Internet protocol message routing over a wireless network of metering devices

摘要

Methods and apparatus are provided for routing Internet Protocol (IP) messages over a network of an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system that employs a different communications protocol.

主权项

1. In an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system in which a server communicates with a wireless network of metering devices in accordance with a first communications protocol, each metering device defining a node on the wireless network and each node having a unique identifier on the wireless network, a method for communicating between the server and a network device that is designed to communicate in accordance with Internet Protocol (IP), wherein the first protocol of the wireless network of metering devices is a different protocol than the IP protocol, the method comprising:
connecting a communications interface of the network device to a corresponding communications interface on one of the nodes of the wireless network; receiving at the server a message addressed to the network device, the message being formatted in accordance with the IP protocol; determining the unique identifier of said one node on the wireless network to which the network device is connected; using the determined unique identifier, transmitting a request to said one node via the wireless network and in accordance with the first communications protocol thereof, the command requesting that said one node write the IP message to a first ANSI C12.19-compliant table in a memory of the node, said one node thereafter retrieving the message from the first ANSI C12.19-compliant table and transmitting the message to the network device via its communications interface in accordance with the IP protocol, said one node storing a response to the message received from the network device in a second ANSI C12.19-compliant table in its memory; transmitting a second request to said one node via the wireless network and in accordance with the first communications protocol thereof, the second command requesting that the response be read from the second ANSI C12.19-compliant table of said one node and transmitted to the server via the wireless network in accordance with the first communications protocol; and receiving the response at the server.