Patent ID: 6373399
Filing Date: 2002-04-16
Classification: G01D,G08C,H02J,H04L,H04Q,H04W,Y02B,Y04S

Abstract:
A wide area communications network for communicating data obtained from a plurality of utility meters to a central station, comprising:a layered wireless network having a hierarchical communications topology, the network having: a plurality of meter reading units, a certain one of the plurality of meter reading units being associated with a respective one of the plurality of utility meters, the certain meter reading unit being communicatively coupled to the respective utility meter for receiving data from the respective utility meter, the certain meter reading unit wirelessly transmitting meter reading unit reports related to data obtained from the respective utility meter randomly or pseudorandomly at fixed average intervals; a plurality of fixed receiving stations disposed in a geographic area such that a certain meter reading unit of the plurality of meter reading units is in communication with at least two fixed receiving stations, a certain fixed receiving station of the plurality of fixed receiving stations being in wireless communication with a multiplicity of meter reading units, reports received from the multiplicity of meter reading units being forwarded via a polled radio communications link; and a plurality of intermediate receiving stations disposed in the geographic area to form a grid overlaying the geographic area for wirelessly communicating with at least two fixed receiving stations to receive the reports transmitted from the fixed receiving stations responsive to a polling signal sent to a certain fixed receiving station, reports received from the multiplicity of fixed receiving stations being forwarded via a polled radio communications link to the central station.