Endpoint Repeater Functionality Selection for Battery-Powered Meters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Battery-operated utility endpoint devices, such as water, gas, and oil meters, face challenges in maintaining communication with a central facility due to limited battery power and reduced transmission range when installed underground, leading to increased power drain and reduced reliability as repeaters.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where endpoints assess their battery capacity and communication reliability to selectively operate as repeaters, transmitting a discovery bit to indicate their capability, thereby minimizing battery usage and sharing the repeater load among multiple devices, ensuring reliable communication paths and extended battery life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If battery-operated endpoints operate as repeaters to extend communication range, then communication reliability is improved, but battery power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The endpoint dynamically adjusts its repeater functionality based on real-time battery capacity assessment. The system transitions between different operational states (full repeater mode, partial repeater mode, or non-repeater mode) depending on available battery power, allowing it to maintain communication reliability when possible while conserving energy when battery capacity is low.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters by selectively enabling or disabling repeater functions based on battery capacity thresholds. When battery capacity falls below certain levels, the endpoint modifies its communication behavior, reducing or eliminating repeater operations to preserve battery life while maintaining essential communication functions.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If endpoints selectively operate as repeaters based on battery capacity, then battery life is extended, but communication coverage may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements partial repeater action by selectively enabling repeater functions only when battery capacity is sufficient. Rather than completely disabling repeater mode, the system performs partial repeater operations during low-battery states, maintaining just enough coverage to ensure essential communications while extending overall battery life through reduced but not eliminated repeater functionality.
3Productivity
If endpoints transmit discovery bits to indicate repeater capability, then network configuration efficiency is improved, but additional power drain occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The endpoint transmits discovery bits periodically or at specific intervals rather than continuously. The system assesses battery capacity and determines optimal timing for discovery bit transmission, performing this function only when necessary for network configuration or when battery capacity is sufficient, thereby reducing overall power consumption while maintaining network configuration efficiency.
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed are apparatus and methodology for improving communications among battery operated network endpoints and a central facility. A battery operated endpoint may determine its remaining battery capacity and decide whether it is able to provide message repeating services to other endpoints within the network. The endpoint may make such decision based also on its own communications reliability to a central facility either directly or via other endpoints operating as repeaters.