System, method and integrated circuit chip for wireless multi-network meter reading

摘要

A wireless monitoring system comprises a remote asset about which data is to be collected and a wireless data-transfer device connected to the remote asset. The wireless device includes a radiofrequency transceiver and a chip having a memory for storing a plurality of subscriber identifiers corresponding to different wireless networks and for further storing logic that constitutes network selection rules for selecting one of the wireless networks to use for transmission of the data. In a GSM/UMTS implementation of this technology, the subscriber identifier is the IMSI and the chip is a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) chip or card. By using multiple IMSI's, the wireless data-transfer device connected to the remote asset may switch seamlessly between wireless networks. A new IMSI (for a new network) may be provisioned over the air to enable the device to communicate over a new network for which it did not previously have an IMSI.

主权项

1. A wireless data-collection system comprising:
a remote asset; and a wireless data-transfer device connected to the remote asset for collecting data from or about the remote asset, the wireless device including: a radiofrequency transceiver for wirelessly transmitting the data; and an integrated circuit chip having a memory for storing a plurality of subscriber identifiers corresponding to different wireless networks and for further storing network selection rules applied by a processor for selecting one subscriber identifier and for causing the radiofrequency transceiver to transmit the data using one of the wireless networks corresponding to the subscriber identifier selected by the processor, wherein the wireless data-transfer device is configured to wirelessly receive a new subscriber identifier for a new wireless network.