Patent ID: 7929916

Claim:
A methodology for an advanced metering system mesh network with embedded RF environmental evaluation tools, comprising: establishing a network including a central facility and a plurality of node devices, at least some of which node devices comprise metrology devices, and at least some of which node devices comprise cell relays which provide communications between others of the node devices and the central facility; configuring the network for bi-directional communications between the central facility and each of the plurality of node devices; selectively monitoring Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) data at each respective node device; reporting such RSSI data from respective node devices to the central facility, so that conditions of the RF environment in which such network resides may be evaluated; performing statistical analysis at each of such respective node devices to compute averaged RSSI data and RSSI auto-correlation function data based on RSSI data at each of such respective node devices; and reporting such computed averaged RSSI data and RSSI auto-correlation function data to the central facility; wherein the step of establishing a network includes providing a frequency hopping mesh network, with the cell relays configured for operating per their own respective sequence of channels; and the steps of selectively monitoring RSSI data and performing statistical analysis thereon are performed with such respective node devices in an RSSI Auto-correlation Acquisition Mode during which normal frequency hopping based operations of such respective node devices are interrupted, and measurements are made for the average RSSI and its auto-correlation function on a single channel while such respective node devices operate in a continuous reception mode.