Wireless communication enabled meter and network
A meter enabled for wireless communication and a wireless communication network are disclosed. A meter enabled for wireless communication comprises a metering device, a wireless communication system and an interface between the two. Meter data can be read, and the meter can be controlled via communication with a wireless network using, e.g., the Bluetooth™ protocol. A self-configuring wireless network is also disclosed. The wireless network includes a number of vnodes, and one or more VGATES. The vnodes are devices that are enabled for wireless communication using, e.g., the Bluetooth™ protocol. Vnodes are operative to form ad hoc piconet connections. The one or more VGATES comprise computer network gateways that are enabled for wireless communication using, e.g., the Bluetooth™ protocol. Thus, the VGATES enable the wireless array of vnodes to communicate with a private or public computer network to transmit data or receive commands. The network may also communicate with a VNOC system. VNOC is a universal communications adapter that enables the wireless array of vnodes to communicate (either directly or through a VGATE) with a central control facility via various wireless or wired communication media.
1. A wireless network, comprising:
a group of wireless network nodes, wherein each node of the group of wireless network nodes determines one or more respective nodes of the group of wireless network nodes to connect with, and wherein the group of wireless network nodes is configured to form an organized network; and
one or more gateways communicatively coupled to the group of wireless network nodes to provide a respective communication access point between the one or more respective nodes of the group of wireless network nodes and an external network, wherein access by the one or more respective nodes to the external network is facilitated by one or more routes from the one or more respective nodes to the one or more gateways defined by the organized network.
2. The wireless network of claim 1 , wherein each node of the group of wireless network nodes is configured to execute a self-configuration cycle to establish the organized network.
3. The wireless network of claim 2 , wherein the self-configuration cycle comprises a determination of whether a number of hops to one of the one or more gateways exceeds a maximum number of hops.
4. The wireless network of claim 2 , wherein the self-configuration cycle comprises an examination of a measure of redundancy in connections.
5. The wireless network of claim 2 , wherein the self-configuration cycle comprises a determination of whether a connection is made only to a group of network nodes that is searching for another network node.
6. The wireless network of claim 2 , wherein the self-configuration cycle comprises a determination of signal strength.
7. The wireless network of claim 2 , wherein the self-configuration cycle is based on a request message that is sent after pseudo random delays.
8. The wireless network of claim 1 , wherein each node of the group of wireless network nodes is configured to store a routing table that comprises routing information about at least one other wireless network node.
9. The wireless network of claim 1 , each node of the group of wireless network nodes is configured to execute a polling procedure to poll another wireless network node.
10. The wireless network of claim 1 , wherein the one or more gateways stores geographic location of wireless network nodes within a pre-specified distance of the one or more gateways.
11. A wireless network method, comprising:
organizing a group of wireless network nodes into an organized network in view of a self-configuration process implemented by the group of wireless network nodes, wherein each node of the group of wireless network nodes determines one or more respective nodes of the group of wireless network nodes to connect with; and
coupling the group of wireless network nodes to one or more gateways, the one or more gateways is configured to provide a communication access point between the group of wireless network nodes and an external network, wherein access by an additional wireless network node to the external network is facilitated by a route that comprises a path from a first node of the group of wireless network nodes to the one or more gateways defined by the organized network.
12. The wireless network method of claim 11 , wherein the organizing comprises executing, by each node of the group of wireless network nodes, a self-configuration cycle to establish the organized network.