Traffic load control in a mesh network

Methodology for an advanced metering system slotted Aloha frequency hopping mesh network with self-adjusting traffic load management, comprising:

• establishing a network including a central facility and a plurality of node devices, at least some of which node devices comprise metrology devices, and at least some of which node devices comprise father node devices which provide communications at least in an uplink direction between others of the node devices and the central facility;
• configuring the network for bi-directional communications between the central facility and each of the plurality of node devices via associations with respective of the father node devices;
• determining an average communication success rate to each father node device with reference to each respective node device and observing communications acknowledgements from such father node device, and, based thereon, calculating the respective traffic density of each such father node device with reference to each such respective node device;
• controlling the timing of respective transmissions in an uplink direction of each respective node device based on its respective traffic density calculation, so that such traffic density calculation remains below a predetermined network limit, with uplink transmissions sent at a random time within a randomization window, the length TW of which randomization window meets the following relationship
• 1
• T
• W
• +
• R
• A
• ≤
• R
• MAX
• ,
• where TW is expressed in time slot units, RA is the traffic density for a give father node device A, and RMAX is a predetermined maximum traffic input density for such father node device A;
• and
• buffering uplink transmissions at each respective node device until controlled transmission thereof.

An advanced metering system mesh network with self-adjusting traffic load management, comprising:

• a central facility;
• and
• a plurality of node devices, at least some of which node devices comprise metrology devices, and at least some of which node devices comprise data extraction nodes which provide communications at least in an uplink direction between others of said node devices and said central facility, with each node device configured for bi-directional communications with said central facility;
• wherein each of said node devices is configured to monitor and calculate the respective traffic density in an uplink direction with reference to each respective node device, and to control the timing of respective transmissions in an uplink direction of each respective node device based on its respective traffic density calculation, so that such traffic density calculation remains below a predetermined network limit.

An advanced metering system slotted Aloha frequency hopping mesh network with self-adjusting traffic load management, comprising:

• a central facility;
• and
• a plurality of node devices, at least some of which node devices comprise metrology devices, and at least some of which node devices comprise father node devices which provide communications at least in an uplink direction between others of said node devices and said central facility, with said network configured for bi-directional communications between said central facility and each of said plurality of node devices via associations with respective of said father node devices;
• wherein each of said node devices is configured to determine an average communication success rate to each father node device with reference to each respective node device and observing communications acknowledgements from such father node device, and, based thereon, calculating the respective traffic density of each such father node device with reference to each such respective node device;
• and to control the timing of respective transmissions in an uplink direction of each respective node device based on its respective traffic density calculation, so that such traffic density calculation remains below a predetermined network limit, with uplink transmissions sent at a random time within a randomization window, the length TW of which randomization window meets the following relationship
• 1
• T
• W
• +
• R
• A
• ≤
• R
• MAX
• ,
• where TW is expressed in time slot units, RA is the traffic density for a give father node device A, and RMAX is a predetermined maximum traffic input density for such father node device A;
• and to buffer uplink transmissions at each respective node device until controlled transmission thereof.

A metrology device for use with an advanced metering system slotted Aloha frequency hopping mesh network with self-adjusting traffic load management, and including a central facility, a plurality of node devices, with at least some of such node devices comprising such metrology devices, and at least some of such node devices comprising father node devices which provide communications at least in an uplink direction between others of the node devices and the central facility, with each node device configured for bi-directional communications with such central facility via an associated at least one of such father node devices, said metrology device comprising:

• a metrology portion configured to measure consumption of a utility commodity;
• a transmitter portion configured to transmit consumption information and other data;
• and a receiver portion configured to receive information from other network devices in an associated network;
• wherein said transmitter portion and said receiver portion are configured to monitor and calculate the respective traffic density in an uplink direction therefrom in an associated network, and to control the timing of respective transmissions in an uplink direction therefrom based on such traffic density calculation, so that such traffic density calculation remains below a predetermined limit of an associated network.