Distributing metering responses for load balancing an AMR network
US8055461B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 13, 2007 |
| Grant date | Nov 8, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 13, 2027 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY04S20/30
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Disclosed are methodology and corresponding apparatus subject matters for providing improved efficiency in the collection of data from a large number of metrology devices associated with an Automated Meter reading (AMR) network. AMR network operation produces randomly spaced transmissions from individual nodes in the network. When an AMR system wishes to retrieve data from a large number of points over an AMR network, a broadcast or multicast request is transmitted to appropriate nodes. A time window is defined either in such request or in the devices themselves such that start and end offsets from the time of the request are received by the node. The start offset provides a quiet period to insure request delivery to all the appropriate nodes. The end offset provides a time by which the requested data must be returned. Responses are sent randomly within the window established by the start and stop offset times.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.