Patent ID: 7827268

Claim:
Methodology for an advanced metering system mesh network with adaptive neighborhood management of communications links, 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 father node devices which provide a communications link for others of the node devices defining son node devices of a given respective father node device; configuring the network for bi-directional communications between the central facility and each of the plurality of node devices via associations with respective of the father node devices; from each existing son node device associated with a given specific father node device, providing information to such given specific father node device about alternative father communications links available to such existing son node device; for each father node device, upon receiving a request from a non-son node device to become a son node device thereof, evaluating such information from its existing son node devices and evaluating its capacity to accept a new son node device, and if having such capacity, accepting such requesting non-son node device as a new son node device thereof, or if not having such capacity, removing from its existing son node devices an existing son node device which has indicated an available alternative father communications link thereto, and then accepting such requesting non-son node device as a new son node device thereof.