| US 7,479,895 B2 | ||
| Data communication protocol in an automatic meter reading system | ||
| Christopher L. Osterloh, Waseca, Minn. (US); and Christopher Nagy, Waseca, Minn. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Itron, Inc., Liberty Lake, Wash. (US) | ||
| Filed on Feb. 03, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/347,026. | ||
| Application 11/347026 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/915706, filed on Aug. 10, 2004. | ||
| Claims priority of provisional application 60/649717, filed on Feb. 03, 2005. | ||
| Claims priority of provisional application 60/500550, filed on Sep. 05, 2003. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0202856 A1, Sep. 14, 2006 | ||
| Int. Cl. G08B 23/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 340—870.02 [340/870.03] | 20 Claims |
| 1. In a system for automatic meter reading (AMR) of utility meters, a method for operating an endpoint to respond to wireless
radio-frequency (RF) communications signals from a fixed or mobile reader, the RF communication signals including a preliminary
portion and a command portion following the preliminary portion, the method comprising:
listening for an incoming RF communication signal in which the preliminary portion is indicative of a start of the command
portion and includes one of a predefined first sequence and a predefined second sequence; and
detecting a presence of the first sequence or the second sequence in the preliminary portion of the RF communication signal;
responding to a detection of the first or the second sequence wherein:
responding to a detection of the first sequence includes processing the command portion of the RF communication signal; and
responding to a detection of the second sequence includes transmitting a first set of data via the AMR system without necessarily
processing the command portion.
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