Bi-directional Meter Relay for Wireless Network Data Aggregation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing automated metering systems face inefficiencies in collecting data from battery-powered devices like water and gas meters, which can lead to redundant data transmissions and increased communication burdens, especially when meters are far from the central node, resulting in potential data loss and increased traffic.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a two-way communication module in battery-powered meters, allowing them to associate with electricity meters and transmit data through a limited number of bi-directional nodes, reducing redundancy by controlling the establishment of registered communication relationships with a smaller number of nodes and enabling in-premises monitoring of commodity consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If one-way transmit-only nodes are used in the wireless network, then device complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but network traffic increases due to redundant data transmissions and data collection efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemeter communication capabilityVSAvoiddata collection efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces bi-directional nodes as intermediaries to collect data from transmit-only nodes and relay it to the central node. This mediator approach allows simple transmit-only meters to benefit from the communication capabilities of intermediate nodes, resolving the contradiction between device simplicity and data collection efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines data from multiple transmit-only nodes at bi-directional relay nodes before transmitting to the central node. This merging of data streams reduces redundant transmissions and improves overall network efficiency while maintaining the simplicity of individual transmit-only meter devices.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If multiple bi-directional nodes relay data from the same transmit-only node, then data reliability is improved through redundancy, but network traffic increases and loss of energy worsens

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata transmission reliabilityVSAvoidnetwork communication energy

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements selective relaying where bi-directional nodes relay data based on specific conditions rather than all nodes relaying all data. This partial action approach maintains sufficient reliability through targeted redundancy while reducing overall network traffic and energy consumption compared to universal relaying.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The central node provides feedback to bi-directional relay nodes about which data has been successfully received. This feedback mechanism allows the network to avoid redundant transmissions of already-received data, reducing energy consumption while maintaining reliability through selective retransmission only when necessary.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If bi-directional nodes are used for data collection, then data reliability is improved through error correction and retransmission, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata communication reliabilityVSAvoidnode communication capability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the network into transmit-only nodes and bi-directional relay nodes with different functional requirements. This segmentation allows the complex bi-directional communication capabilities to be concentrated in specific relay nodes rather than required in all meter devices, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining reliability where needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Reliability

If transmit-only nodes transmit data to multiple bi-directional nodes, then data reliability is improved, but quantity of substance increases due to redundant data transmissions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata reception reliabilityVSAvoidnetwork data traffic

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts redundant data transmissions by having the central node identify and eliminate duplicate data packets received from multiple relay nodes. This extraction of redundancy maintains the reliability benefits of multiple transmission paths while reducing the overall quantity of data traffic in the network.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS9612132B2Optimized data collection in a wireless fixed network metering system

Publication Date: 2017.04.04 ELSTER SOLUTIONS LLC

AI summary

Methods and systems regarding an electricity meter in a wireless network are disclosed. The network may comprise a collector and a plurality of electricity meters that measure consumption of electricity and that bi-directionally communicate wirelessly with the collector. The electricity meter may have an established association with at least one battery-powered meter that measures consumption of a commodity other than electricity. The electricity meter may receive information about measured consumption of the other commodity from the battery-powered meter and store the received information. The electricity meter may transmit both information about consumption of electricity measured by the electricity meter and the information about consumption of the other commodity received from the associated battery-powered meter to the collector via the wireless network and also to a remotely located display associated with the electricity meter.