Meshed networking of access points in a utility network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9743337-B2
Application number	US-51016809-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2009
Priority date	Sep 22, 2008
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A meshed networking of access points in a utility network provides a more efficient and cost effective arrangement for communicating data between meters and the utility by linking the access points of multiple subnetworks for purposes of communicating with the utility. As a result, each individual subnetwork is not required to directly communicate with the utility. For those access points that are relieved of the need to directly communicate with the utility, the communication mechanism, e.g., cellular modem, can be eliminated, or deactivated, to thereby reduce capital expenditures and/or operational costs. Additionally, links to a WAN can be selectively activated or disabled to provision bandwidth, for example, on demand, to react to changing conditions in the subnetworks.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of communicating in a network, comprising:
establishing a plurality of subnetworks, each subnetwork comprising one or more nodes and at least one access point;
communicating, by an access point of each subnetwork, with the one or more nodes of that subnetwork, wherein the subnetworks are configured to send and receive data to and from their associated nodes via their respective access points;
providing a first backhaul network interface that implements a first communications technology in a first access point of at least one of the plurality of subnetworks, said backhaul network interface being configured to communicate with a node external to the subnetworks;
associating a respective access point network interface with access points of the subnetworks, each access point network interface being configured to communicate with access points of other subnetworks, and to communicate with the external node via an access point having a backhaul network interface;
transmitting data between any given subnetwork and the external node via an access point having a backhaul network interface that implements the first communications technology;
providing a second backhaul network interface that implements a second communications technology, different from the first communications technology, in a second access point of at least one of the plurality of subnetworks;
switching the transmission of data between subnetworks and the external node from a backhaul network interface that implements the first communications technology to a backhaul network interface that implements the second communications technology; and
selectively disabling communication with the external node in one or more backhaul network interfaces to limit a number of access points communicating with the external node to a limited number, wherein
the first access point and the second access point are different access points, and
each access point is further configured to maintain communication with access points of other subnetworks via the access point network interface during the switching of the transmission of data from the backhaul network interface that implements the first communications technology to the backhaul network interface that implements the second communications technology.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the backhaul network interface that implements the second communications technology is provided in at least one, but less than all, of the access points for the plurality of subnetworks.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the access points communicate with one another via a frequency-hopping spread spectrum network.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the nodes are measuring nodes configured to collect data representative of or controlling consumption of a commodity or its usage at the location of the measuring node, and wherein the commodity is at least one of electricity, gas and water.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the node external to the subnetworks is a utility server.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the measuring nodes of a subnetwork are configured to communicate with the access point using at least one of power line carrier and radio frequency communication.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the backhaul network interfaces comprises a cellular modem, a GPRS modem, a fiber optic link, an EV-DO link, a WiMAX link or a broadband Internet connection configured to communicate with the node external to the subnetworks.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the access point network interface associated with each access point of the subnetworks comprises a radio transceiver that communicates with access points of other subnetworks.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the access point network interface transceiver comprises a modem which is one of frequency hopping spread spectrum, cellular, CDMA EV-DO and WiMax.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second backhaul network interfaces are configured to provide a subnetwork with multiple paths to relay data between the subnetwork and the node external to the subnetworks.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first and second backhaul network interfaces relay data to the external node via different respective communication media.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first and second backhaul network interfaces relay data to the external node via different respective communication protocols.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the switching is performed at a central location associated with the node external to the subnetworks.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the switching is performed in at least one of the access points.

15. A network, comprising:
a plurality of subnetworks, each subnetwork comprising:
one or more nodes,
an access point configured to communicate with the one or more nodes,
wherein the subnetworks are configured to send and receive data to and from their associated nodes via their respective access points, and
access point network interfaces respectively associated with access points of the subnetworks, each access point network interface configured to communicate with access points of other subnetworks;

a node external to the subnetworks;
a plurality of backhaul network interfaces, including a first backhaul network interface that implements a first communications technology, and that is associated with a first access point, and a second backhaul network interface that implements a second communications technology, different from the first communications technology, associated with a second access point, each backhaul network interface configured to communicate with the external node via its respective communications technology, and wherein the access points are configured to communicate with the external node via an access point having a backhaul network interface; and
a controller for
selecting one of the first and second access points as the access point to relay data between other access points and the external node, and
selectively disabling communication with the external node in one or more backhaul network interfaces to limit a number of access points communicating with the external node to a limited number,

wherein the access points of the subnetworks are configured to forward data to the selected access point, to be relayed to the node external to the subnetworks, and
wherein the first access point and the second access point are different access points, and
each access point is further configured to maintain communication with access points of other subnetworks via the access point network interface during the switching of the transmission of data from the backhaul network interface that implements the first communications technology to the backhaul network interface that implements the second communications technology.

16. The network of claim 15 , wherein the backhaul network interface that implements the second communications technology is provided in at least one, but less than all, of the access points for the plurality of subnetworks.

17. The network of claim 15 , wherein the access points communicate with one another via a frequency-hopping spread spectrum network.

18. The network of claim 15 , wherein at least some of the nodes are measuring nodes configured to collect data representative of or controlling consumption of a commodity or its usage at the location of the measuring node, and wherein the commodity is at least one of electricity, gas and water.

19. The networ

Assignees

• Flammer Iii George
• Pace James
• Ramasastry Jay
• Silver Spring Networks Inc

Inventors

• Flammer Iii George
• Pace James
• Ramasastry Jay

Classifications

• Y02B90/246

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y04S20/322

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H04L45/04

  Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing · CPC title

• G01D4/004

  Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location · CPC title

• H04W40/22 Primary

  using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point · CPC title