| 主权项 |
1. A data communication utility metering device within a mesh network, the data communication utility metering device configured to function in either a master mode or a slave mode, comprising:
a radio frequency (RF) driver configured to transmit RF signals via an antenna to a remote utility metering device and receive RF signals from the remote utility metering device via the antenna; a timing device configured to generate a plurality of timing signals to synchronize the data communication utility metering device with the remote utility metering device, the timing signals establishing a plurality of sequential time periods; a memory device configured to store a frequency channel table listing a predetermined sequence of frequency channels, the frequency channel table also being stored in the remote utility metering device; a transmitter configured to, when the utility metering device is in the master mode, forward information related to a first data packet to the RF driver for transmission over a first frequency channel of the predetermined sequence of frequency channels to the remote utility metering device during a first time period of the plurality of sequential time periods; a receiver programmed to perform the steps of:
when the utility metering device is in the slave mode, receiving a remote data packet from the remote utility metering device;when the utility metering device is in the slave mode, storing the remote data packet in the memory device; andwhen the utility metering device is in the master mode, receiving a remote acknowledgement (ACK) signal and a data packet identification (packet ID) from the remote utility metering device; an acknowledgement signal processing module programmed to perform the steps of:
when the utility metering device is in the master mode, receiving the remote ACK signal from the receiver for a successful transmission of a data packet or, if transmission of a data packet fails for two or more consecutive attempts, counting a number of times that transmission of the data packet is unsuccessful;when the utility metering device is in the slave mode:
receiving a signal from the receiver that the remote data packet has been received;preparing a local ACK signal indicating receipt of the remote data packet; andsending a signal to the transmitter indicating that the local ACK signal is to be transmitted to the remote utility metering device; and a packet ID manager configured to, when the utility metering device is in the master mode, analyze the packet ID to determine whether the proper packet had been received, and if so, to increment a packet ID to be transmitted with a next data packet, wherein, if the first data packet is successfully transmitted in the master mode between the data communication utility metering device and the remote utility metering device, the transmitter is further configured to forward information related to a second data packet to the RF driver for transmission over a next frequency channel of the predetermined sequence of frequency channels to the remote utility metering device during a next time period of the plurality of sequential time periods, wherein the information related to the first data packet includes at least the first data packet itself and the information related to the second data packet includes at least the second data packet itself, and wherein, if during the first time period the RF driver does not receive the remote ACK signal from the remote utility metering device indicating that the first data packet was received, the transmitter is further configured to forward the first data packet to the RF driver for re-transmission over the next frequency channel of the predetermined sequence of frequency channels to the remote utility metering device during the next time period of the plurality of sequential time periods and postponing transmission of the second data packet. |
