationships or communications links thereof. 5. A method as in claim 4, wherein the monocast downlink paths are determined so as to avoid for a given path multiple passes through the same node device, so as to avoid a circular path. 6. A method as in claim 3, wherein: the monocast downlink paths respectively comprise a list of each interim node device along a given path within a respective cell, for reaching a particular node device within the cell; and each interim node device along a given monocast downlink path removes its identity from the path list and retransmits the monocast downlink message to a next identified node device on the path list. 7. A method as in claim 6, wherein: each node device along a given monocast downlink path sends a Broken Link return message to the cell master associated with it in its respective cell, if the node device is unable to successfully retransmit said monocast downlink message to said next identified node device on the path list; and upon receipt of a Broken Link message at a respective cell master, the cell master redetermines a monocast downlink path, if possible based on available information about its respective cell, to a particular node device, and retransmits the respective monocast downlink message along the redetermined monocast downlink path. 8. A method as in claim 7, wherein a node device which is unable to successfully transmit a respective monocast downlink message to the next identified node device on the path list does not send a Broken Link return message to the cell master associated with it in its respective cell if the respective monocast downlink message is either of a notification that a particular node device within the respective cell is out or a notification that a particular node device is newly registered to the respective cell. 9. A method as in claim 3, wherein each of the node devices: retransmits incoming broadcast downlink messages but filters incoming broadcast downlink messages so as to delete any broadcast downlink message which it has already retransmitted so as to avoid duplicative retransmissions; retransmits up to a predetermined number of times any message transmitted thereby which fails to be acknowledged by its intended recipient, until the message is successfully transmitted; and filters from any retransmissions any message which is beyond a predetermined period of time after its original transmission from a cell master associated with the node device. 10. An advanced metering system mesh network with multiple mode downlink routing, comprising: a central facility; and a plurality of node devices, with at least some of the node devices comprising metrology devices, and with at least some of the node devices comprising 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, with each node device configured for bi-directional communications with said central facility; wherein each of said node devices is configured to provide information to its respective cell master about communications links thereof in the respective cell; and each respective cell master is configured to selectively send a monocast downlink message from it to a specific node device associated therewith, using a monocast downlink path determined by it based on its received information from all node devices associated therewith, and is further configured to selectively send a broadcast downlink message from it to all node devices associated therewith; wherein each of said node devices is further configured for providing updated information to its respective cell master about any changes to its communications links in the respective cell, and for returning a Broken Link message to its respective cell master if it is unable after a predetermined number of retransmissions to successfully transmit a message to its intended recipient; and each respective cell master is further configured for using Broken Link messages and updated information received from the respective node devices in its respective cell in its subsequent determinations of any downlink monocast paths. 11. An advanced metering system mesh network as in claim 10, wherein each of said node devices is further configured for: retransmitting incoming broadcast downlink messages but filtering incoming broadcast downlink messages so as to delete any broadcast downlink message which it has already retransmitted so as to avoid duplicative retransmissions; retransmitting up to a predetermined number of times any message transmitted thereby which fails to be acknowledged by its intended recipient, until the message is successfully transmitted; and filtering from any retransmissions any message which is beyond a predetermined period of time after its original transmission from a cell master associated with the node device. 12. An advanced metering system frequency hopping mesh network with dynamic multiple mode downlink routing to all node devices thereof, comprising: a central facility; and a plurality of node devices, with at least some of the node devices comprising metrology devices, with at least some of the node devices comprising 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 with at least some of the node devices comprising father node devices which provide a communications link between a respective cell master and others of said node devices defining son node devices of a given respective father node device in the respective cell of the respective cell master, with each of said node devices configured for bi-directional communications between said central facility and each of said plurality of node devices via associations with respective of said cell masters; wherein each of said node devices is configured for maintaining a neighbor table containing information about its respective neighbor relationships and communications links within a respective cell formed by its respective cell master, for forwarding its neighbor table to its respective cell master, for updating its respective neighbor table when any changes occur to any of its respective neighbor relationships or communications links, and for forwarding the updated neighbor table to its respective cell master; and each respective cell master is configured for selectively sending a broadcast downlink message to all node devices in its respective cell, and for selectively sending a monocast downlink message to a specific node device associated in its respective cell, using a monocast downlink path determined by it based on received neighbor tables from all node devices in its respective cell, whereby said network dynamically adapts its downlink routing to changes in communications links among said node devices thereof. 13. An advanced metering system frequency hopping mesh network as in claim 12, wherein each respective cell master is further configured for building a routing table thereat for determining a monocast downlink path to each respective node device within its respective cell, based on a predetermined minimum number of neighbor tables from the respective node devices within its respective cell, and updating the routing table based on any received information regarding changes to any of the respective node devices or the respective neighbor relationships or communications links thereof. 14. An advanced metering system frequency hopping mesh network as in claim 13, wherein each respective cell master is further configured for determining monocast downlink paths so as to avoid for a given path multiple passes through the same node device, so as to avoid a circular path. 15. An advanced metering system frequency hopping mesh network as in claim 12, wherein: each respective cell master is further configured for comprising the monocast downlink paths respectively as a list of each interim node device along a given path within a respective cell, for reaching a particular node device within the cell; and each respective interim node device along a given monocast downlink path is further configured removing its identity from the path list and retransmitting the monocast downlink message to a next identified node device on the path list. 16. An advanced metering system frequency hopping mesh network as in claim 15, wherein: each node device along a given monocast downlink path is further configured for sending a Broken Link return message to its cell master, if the node device is unable to successfully retransmit said monocast downlink message to said next identified node device on the path list; each respective cell master, upon receipt of a Broken Link message, is further configured for redetermining a monocast downlink path, if possible based on available information about its respective cell, to a particular node device, and for retransmitting the respective monocast downlink message along the redetermined monocast downlink path. 17. An advanced metering system frequency hopping mesh network as in claim 16, wherein a node device which is unable to successfully transmit a respective monocast downlink message to the next identified node device on the path list is further configured for not sending a Broken Link return message to its cell master if the respective monocast downlink message is either of a notification that a particular node device within the respective cell is out or a notification that a particular node device is newly registered to the respective cell. 18. An advanced metering system frequency hopping mesh network as in claim 12, wherein each of said node devices are further configured for: retransmitting incoming broadcast downlink messages but filtering incoming broadcast downlink messages so as to delete any the broadcast downlink message which it has already retransmitted so as to avoid duplicative retransmissions; retransmitting up to a predetermined number of times any message transmitted thereby which fails to be acknowledged by its intended recipient, until the message is successfully transmitted; and filtering from any retransmissions any message which is beyond a predetermined period of time after its original transmission from its respective cell master. 19. A metrology device for use with an advanced metering system mesh network with multiple mode downlink routing, and including a central facility, a plurality of node devices, with at least some of the node devices comprising metrology devices, and at least some of the node devices comprising cell masters providing communications between the central facility and others of the node devices associated therewith in respective cells formed by the respective cell masters, with each node device configured for bi-directional communications with the central facility via associations with respective cell masters, 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 portion is configured for maintaining a neighbor table containing information about its respective neighbor relationships and communications links within a respective cell formed by its respective cell master in an associated network, for forwarding its neighbor table to its respective cell master, for updating its respective neighbor table when any changes occur to any of its respective neighbor relationships or communications links, and for forwarding the updated neighbor table to its respective cell master, so that the cell master selectively forwards downlink messages to the respective node devices of its cell for arriving at an intended node device. 20. A metrology device as in claim 19, wherein said metrology portion is further configured for receiving monocast downlink messages from its respective cell master in an associated network, the monocast downlink messages being passed along a monocast downlink path on which said metrology device resides, and for removing its identity from a listing of the path included with its corresponding message and retransmitting the monocast downlink message to a next identified node device on the listing of the path. 21. A metrology device as in claim 19, wherein said metrology portion is further configured for sending a Broken Link return message to its cell master, if the metrology device is unable to successfully transmit a downlink message to a next identified node device on a path list associated with the message. 22. A metrology device as in claim 21, wherein said metrology portion is further configured for not sending a Broken Link return message to its cell master in the event of an unsuccessful transmission of a downlink message if the downlink message is either of a notification that a particular node device within the respective cell is out or a notification that a particular node device is newly registered to the respective cell. 23. A metrology device as in claim 19, wherein said metrology portion is further configured for: retransmitting incoming broadcast downlink messages coming from its respective cell master in an associated network but filtering incoming broadcast downlink messages so as to delete any broadcast downlink message which it has already retransmitted so as to avoid duplicative retransmissions; retransmitting up to a predetermined number of times any message transmitted thereby which fails to be acknowledged by its intended recipient, until the message is successfully transmitted; and filtering from any retransmissions any message which is beyond a predetermined period of time after its original transmission from its respective cell master.
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