Patent ID: 7050808

Claim:
A method for communicating information related to a plurality of working components of a system monitored by a utility arranged in a local cluster, and from each such working component to a central location, comprising the steps of: attaching and operably connecting a low power transceiver module to each working component of the system monitored by a utility, said transceiver module including at least a microcontroller and a radio transceiver; and positioning an area control module in the vicinity of the plurality of working components in the local cluster, said area control module including at least a microprocessor and a radio transceiver, and said area control module being in communication with said central location; wherein each working component in the local cluster itself initiates determination of an initial best path to the area control module without any prior knowledge of the area control module, and wherein, upon occurrence of a predetermined event, the microcontroller associated with one of said transceiver modules initiating transmission of a message through the radio transceiver, said message containing the identification of and the status of the working component; the message being received by the radio transceivers associated with one or more neighboring transceiver modules; each of said receiving transceiver modules making a decision as to whether to re-transmit said message based on a determination of whether the transceiver module is on the best path between the transceiver module from which the message originated and the area control module; re-transmission of the message continuing along said best path until the message is received at the area control module; and said area control module communicating said message to the central location.