| 主权项 |
1. A repeater endpoint in a network of endpoints having metering functionality, the repeater endpoint comprising:
a processor; a memory in communication with the processor; a transceiver configured to send and receive messages between the processor and a network; and a battery configured to supply power to the processor and the transceiver, wherein the processor is configured to:
evaluate a repeater availability of the repeater endpoint, wherein the repeater availability comprises communication reliability and battery capacity, wherein the communication reliability includes determining having a sufficient quality of service connection from the repeater endpoint to out-of-range endpoints or a central facility on the network, and wherein the battery capacity of the repeater endpoint includes determining having a capacity above a predetermined level;transmit signals via the transceiver, the signals intended for the out-of-range endpoints and configured with preambles having a discovery bit to indicate to the out-of-range endpoints availability of repeater functionality at the repeater endpoint sufficient to support repeating messages from the out-of-range endpoints based on the evaluating of the repeater availability of the repeater endpoint;receive one or more messages at the repeater endpoint from the out-of-range endpoints that require the repeater functionality to be heard at the central facility; andrelay the one or more received messages, wherein the relaying is performed by the repeater endpoint and other repeater endpoints having repeater availability in a shared manner, wherein the shared manner distributes workload over at least two repeater endpoints having repeater availability to prevent any single endpoint of the repeater endpoints from performing the entire relaying required by the out-of-range endpoints. |
