CLEAR-CHANNEL SYSTEM AND RELATED APPLICATIONS

Abstract

A wireless spread-spectrum communication system for transmitting data includes a plurality of end point transmitters and at least one receiver. The end point transmitters transmit data via a frequency-hopped spread-spectrum signal where the transmitting signal is sent without the benefit of frequency stabilization. The receiver is responsive to the frequency-hopping spread-spectrum signals and includes a correlator and a signal processor. The correlator samples at least a first portion of a preamble of the signal and correlates the portion of the preamble with a known preamble pattern to determine a probability of correlation. The signal processor applies a Fast Fourier Transform algorithm to the signal in response to the probability of correlation to track a narrowband frequency of the signal based on at least a second portion of the preamble and to decode data encoded within the signal subsequent to the preamble.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an overall schematic diagram of a frequency-hopping spread-spectrum (FHSS).

FIG. 2 is a diagram of one embodiment of an encoded FHSS packet.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an FHSS system using repeaters, one-way endpoints, and two-way endpoints.

FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C show snapshots of a shared band for a location taken at different times of day.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In conjunction with the detailed description below, this application incorporates by reference commonly assigned U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/500,507 (Attorney Docket No. 1725.173US01), filed on Sep. 5, 2003, entitled, “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTION OF SPECIFIC ON-AIR DATA RATE,” U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/500,515 (Attorney Docket No. 1725.162US01), filed Sep. 5, 2003, entitled, “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MOBILE DEMAND RESET,” U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/500,504 (Attorney Docket No. 1725.160US01), filed Sep. 5, 2003, entitled, “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPTIMIZING CONTIGUOUS CHANNEL OPERATION WITH CELLULAR REUSE,” U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/500,479 (Attorney Docket No. 1725.156US01), filed Sep. 5, 2003, entitled, “SYNCHRONOUS DATA RECOVERY SYSTEM,” U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/500,550 (Attorney Docket No. 1725.161US01), filed Sep. 5, 2003, entitled, “DATA COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL IN AN AUTOMATIC METER READING SYSTEM,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/655,760 (Attorney Docket No. 10145-8011.US00), filed on Sep. 5, 2003, entitled, “SYNCHRONIZING AND CONTROLLING SOFTWARE DOWNLOADS, SUCH AS FOR COMPONENTS OF A UTILITY METER-READING SYSTEM,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/655,759, (Attorney Docket No. 10145-8012.US00) filed on Sep. 5, 2003, entitled, “FIELD DATA COLLECTION AND PROCESSING SYSTEM, SUCH AS FOR ELECTRIC, GAS, AND WATER UTILITY DATA,” U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/222,256, (Attorney Docket No. 1725.126US01) filed on Aug. 1, 2000, entitled, “FREQUENCY HOPPING SPREAD SPECTRUM SYSTEM WITH HIGH SENSITIVITY TRACKING AND SYNCHRONIZATION FOR FREQUENCY UNSTABLE SIGNALS,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/222,657, (Attorney Docket No. 1725.141US01), filed on Sep. 9, 2005, entitled “METER READING SYSTEM,” and U.S. Patent Application No. 60/500,506 (Attorney Docket No. 159.US.01), filed on Sep. 5, 2003, entitled “OPTIMIZED BUBLLE UP RECEIVER.”

FHSS system 10 includes a multitude of end point transmitters 12 and at least one radio 16 with a receiver. In a preferred embodiment, end point transmitters 12 are battery-operated encoder transmitters operably connected to a utility meter. In this embodiment, it is expected that up to hundreds of thousands of end point transmitters 12 will be deployed as part of a FHSS system 10 in a metropolitan area. Alternatively, end point transmitters 12 can be low-power sensors, detectors or other data encoders that transmit encoded data using FHSS signal 20. Preferably, end-point transmitters 12 are deployed at a multitude of fixed locations over an entire coverage zone. End-point transmitters 12 could also be mobile transmitters operating within one or more coverage zones, such as pagers or portable transponders.

In an embodiment, radios 16 comprise a plurality of fixed intermediate radios 16 arranged in a hierarchical network of overlapping zones of coverage that receive encoded data from end point transmitters 12, 13 and forward the data by retransmission to a central station 18. Reference is made to the previously-identified co-pending application entitled “Spread Spectrum Meter Reading System Utilizing Low-Speed/High Power Frequency Hopping” for a more detailed description of a network of fixed intermediate radios 16 and a central station 20, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. The radios 16 may be designed as half-duplex radios (transmit or receive but not both simultaneously); however, this architecture has been shown to have some limitations. Preferably, the radios 16 are implemented as a full-duplex design (transmit and receive simultaneously).

In one embodiment, the radios 16 are capable of wireless retransmission of data 22 to the central station 18. Alternatively, the radios 16 can store data until it is manually or automatically downloaded to the central station 18, or the radios may be equipped with other communication channels 24, such as telephone lines, power lines, satellite, cellular phone or the like to transmit immediately or in a store and forward mode data received from the end point transmitters 12, either individually or combined into larger blocks or summarized over time for the purpose of creating a metered function associated with one or more end point transmitters 12.

It will be understood that the end point transmitters 12 may be of the bubble-up variety wherein encoded data is automatically periodically transmitted by the transmitter 12 (either according to a predefined timing pattern or pseudo-randomly), or the transmitters 12 may be polled or interrogated to respond to a wakeup tone, for example, transmitted by fixed radio 16 and then transmit FHSS signals 20 with encoded data in response to the polling or interrogation signal.

System 10 can employ both one-way (“bubble-up”) endpoints and two-way endpoints. Two-way repeaters can also be added to the system as shown in FIG. 2. The one-way endpoints are ERT endpoints described above. Two-way endpoints may be of the type disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/222,657, (Attorney Docket No. 1725.141US01), filed on Sep. 9, 2005, entitled “METER READING SYSTEM”.

In a preferred embodiment as shown in FIG. 3, FHSS signals 20 are sent as encoded packets of data 30 transmitted as a frequency-hopping spread-spectrum signal in the band between 910-920 MHz. Thus, system 10 uses unlicensed frequency-hopping spread-spectrum transmitters operating in accordance with FCC Part 15.249 (transmitter power less than 500 mW) or Part 15.247 (transmitter power less than 5 W). For purposes of the present invention, transmitters 12 operating under either of these regulations are considered to be low-powered transmitters. Preferably, the encoded packets 30 are sent in accordance with a predefined protocol. One such protocol is the ERT protocol for meter encoder transmitters manufactured by Itron, Inc., the assignee of the present invention. Another such protocol is the PET protocol as defined in the previously-identified co-pending application entitled “Spread Spectrum Meter Reading System Utilizing Low-Speed/High Power Frequency Hopping.” In a preferred embodiment, the encoded data of the packet 30 is on-off keyed (OOK) modulated. Other amplitude modulation (AM) techniques may also be used. It is also possible for the encoded data to be modulated using other modulation techniques, such as frequency modulation (FM) or frequency shift key (fsk) modulation, although additional circuitry may be required to implement these techniques as will be appreciated by a person of ordinary skill in the art.

The receiver of radios 16 is preferably a low cost, low power, receiver that is capable of identifying, locating, and tracking FHSS signals received from a transmitter such as that disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/209,348 (Attorney Docket No. 1725.126US03), Filed on Aug. 22, 2005, entitled, “FREQUENCY HOPPING SPREAD SPECTRUM SYSTEM WITH HIGH SENSITIVITY TRACKING AND SYNCHRONIZATION FOR FREQUENCY UNSTABLE SIGNALS” although other receivers may also be used.

Radio 16 examines the entire useful portion of the wideband at once, looking for a signal suggestive of a data packet transmitted by an endpoint 12, 13 or repeater 17. Once a data packet is detected, radio 16 employs a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to determine the narrowband frequency on which the data packet is being transmitted. Thus, radio 16 has the ability to take a “snapshot” of the ISM band and measure the signal level across the band. The snapshot includes a measurement of power levels in frequency bins or channels of the FFT. By collecting a series of snapshots over time, the receiver's microprocessor constructs a profile of peak and average power over time and thereby derives a profile of the band. The band profile may be localized because radio 16 receives transmissions from nearby endpoints 13 and repeaters 17. The band profile may include localized information about generally clear channels, generally noisy channels, and channels with noise levels that vary over time.

Once generated, the band profile is transmitted in a two-way system to an endpoint 13 or repeater 17, as shown in FIG. 2. Endpoint 13 or repeater 17 then adjusts its transmissions to avoid channels identified as noisy in the profile.

Endpoint 13 or repeater 17 stores a band profile in a useable form, such as a lookup table. The endpoint 13 or repeater 17 uses the band profile until an updated band profile or an entirely new band profile is received.

System 10 can also be used to enhance transmissions in other shared bands, such as the international 433 band.

Band profiles can be created for a particular locations in a variety of ways. For example, comparison of snapshots taken of a band in a particular location at different times of the day will generate a time-dependent band profile. FIG. 4A shows a spectrum at the middle of the day at a specific location. The interference is greatest between 916 MHz and 920 MHz, with interference also appearing around 913.5 MHz. FIG. 4B shows the same location in the evening. Interference has increased in the middle of the band and there is pronounced interference at 912 MHz and 921.5 MHz, such as would be caused by portable phones using digital modulation. The spectrum below 911 MHz and a notch between 920 MHz and 921 MHz remain relatively clear. FIG. 4C shows the location in the morning. The spectrum below 911 MHz and above 920 MHz remains clear.

Other aspects of a band's profile remain relatively constant over time. Geographical obstructions, for example, may make some channels in a particular location undesirable at any time of day. Thus, a band profile may contain both time-dependent information about the band and information about the band that is generally true throughout the day.

By transmitting band profiles to two-way endpoints 13 or repeaters 17, radio 16 provides information that endpoints 13 or repeaters 17 can use to avoid noisy channels and find relatively clear channels of the shared band.

In use, system 10 provides for band profiles generated by the receiver to be transmitted and employed by endpoints and repeaters. To begin with, radio 16 transmits a band profile to the endpoints, the repeaters, or both. Endpoints 13 and repeaters 17 store the band profile in a usable format, such as a lookup table. Transmissions by endpoints 13 and repeaters 17 are then directed to avoid the noisy channels and to favor the clear channels

Preferably, radio 16 continues to monitor the relevant shared band for changes in the band profile by taking repeated snapshots of the band over time. From these snapshots, peaks and averages may be calculated. When variances in the band profile reach a predetermined threshold, the radio sends updated information about the band profile to endpoints 13 and repeaters 17. Once received, the updated band information is used to adjust the transmission pattern of the endpoint or repeater, for example, by updating the lookup table.

In system 10, repeaters 17 may be used to relay band profiles to endpoints. This ensures that endpoints have access to band profiles and band-profile updates.

Although the present invention has been described with respect to the preferred embodiment, it will be understood that numerous changes and variations to aspects of the invention can be made and that the scope of the present invention is intended to be consistent with the claims as follows:

Claims

1. A frequency-hopping spread-spectrum (FHSS) system for enhancing communications in a given location by collecting information corresponding to power levels in frequency bins and in response transmitting an optimized band profile for the location, the system comprising: a radio including a first receiver, a first transmitter, and a microprocessor;a second receiver including a second transmitter and a data-storage device, the second receiver being operably connected to an endpoint operably connected to a utility meter;wherein the first receiver measures power levels in the frequency bins of a shared band, the microprocessor analyzes the results of measurements taken over time and creates a band profile from the measurements, the transmitter sends the band profile to the second receiver, and the second receiver stores the band profile in a data-storage device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the second receiver is spaced from the endpoint and wherein the endpoint includes a third transmitter that sends FHSS signals to the second receiver.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the second receiver stores the band profile in a lookup table.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the second transmitter transmits FHSS signals to the radio over optimized channels identified by the band profile.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the band profile comprises a lookup table.

6. A method of identifying optimized bands in a frequency-hopping spread-spectrum (FHSS) system for a given location, the method comprising the steps of: providing a radio including a receiver, a transmitter, and a microprocessor;using the radio to measure power levels in the frequency bins for a given location;taking a plurality of measurements of the power levels over time;using the microprocessor to derive a band profile from the measurements;transmitting the band profile to a FHSS device having a data-storage device.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the band profile is transmitted to a FHSS device in the form of a lookup table.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the band profile is a first band profile and the plurality of measurements are first measurements, further comprising the steps of: repeating the step of using the radio to measure power levels in the frequency bins;taking a plurality of second measurements over time;using the microprocessor to derive a second band profile from the second measurements;transmitting the second band profile to the FHSS device.

9. A method of using a receiver including a data-storage device and a FHSS transmitter, operably connected to an endpoint operably connected to a utility meter, to process data derived from measurements of power levels in frequency bins by a radio in a frequency-hopping spread-spectrum (FHSS) system for a given location, the method comprising the steps of: receiving data including a list of channels from a radio including a transmitter;storing the data in the data-storage device;adjusting the FHSS transmitter to transmit FHSS signals over the received channels;transmitting FHSS signals to the radio over the channels received from the radio.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the data is stored in the form of a lookup table.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the data received is first data and the list of channels is a first list of channels, further comprising the steps of: receiving second data including a second list of channels;adjusting the FHSS transmitter to transmit FHSS signals to the radio using the second list of channels.