Cost optimization of wireless-enabled metering infrastructures

A system for managing cost in a wireless enabled advanced metering infrastructure, the system comprising:

• (a) a remote server
• (b) a wide area network coupled to the remote server;
• (c) at least one access point device coupled to the remote server through the wide area network,
• (d) one or more wireless enabled meters coupled to each other and to the access point through a neighborhood area network;
• (e) one or more datasinks wherein each datasink is a wireless enabled meter configured to being a data coordinator and configured to receiving metering information from the one or more wireless enabled meters processing metering information, and transmitting metering information to at least access point;
• (i) wherein each wireless enabled meter is configured to be a node, wherein the node is selected from a group consisting of a routing node and an endpoint node;
• (ii) wherein a first set of wireless enabled meters are configured to be one or more routing nodes and a second set of wireless enabled meters are configured to be one or more end point nodes based on a graph theoretic algorithm and to configure each wireless enabled meter to a minimum power level based on a bridging distance to a neighboring meter thereby reducing overall cost of the wireless enabled advanced metering infrastructure;
• (f) wherein graph theoretic algorithm results in generating a spanning tree that increases the ratio of wireless enabled meters to access points in a neighborhood area network;
• (g) wherein one more neighborhood area networks are bridged by one or more dummy nodes to increase ratio of wireless enabled meters to access points.