Data communication protocol in an automatic meter reading system

Abstract

Automatic meter reading (AMR) systems and methods in which readers communicate with endpoints interfaced to utility meters. In operation, the reader and the endpoint communicate with one another via radio frequency (RF) communication according to a communication protocol. Aspects of the invention are directed to packetization, command and control, and messaging arrangements.

1 . An automatic meter reading (AMR) system, comprising
 a reader; and   an endpoint interfaced to a utility meter;   wherein in operation, said reader and said endpoint communicate with one another via radio frequency (RF) communication according to a communication protocol that includes a transport layer, wherein said transport layer provides slot assignments, timing, and packetization for all data transferred between said reader and said endpoint;   wherein said packetization defines packets to include:
 a preamble field; 
 a preface following the preamble field, wherein the preface includes at least a message type field; 
 an endpoint type field following the message type field; 
 a message field following the endpoint type field; and 
 a validation field. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said packetization further defines the packets to include a packet length identifier field; and
 wherein when a message to be carried by at least a first packet has a length greater than 254 bytes, a value of a packet length identifier field of the first packet is set to 0xFF, and a message field of the first packet is set to include a packet number byte representing: (a) a total number of packets used to communicate the message, and (b) a packet number identifier of the first packet.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the packetization further defines the packets to include at least one flag having a grouping of 8 bits, wherein the 8 bits consist of:
 a first two bits;   a second two bits that represent an encoder number associated with a utility meter endpoint;   a fifth bit that represents a status of an event;   a sixth bit that represents a security state;   a seventh bit that represents a relay state; and   an eighth bit that represents a resend state.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the validation field includes at least one cycle redundancy check identifier, wherein a cycle redundancy check polynomial is 0x1021. 
     
     
         5 . An automatic meter reading (AMR) system, comprising:
 a reader; and   an endpoint interfaced to a utility meter;   wherein in operation, said reader transmits a command and control frame to said endpoint via radio frequency (RF) communication, wherein the command and control frame includes:
 a system ID that indicates a specific AMR system with which said endpoint is associated; 
 a frame ID that indicates a position in a wake-up sequence of said reader; and 
 a cell ID that indicates at least one subset of said specific AMR system. 
   
     
     
         6 . The AMR system of  claim 5 , wherein said command and control frame issues commands to said endpoint. 
     
     
         7 . The AMR system of  claim 5 , wherein said command and control frame realigns a real-time clock within said endpoint. 
     
     
         8 . The AMR system of  claim 5 , wherein said command and control frame includes a command set field. 
     
     
         9 . The AMR system of  claim 8 , wherein said command set includes universal commands and type specific commands. 
     
     
         10 . The AMR system of  claim 5 , wherein said command and control frame includes a command body, wherein said command body provides at least one command selected from the group consisting of:
 reporting a status of said endpoint;   changing a system number of said endpoint;   changing a group number of said endpoint;   changing a system slot number of said endpoint;   changing a cell ID of said endpoint;   providing a reporting slot number to said endpoint;   requesting resending of identified packets of data from said endpoint;   setting a bubble-up channel of said endpoint;   configuration a transmission power of said endpoint; and   setting a channel frequency of said endpoint.   
     
     
         11 . The AMR system of  claim 5 , wherein said command and control frame includes a command body, wherein said command body provides at least one command selected from the group consisting of:
 requesting a report of consumption data from said endpoint;   requesting a report of time of use data from said endpoint;   requesting a report of logged data from said endpoint;   requesting a report of tamper data from said endpoint;   setting a configuration flag within said endpoint;   initializing consumption within said endpoint;   request a report of an event summary from said endpoint;   performing an endpoint diagnostic check; and   requesting a report of memory content of said endpoint.   
     
     
         12 . The AMR system of  claim 5 , wherein said command and control frame includes a plurality of fields, and wherein said plurality of fields are selected from: a frame ID field, a cell ID, a real-time clock field, a command flag field, a slot offset field, an unsolicited message field, an endpoint ID field, a security field, a command set field, a command body field, or a response frequency field. 
     
     
         13 . The AMR system of  claim 5 , wherein said command and control frame designates a response frequency for said endpoint. 
     
     
         14 . The AMR system of  claim 5 , wherein said command and control frame comprises a one-way programming frame or a two-way command and control frame. 
     
     
         15 . The AMR system of  claim 5 , wherein said command and control frame provides a test command to said endpoint. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein said command and control frame issues a command selected from a command set having a plurality of different commands, and wherein the system is adapted to support a plurality of different command sets. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein a command set is divided into a plurality of groups including a universal group applicable to all endpoint types, and a type specific group applicable corresponding types of endpoint devices. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the command and control frame includes:
 a system identification field;   a frame identification field;   a cell identification field;   a plurality of coordinated universal time (UTC) fields;   a plurality of command flags fields;   a slot offset field that defines the number of slots between packets in multi-packet messages;   at least one field that defines a first unsolicited message;   a plurality of fields that provide at least one endpoint ID of at least one endpoint with which that the reader is to communicate;   at least one security field;   a command set field;   a plurality of command and command body fields;   at least one field that provide a response frequency for at least one endpoint;   a reserved field;   a field that indicates a length of extended control frame; and   at least one cyclical redundancy check field.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein at least one of the plurality of the command flag fields includes:
 a first three bits that define a slot length;   a fourth bit that is a forward error correction bit;   a fifth bit that provides a slot mode;   a sixth bit that defines a data type; and   a seventh bit and an eighth bit that are a command target bits.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein at least one of the plurality of command flag fields comprises:
 a first four bits;   a fifth bit and a sixth bit that define an encoder number; and   a seventh bit and an eighth bit that define a transmit mode.   
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of command and command body fields provide at least one indication selected from the group consisting of: reporting a status, changing a system number to a new system number, changing a group number to a new group number, changing a system slot number to a new system slot number, changing a cell identification to a new cell identification, reporting slot numbers, resending identified packets of data, setting a receiver bubble-up period, setting a bubble-up channel, setting a bubble-up time, configuring a transmission power, setting a channel frequency, reporting consumption data, reporting time of use data, reporting logged data, reporting temperature, reporting tamper data, setting configuration flags, initializing consumption, reporting an event summary, performing an endpoint diagnostic check, reporting memory contents, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the system ID, the frame ID, and the cell ID are utilized to determine cell reuse. 
     
     
         23 . An automatic meter reading (AMR) system, comprising
 a reader;   an endpoint interfaced to a utility meter, wherein said reader transmits a RF communication to said endpoint;   wherein said RF communication occurs through the use of at least one packet that includes a message type field and a message field, wherein the message type field indicates a command type of a first command to be carried out that is selected from a predetermined set of commands, and wherein the message field indicates specific data associated with the first command.   
     
     
         24 . An automatic meter reading (AMR) system, comprising
 a reader;   an endpoint interfaced to a utility meter, wherein said endpoint and reader communicate with one another via a radio frequency (RF) communication;   wherein said RF communication occurs through the use of at least one packet that includes a message type field and a message content field that is distinct from the message type field, wherein the message type field indicates a message type indicator of a first message to be conveyed that is selected from a predetermined set of messages, and wherein the message content field indicates specific data associated with the first message.   
     
     
         25 . In an automatic meter reading (AMR) system that includes a reader and an endpoint interfaced to a utility meter, a method of communicating between the endpoint and the reader, said method comprising:
 transmitting, by at least one of the reader and the endpoint, a packetized radio frequency (RF) communication that comprises a first packet;   providing, in the first packet, a message type field and a message content field that is distinct from the message type field;   indicating, in the message type field, a message type of a first message to be conveyed that is selected from a predetermined set of messages; and   indicating, in the message content field, specific data associated with the first message.   
     
     
         26 . An automatic meter reading (AMR) system, comprising
 a reader; and   an endpoint interfaced to a utility meter;   wherein in operation, said reader and said endpoint communicate with one another via radio frequency (RF) communication according to a communication protocol that includes a transport layer, wherein said transport layer provides slot assignments, timing, and packetization for all data transferred between said reader and said endpoint;   wherein said packetization defines packets to include:   a preamble field;   a preface following the preamble field, wherein the reface includes at least a message type field;   an endpoint type field following the message type field;   a message field following the endpoint type field; and   a validation field.   
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein said packetization further defines the packets to include a packet length identifier field; and
 wherein when a message to be carried by at least a first packet has a length greater than 254 bytes, a value of a packet length identifier field of the first packet is set to 0xFF, and a message field of the first packet is set to include a packet number byte representing: (a) a total number of packets used to communicate the message, and (b) a packet number identifier of the first packet.   
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the packetization further defines the packets to include at least one flag having a grouping of 8 bits, wherein the 8 bits consist of:
 a first two bits;   a second two bits that represent an encoder number associated with a utility meter endpoint;   a fifth bit that represents a status of an event;   a sixth bit that represents a security state;   a seventh bit that represents a relay state; and   an eighth bit that represents a resend state.   
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the validation field includes at least one cycle redundancy check identifier, wherein a cycle redundancy check polynomial is 0x1021. 
     
     
         30 . An automatic meter reading (AMR) system, comprising
 a reader;   an endpoint interfaced to a utility meter, wherein said reader transmits a RF communication to said endpoint;   wherein said RF communication occurs through the use of at least one packet that includes a message type field and a message field, wherein the message type field indicates a command type of a first command to be carried out that is selected from a predetermined set of commands, and wherein the message field indicates specific data associated with the first command.   
     
     
         31 . An automatic meter reading (AMR) system, comprising
 a reader;   an endpoint interfaced to a utility meter, wherein said endpoint and reader communicate with one another via a radio frequency (RF) communication;   wherein said RF communication occurs through the use of at least one packet that includes a message type field and a message content field that is distinct from the message type field, wherein the message type field indicates a message type indicator of a first message to be conveyed that is selected from a predetermined set of messages, and wherein the message content field indicates specific data associated with the first message.   
     
     
         32 . In an automatic meter reading (AMR) system that includes a reader and an endpoint interfaced to a utility meter, a method of communicating between the endpoint and the reader, said method comprising:
 transmitting, by at least one of the reader and the endpoint, a packetized radio frequency (RF) communication that comprises a first packet;   providing, in the first packet, a message type field and a message content field that is distinct from the message type field;   indicating, in the message type field, a message type of a first message to be conveyed that is selected from a predetermined set of messages; and   indicating, in the message content field, specific data associated with the first message.