Apparatus And Method For Priority Addressing And Message Handling In A Fixed Meter Reading Network

Abstract

A method and apparatus is disclosed for prioritizing the processing of messages sent between site transceivers ( 12, 15 ) at utility meter data origination sites ( 10 ) and gateway transceivers ( 20, 30, 40 ) in a fixed meter data collection network. To reduce message processing time, priorities are assigned for processing messages destined for mobile gateways, messages sent to assigned gateways, and messages sent to any gateway after not receiving an acknowledge signal from an assigned gateway. The gateway transceiver also has four receivers for processing four respective messages on four different frequency channels to further reduce processing time and to conserve power usage at the site transceivers.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of communications between a gateway fixed transceiver and a plurality of transceivers located at respective utility meter data origination sites, the method comprising:
 the plurality of transceivers transmitting on various ones of at least twenty-five frequency hopping channels;   receiving and processing messages through four receiver circuits in the gateway fixed receiver, and   routing incoming transmissions to four receiver circuits such that receptions on the at least twenty-five the frequency hopping channels are divided in four groups of frequency channels among the four receiver circuits.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of frequency hopping channels extends up to and including fifty. 
     
     
         3 . A gateway transceiver circuit for communication with a plurality of transceivers located at respective utility meter data origination sites, comprising
 at least four receiver circuits, and   a splitter for dividing a number of at least twenty-five frequency hopping channels into four subsets for reception and decoding of messages by the four respective receiver circuits.   
     
     
         4 . The gateway transceiver circuit of  claim 3 , wherein the number of frequency hopping channels extends up to and including fifty. 
     
     
         5 . The gateway transceiver circuit of  claim 3 , wherein the four receiver circuits are configured for receiving incoming transmissions and operating in parallel to reduce processing time for messages received on a plurality of frequency channels up to and including twenty-five frequency channels using the splitter for routing messages on four frequency channels to the four respective receiver circuits. 
     
     
         6 . A method of communications between a gateway fixed transceiver and a plurality of transceivers located at respective utility meter data origination sites, the method comprising:
 transmitting radio frequency signals from a site transceiver at one of the utility meter data origination sites in a first message to be received by the gateway fixed transceiver, wherein said first message includes an address of a gateway transceiver assigned to the site transceiver;   listening at the site transceiver for an acknowledgement signal from the gateway fixed transceiver; and   upon not detecting the acknowledgement signal within a defined time period,   transmitting radio frequency signals from the site transceiver in one or more retries of the first message for reception by the gateway fixed transceiver; and   listening at the site transceiver for an acknowledgement signal from the gateway fixed transceiver; and   upon not detecting the acknowledgement signal within a second defined time period or within a number of retries at the utility meter data origination site,   transmitting radio frequency signals from a site transceiver at one of the utility meter data origination sites in a third message including a global transceiver address to be received by one of a plurality of gateway transceivers in a fixed network.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 the site transceiver transmitting on various ones of at least twenty-five frequency channels;   receiving and processing messages through four receiver circuits in the gateway receiver, and   receiving incoming transmissions with four receiver circuits operating in parallel to reduce processing time for messages received on a plurality of frequency channels up to and including twenty-five channels.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of frequency channels is extended up to and including fifty frequency channels. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the gateway fixed receiver communicates with a control center through a backhaul network. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the backhaul network is a network operating according to at least one of the following protocols: WiFi-Internet; Power-over-Ethernet to the Internet; or a cellular network protocol. 
     
     
         11 . A utility meter interface circuit, comprising:
 means for transmitting radio frequency signals from a site transceiver in a first message to be received by a gateway fixed transceiver, wherein said first message includes an address of a gateway transceiver assigned to the site transceiver;   means for receiving an acknowledgement signal from the gateway fixed transceiver; and   upon the means for receiving not detecting the acknowledgement signal within a defined time period,   said means for transmitting, further transmitting radio frequency signals in one or more retries of the first message for reception by the gateway fixed transceiver; and   upon means for receiving not detecting the acknowledgement signal within a second defined time period or within a number of retries at the utility meter data origination site,   said means for transmitting, further transmitting radio frequency signals in a third message including a global transceiver address to be received by any one of a plurality of gateway fixed transceivers in a fixed network.