Methods and apparatus to locate utility meter endpoints of interest
AssigneeItron, Inc.
InventorsMark Cornwall, Asa Jay Laughton
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus are disclosed to determine the location of endpoints of interest. An example method involves in response to detecting a transmission from the endpoint, determining whether the endpoint is an endpoint of interest. If the endpoint is the endpoint of interest, the example method involves sending a first command to the endpoint to increase a transmission rate of the endpoint, determining an estimated location of the endpoint using signal strengths of subsequent transmissions from the endpoint, and enabling the transmission rate of the endpoint to decrease.
Claims20
A method for locating an endpoint, the method comprising:
- in response to detecting a transmission from the endpoint, determining whether the endpoint is an endpoint of interest;
- if the endpoint is the endpoint of interest:
- sending a first command to the endpoint to increase a transmission rate of the endpoint;
- determining an estimated location of the endpoint using signal strengths of subsequent transmissions from the endpoint;
- and
- enabling the transmission rate of the endpoint to decrease.
A method for locating an endpoint, the method comprising:
- in response to detecting a transmission from the endpoint, determining whether the endpoint is an endpoint of interest;
- if the endpoint is the endpoint of interest:
- sending a first command to the endpoint to increase a transmission rate of the endpoint;
- determining estimated locations of the endpoint using signal strengths of subsequent transmissions from the endpoint until a final estimated location is determined;
- and
- in response to determining the final estimated location of the endpoint, sending a second command to the endpoint to decrease the transmission rate of the endpoint.
A tangible computer readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to at least:
- in response to detecting a transmission from an endpoint, determine whether the endpoint is an endpoint of interest;
- if the endpoint is the endpoint of interest:
- send a first command to the endpoint to increase a transmission rate of the endpoint;
- determine estimated locations of the endpoint using signal strengths of subsequent transmissions from the endpoint until a final estimated location is determined;
- and
- in response to determining the final estimated location of the endpoint, send a second command to the endpoint to decrease the transmission rate of the endpoint.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.