Data collection and metering system

A data collection system, comprising:

• (a) a plurality of telemetry devices, each configured to:
• generate a series of measurements;
• and
• transmit the measurements;
• (b) a plurality of collection devices, each configured to:
• receive measurements from one or more telemetry devices;
• transmit data based on the measurements received from a telemetry device in a first set of telemetry devices to a monitoring station;
• upon request from the monitoring station, transmit data based on measurements received from a telemetry device in a second set of telemetry devices to the monitoring station;
• and
• (c) a monitoring station, configured to:
• designate a collection device as a preferred collection device for a telemetry device and designate at least one other collection device as an alternate collection device for the telemetry device;
• receive data from the preferred collection device for the telemetry device;
• and
• based on the data received from the preferred collection device for the telemetry device, send a request to at least one alternate collection device for the telemetry device for missing data for the telemetry device,
• wherein the monitoring station is further configured to:
• generate statistics in reference to a telemetry device based on data received from the preferred collection device and the at least one alternate collection device designated for the telemetry device;
• and
• determine whether to re-designate one or more of the preferred collection device and the at least one alternate collection device for the telemetry device based on the statistics.

A data collection system, comprising:

• (a) a plurality of telemetry devices, each configured to:
• generate a series of measurements;
• and
• transmit the measurements;
• (b) a plurality of collection devices, each configured to:
• receive measurements from one or more telemetry devices;
• transmit data based on the measurements received from a telemetry device in a first set of telemetry devices to a monitoring station;
• upon request from the monitoring station, transmit data based on measurements received from a telemetry device in a second set of telemetry devices to the monitoring station;
• and
• (c) a monitoring station, configured to:
• designate a collection device as a preferred collection device for a telemetry device and designate at least one other collection device as an alternate collection device for the telemetry device;
• receive data from the preferred collection device for the telemetry device;
• and
• based on the data received from the preferred collection device for the telemetry device, send a request to at least one alternate collection device for the telemetry device for missing data for the telemetry device,
• wherein the monitoring station is further configured to:
• receive sampling information from one or more collection devices for a known telemetry device having a designated preferred collection device and at least one alternate collection device, wherein the one or more collection devices are not the designated preferred or alternate collection devices;
• generate statistics for the known telemetry device based on data received from the preferred collection device and the at least one alternate collection device;
• and
• determine whether to re-designate the preferred collection device and the at least one alternate collection device for the known telemetry device based on the statistics and the sampling information.

A data collection system, comprising:

• (a) a plurality of telemetry devices, each configured to:
• generate a series of measurements;
• and
• transmit the measurements;
• (b) a plurality of collection devices, each configured to:
• receive measurements from one or more telemetry devices;
• transmit data based on the measurements received from a telemetry device in a first set of telemetry devices to a monitoring station;
• upon request from the monitoring station, transmit data based on measurements received from a telemetry device in a second set of telemetry devices to the monitoring station;
• wherein each of the plurality of collection devices include:
• a receiver configured to receive transmissions from one or more telemetry devices, the transmissions including a series of successive measurements;
• a processor configured to extract the series of successive measurements from a series of received transmissions and further configured to generate processed data for the parameter by analyzing the series of successive measurements;
• a transceiver configured to transmit data comprising the processed data to a monitoring station and to receive a transmission from a monitoring station
• (c) a monitoring station, configured to:
• designate a collection device as a preferred collection device for a telemetry device and designate at least one other collection device as an alternate collection device for the telemetry device;
• receive data from the preferred collection device for the telemetry device;
• and
• based on the data received from the preferred collection device for the telemetry device, send a request to at least one alternate collection device for the telemetry device for missing data for the telemetry device.

A monitoring station, comprising:

• (a) at least one receiver for receiving transmissions from a plurality of collection devices, the transmissions including sampling data and processed metered function data in reference to a plurality of telemetry devices;
• (b) at least one processor programmed to:
• analyze sampling data in reference to a telemetry device to designate a collection device as a preferred collection device for the telemetry device and to designate at least one other collection device as an alternate collection device for the telemetry device;
• and
• generate a request for missing data in reference to a telemetry device based on metered function data received from the preferred collection device for the telemetry device;
• (c) at least one transmitter to transmit a request for missing data to the at least one alternate collection device.

A method of collecting data, comprising:

• generating a series of measurements at a plurality of telemetry devices by measuring a parameter and transmitting the measurements;
• collecting the measurements at a plurality of collection devices and processing the measurements at the collection devices to generate metered function information of the parameter;
• designating a collection device as a preferred collection device and at least one other collection device as an alternate collection device for each of the plurality of telemetry devices;
• receiving metered function information from the preferred collection devices at a monitoring station;
• and
• generating a request for any missing data based on the metered function information received from the preferred collection devices and transmitting the request to at least one alternate collection device.