Patent ID: 8458312

Claim:
A system for monitoring one or more nodes of a distributed meter network, comprising: at least one physically measurable characteristic meter device at each node for metering a meterable material and for generating a signal representative of a corresponding metering rate of the meterable material; a computation device at each node in communication with the at least one physically measurable characteristic meter device for computing meter data based upon the generated signal, wherein the meter data comprises data selected from the group consisting of: a flow rate of the meterable material and a flow total of the meterable material; and an autonomous intelligent network interface module (AINIM) at each node and in communication with the computation device, wherein the AINIM comprises at least one microcontroller having firmware stored thereon that, when executed, causes the at least one microcontroller to: autonomously and continuously collect meter data from the computation device during a first time period when the at least one microcontroller is unable to communicate with a remote computer via a communication network which uses at least one internet protocol, buffer meter data collected from the computation device during the first time period, and during a second time period when the at least one microcontroller is able to communicate with the remote computer via the communication network, distribute to the remote computer via the communication network and the at least one internet protocol at least a portion of the meter data collected from the computation device during the second time period and at least a portion of the buffered meter data.