System and method for monitoring remote devices with a dual-mode wireless communication protocol

1. A wireless transceiver used within a system for monitoring remote devices, said wireless transceiver comprising:

an RF transceiver for communicating in a spread-spectrum communication protocol and a fixed-frequency communication protocol, the RF transceiver comprising:

a spread-spectrum communication protocol chipset for communicating in a first modulation scheme at a first radiating-power level; and

a fixed-frequency communication protocol chipset for communicating in a second modulation scheme at a second radiating-power level;

a data controller coupled to the RF transceiver for processing data communicated by the RF transceiver; and

a memory comprising spread-spectrum logic implemented by at least one of the data controller and the RF transceiver, the spread-spectrum logic configured to:

prepare a preamble portion and a data portion of a transmit-communication frame, the preamble portion comprising a first data channel index indicative of a first data channel frequency for communicating the data portion of the transmit-communication frame;

transmit the preamble portion of the transmit-communication frame at a first frequency channel; and

transmit the data portion of the transmit-communication frame at the first data channel frequency, and

wherein the memory further comprises fixed-frequency logic implemented by at least one of the data controller and the RF transceiver, the fixed-frequency logic configured to:

prepare a preamble portion and a data portion of a fixed frequency communication frame; and

transmit the preamble portion and the data portion at a fixed-frequency designated channel frequency.

2. The transceiver of claim 1 , wherein the memory further comprises:

an acquisition channels table storing a first set of frequency channels designated for communicating the preamble portion of the transmit-communication frame; and

a data channels table storing a second set of frequency channels designated for communicating the data portion of the transmit-communication frame.

3. The transceiver of claim 2 , wherein the spread-spectrum logic is further configured to:

receive a preamble portion of a receive-communication frame at a second frequency channel;

detect a second data channel index in the preamble portion of the receive-communication frame indicative of a second data channel frequency for communicating a data portion of the receive-communication frame; and

receive the data portion of the receive-communication frame at the second data channel frequency.

4. The transceiver of claim 3 , wherein spread-spectrum logic is further configured to traverse through the first set of frequency channels in the acquisition channels table until synchronizing with a transmitting transceiver at a frequency channel, whereupon the frequency channel at which synchronization occurs is the second frequency channel.

5. The transceiver of claim 3 , wherein the first frequency channel and the second frequency channel are the same.

6. The transceiver of claim 1 , wherein the spread-spectrum logic is further configured to change the first or second modulation scheme for either of said communication protocols in accordance with a received remote command.

7. The transceiver of claim 1 , wherein the spread-spectrum logic is further configured to change the radiating-power levels for either of said communication protocols in accordance with a received remote command.

8. The transceiver of claim 1 , wherein the first modulation scheme is the same as said second modulation scheme.

9. The transceiver of claim 1 , wherein the memory further comprises a receiver address table storing identification addresses of other devices with which the transceiver may communicate.

10. The transceiver of claim 9 , wherein the receiver address table further stores a communication protocol and modulation scheme for each of the other devices with which the transceiver may communicate.

11. The transceiver of claim 1 , wherein the memory further comprises a fixed-frequency channels table for storing a third set of frequency channels designated for communicating the fixed-frequency communication frame.

12. The transceiver of claim 1 , further comprising a data interface coupled to said data controller for communicating data to and from at least a first remote device.

13. The transceiver of claim 2 , wherein the first remote device is a utility meter, and wherein the data communicated is utility consumption data.

14. The transceiver of claim 2 , wherein the first remote device is a pipe leakage sensor, and wherein the data communicated is leakage data.

15. The transceiver of claim 2 , wherein the first remote device is a water quality sensor, and wherein the data communicated is water quality data.

16. The transceiver of claim 2 , wherein the first remote device is an identification tag, and wherein the data communicated is identification data.

17. In a system for monitoring and controlling remote devices, the system comprising a plurality of remote devices, a gateway, and a plurality of wireless transceivers, wherein each wireless transceiver in the plurality of wireless transceivers is configured to communicate signals via at least one of a fixed-frequency communication protocol and a spread-spectrum communication protocol, a dual-mode transceiver integrated with at least one remote device in the plurality of remote devices, the dual-mode transceiver comprising:

an RF transceiver configured to communicate with at least one of a first wireless transceiver in the plurality of wireless transceivers and the gateway;

a data controller in communication with the RF transceiver, the data controller configured to process data to be communicated by the RF transceiver; and

memory comprising:

a receiver address table storing an identification address, a receiver communication protocol, and a receiver modulation scheme for the at least one of the first wireless transceiver and the gateway;

a spread-spectrum logic implemented by at least one of the data controller and the RF transceiver, the spread-spectrum logic configured to execute a spread-spectrum transmit process if the receiver communication protocol is the spread-spectrum communication protocol, the spread-spectrum transmit process comprising:

preparing a preamble portion and a data portion of a transmit-communication frame, the preamble portion comprising a first data channel index indicative of a first data channel frequency for communicating the data portion of the transmit-communication frame;

transmitting the preamble portion of the transmit-communication frame to the at least one of the first wireless transceiver and the gateway at a first frequency channel with the receiver modulation scheme; and

transmitting the data portion of the transmit-communication frame to the at least one of the first wireless transceiver and the gateway at the first data channel frequency with the receiver modulation scheme; and

a fixed-frequency logic implemented by at least one of the data controller and the RF transceiver, the fixed-frequency logic configured to execute a fixed-frequency transmit process if the receiver communication protocol is the fixed-frequency protocol, the fixed-frequency transmit process comprising:

preparing the preamble portion and the data portion of the transmit-communication frame; and

transmitting the preamble portion and the data portion to the at least one of the first wireless transceiver and the gateway at a fixed-frequency designated channel frequency with the receiver modulation scheme.

18. The dual-mode transceiver of claim 17 , wherein the memory further comprises a receive logic configured to execute a receive process, the receive process comprising:

receiving a preamble portion of a receive-communication frame from at least one of the first wireless transceiver and the gateway at a second frequency channel;

detecting a second data channel index in the preamble portion of the receive-communication frame indicative of a second data channel frequency for communicating a data portion of the receive-communication frame; and

receiving the data portion of the receive-communication frame at the second data channel frequency.