Methods, systems, and apparatus for reducing real time data traffic in a multi-layer network

A method for reducing data traffic in a data collection network comprising a first network layer and a second network layer, the data traffic comprising a plurality of data packets capable of being transmitted from the first network layer to the second network layer, the method comprising:

• receiving a plurality of data packets from a first network layer;
• storing a portion of the plurality of data packets in a data storage device capable of transmitting the plurality of data packets from the first network layer to a second network layer;
• receiving a new data packet from the first network layer;
• determining whether a portion of the new data packet is similar to a stored portion of at least one of the plurality of data packets;
• and
• if the portion of the new data packet is not similar to a stored portion of at least one of the plurality of data packets, storing the portion of the new data packet in the data storage device and facilitating transmission of the new data packet to the second network layer.

A data collection system with a first network layer and a second network layer, the system comprising:

• a plurality of meters adapted to collect data associated with consumption of a commodity;
• a filtering engine adapted to reduce data traffic in the data collection system, the filtering engine capable of:
• processing a plurality of data packets for transmission from a first network layer to a second network layer;
• storing a portion of the plurality of data packets in a data storage device capable of transmitting at least some of the plurality of data packets from the first network layer to a second network layer;
• determining whether a portion of a new data packet is similar to a stored portion of at least one of the plurality of data packets;
• and
• if the portion of the new data packet is similar, omitting the portion of the new data packet from the data storage device and ceasing any further transmission of the new data packet to the second network layer.

A utility meter data collection system with at least two network layers, the system comprising:

• a plurality of meter modules capable of transmitting utility data from a first network layer;
• a filtering engine capable of:
• processing a plurality of data packets received from the first network layer;
• applying a threshold capable of filtering redundant data packets received from the first network layer;
• processing a new data packet received from the first network layer, wherein the new data packet comprises at least one characteristic;
• and
• based in part on at least a comparison of the characteristic and the threshold, determining whether to transmit the new data packet from the first network layer to a second network layer.