Patent ID: 6653945
Filing Date: 2003-11-25
Classification: G01D,G08C,H02J,H04L,H04Q,H04W,Y02B,Y04S

Abstract:
A radio communication network for collecting data generated by a plurality of utility meters located within a geographic area, comprising:a plurality of meter reading units, with each meter reading unit coupled to a respective utility meter and including a low-power transmitter to autonomously transmit by wireless radio signals representative of at least a portion of the data generated by the meter reading unit for that utility meter; a plurality of fixed receiving stations located within the geographic area, there being fewer receiving stations than meter reading units with each receiving station including a receiver that receives signals transmitted from at least one meter reading unit and a transmitter that selectively transmits wireless radio signals representative of at least a portion of the data generated by at least one meter reading unit; and a central station having at least one receiver to receive signals transmitted from the plurality of receiving stations, a processor that decodes the signal, and a memory that stores data representative of at least a portion of the decoded signals in a data base.