Abstract
A method transmits information, in particular consumption data and/or useful data, in the form of a data packet. The data packet is transmitted repeatedly, preferably at definable time intervals, via radio from a transmitter to a receiver and then the data packet is divided into data subpackets. An interference state of the data subpackets is established on the receiver side. Specific data subpackets are selected on the basis of the interference state, and the selected data subpackets are combined into a new data packet complementary to the data packet. The data packet is transmitted via both a first communication protocol and a second communication protocol, and the data packet is derived from the received data packets. The data packet has a lower level of interference than a data packet which is received exclusively via a single communication protocol.
Claims
1. A method for transmitting information in a form of a data packet, which comprises the steps of: transmitting the data packet repeatedly via radio from a transmitter to a receiver via both a first communication protocol and a second communication protocol; dividing the data packet into data subpackets; establishing an interference state of the data subpackets on a receiver side; selecting specific data subpackets on a basis of the interference state; combining selected data subpackets into a new data packet complementary to the data packet; and deriving the new data packet from the data packets received, wherein the new data packet has a lower level of interference than the data packet which is received exclusively via a single communication protocol.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first communication protocol and/or the second communication protocol includes a synchronization sequence and/or additional information which is generated on a transmitter side and is assigned to the data packets and/or the data subpackets.
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the synchronization sequence and/or the additional information is/are assigned to the data packets and/or the data subpackets in such a way that the synchronization sequence and/or the additional information is/are transmitted before, between and/or after the data packet and/or the data subpackets.
4. The method according to claim 2, which further comprises defining time intervals between transmitted synchronization sequences of data packets and an establishment of the interference state of the data packet and/or a data subpacket is derived from a defined time intervals.
5. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises varying a transmission sequence of the data subpackets in transmission repetitions of the data packet.
6. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises performing a time synchronization of the first communication protocol and/or the second communication protocol in order to compile the new data packet.
7. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises transmitting the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol via different transmission systems.
8. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises dividing the data packets into the data subpackets on the receiver side and/or on a transmitter side.
9. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises coding data packets and/or the data subpackets in such a way that the receiver can decode the data packets and/or the data subpackets individually.
10. The method according to claim 1, wherein definable time intervals are provided between the data subpackets.
11. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises additionally transmitting the data packet via a third communication protocol and/or via a fourth communication protocol.
12. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises providing the information as consumption data and/or useful data in a form of metering data by a consumption-metering device.
13. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises: selecting the information from the group consisting of consumption data and useful data; and transmitting the data packet repeatedly at definable time intervals.
14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the consumption-metering device is a heat meter, an electricity meter or a water meter.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
[0026] FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic representation of a communication system containing a plurality of transmitters and one receiver;
[0027] FIG. 2 is a simplified schematic representation of one configuration of the method according to the invention;
[0028] FIG. 3 is a simplified schematic representation of a message having a plurality of data packets;
[0029] FIG. 4 is a simplified schematic representation of a data packet having four data subpackets;
[0030] FIG. 5 is a simplified schematic representation of a data packet having a plurality of data subpackets with an assigned preamble and postamble;
[0031] FIG. 6 is a simplified schematic representation of three data packets having in each case of a plurality of data subpackets in each case with assigned preambles;
[0032] FIG. 7 is a simplified schematic representation of a data packet having a plurality of data subpackets with an assigned preamble and defined time intervals between the preamble and the data subpackets;
[0033] FIG. 8 is a simplified schematic representation of three data packets having in each case of a plurality of data subpackets in each case with assigned preambles and a varying transmission sequence of the data subpackets; and
[0034] FIG. 9 is a simplified schematic representation of a data packet with a header and an assigned preamble and postamble.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0035] Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a communication system in which a plurality of transmitters 1 transmit information to a receiver 2. The transmitters 1 are consumption-metering devices 3 which are assigned to residential and/or industrial units. The consumption-metering devices 3 contain a communication module 4 or a transceiver unit for transmitting and receiving the information, such as e.g. the present consumption of water or electricity. The consumption-metering device 3 transmits this information via the communication module 4 to the receiver 2. The receiver 2 is a data collector 5 which contains a communication module 6 and an antenna 7 for transmitting and receiving information. The data collector 5 may be a concentrator, the control center of an energy supplier, a mobile reading device for walk-by or drive-by reading or the like. The information is transmitted here in the form of data packets A or, according to FIG. 3, by means of a message 10 composed of a plurality of data packets A, from the transmitters 1 to the receiver 2.
[0036] The method according to the invention for transmitting information in the form of data packets A is shown in detail schematically in FIG. 2. The transmitter 1 first generates a data packet A, e.g. from the consumption data. The data packet A is transmitted from the transmitter 1 according to a first communication protocol 8 to the receiver 2. The data packet A can preferably be transmitted via the ISM band frequency ranges and/or the SRD band frequency ranges, particularly in the frequency range from 867 MHz to 873 MHz. The receiver 2 first receives the data packet A which has been transmitted via the first communication protocol 8 to the receiver 2. The receiver 2 is configured here to divide the data packet A according to FIG. 4 into data subpackets A1, A2, A3, A4. The transmitter 1 then transmits the data packet A multiple times, e.g. three times according to FIG. 2, to the receiver 2 via a second communication protocol 9. The data packets A transmitted via the second communication protocol 9 are similarly received by the receiver 2 and are then divided into data subpackets A1, A2, A3, A4. The shading shown in FIG. 2 of the data packets A or the data subpackets A1, A2, A3, A4 received by the receiver 2 indicates interference affecting the received data packets A or the data subpackets A1, A2, A3, A4. The data packets A must normally be discarded due to this interference. Interference of this type in the transmission of the data packets A can be caused e.g. by interference sources such as e.g. by data transmissions of external devices which transmit on the same frequencies, interferences, overlaps or the like.
[0037] However, as shown in FIG. 2, the data subpackets A1, A2, A3, A4 of an interference-affected data packet A are not necessarily all affected by interference. The data packets A are first divided on the receiver side into the respective data subpackets A1, A2, A3, A4. The receiver 2 can then establish the interference state of the data subpackets A1, A2, A3, A4. This can be done, for example, by the receiver 2 comparing the data subpackets A1, A2, A3, A4 of all received data packets A with one another, in particular bit-by-bit. The receiver 2 can select the interference-unaffected data subpackets on the basis of the determined interference state of the data subpackets A1, A2, A3, A4 and can combine them into an interference-unaffected data packet A. This newly assembled data packet A has a considerably lower level of interference compared with the data packets A received by the receiver 2.
[0038] According to the invention, the receiver 2 is configured to be able to receive and decode the data packets A via a plurality of transmission protocols 8, 9. According to one particular design of the method according to the invention, a third and/or a fourth and/or even further transmission protocols can also be provided for the transmission of the data packets A.
[0039] According to FIG. 5, the second communication protocol 9 appropriately contains a synchronization sequence, such as e.g. a preamble 11 and/or a postamble 12. Synchronization sequences of this type serve to announce the transmission of the data packet A to the receiver 2 and, if necessary, to effect a synchronization of the transmitter 1 and the receiver 2. The synchronization sequence is generated on the transmitter side and is assigned to the data subpackets or the data packets. The synchronization sequences can be assigned here in such a way that they are located before, between and/or after the respective data packet A or the data subpackets A1, A2, A3, A4.
[0040] According to one preferred design of the present invention as shown in FIG. 6, time intervals t1, t2 are defined between the transmitted synchronization sequences, e.g. a preamble 11. The establishment of the interference state of a data packet A or a data subpacket A1, A2, A3, A4 can be derived from these defined time intervals t1, t2. This can be done, for example, by using the time gaps tPA between the preamble 11 and the data packet A or the data subpackets A1, A2, A3, A4 to determine the interference-affected data subpacket A1, A2, A3 and/or A4. In particular, the synchronization sequences and/or the data packets A or the data subpackets A1, A2, A3, A4 in FIG. 6 may also have been transmitted via different communication protocols 8, 9.
[0041] In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, the time gaps tA1, tA2, tA3, tA4 between the synchronization sequence or the preamble 11 and the data subpackets A1, A2, A3, A4 are also used to establish the interference state of the data packet A and/or the respective data subpackets A1, A2, A3, A4.
[0042] It has surprisingly become evident here that synchronization sequences or preambles 11 or postambles 12 affected by interference or not transmitted at all can be compensated by previously and/or subsequently transmitted synchronization sequences if, for example according to FIG. 6, the time interval t1+t2 between the first and the third preamble 11 and therefore the interference of the second preamble 11 can be compensated. Due to the clock deviations of the time reference devices of the transmitters 1 and receivers 2, time deviations, i.e. shifts in the time intervals t1, t2 or the time gaps tA1, tA2, tA3, tA4, can occur, so that the detection of the interference source or the combination of the data subpackets A1, A2, A3, A4 is hindered. The risk of a time deviation of the transmitters 1 and receivers 2 can be reduced by a synchronization of the time reference device, e.g. via the preamble 11 or the postamble 12. The probability of a successful, i.e. interference-unaffected, transmission of a data subpacket A1, A2, A3, A4 of the data packet A is consequently higher, the closer the data subpacket A1, A2, A3, A4 is located to the synchronization sequence.
[0043] According to FIG. 8, the transmission sequence of the data subpackets A1, A2, A3, A4 can appropriately be modified in the transmission repetitions of the data packet A in such a way that the probability of a successful transmission of each of the data subpackets A1, A2, A3, A4 is essentially equally high. As shown in FIG. 8, an overall interference-unaffected data packet A can therefore be received or assembled through the variation of the transmission sequence even though the data subpackets A3 and A4 or A1 and A2 located further away from the preamble 11 were in each case affected by interference in the first two transmission repetitions. Alternatively or additionally, transmission priorities can also be defined via the positions of the data subpackets by disposing data subpackets A1, A2, A3, A4 with a higher transmission priority preferably close to the synchronization sequence.
[0044] The data packets A can preferably be divided into data subpackets A1, A2, A3, A4 on the receiver side and/or on the transmitter side. Either the transmitter 1 already divides the data packets A into data subpackets A1, A2, A3, A4 and transmits them preferably with definable time intervals placed between them to the receiver 2, or the transmitter 1 transmits the data packets A according to FIG. 2 to the receiver 2, wherein the data packets A are divided into data subpackets A1, A2, A3, A4 on the receiver side following reception. The data packets A or the data subpackets A1, A2, A3, A4 are coded here in such a way that the receiver 2 can decode the data packets A or the data subpackets A1, A2, A3, A4 in each case individually.
[0045] FIG. 9 shows a data packet A with a preamble 11 and a postamble 12, wherein the data packet A additionally contains prefixed additional information in the form of a header 13. The header 13 can contain core data, metadata or the like which in turn contain e.g. the ID numbers of the transmitter 1 and the receiver 2, the data format, address information, the character encoding or the like.
[0046] Individual feature combinations (subcombinations) and possible combinations of individual features of different design forms not shown in the drawing figures are expressly included in the disclosure content.
REFERENCE NUMBER LIST
[0047] 1 Transmitter [0048] 2 Receiver [0049] 3 Consumption-metering device [0050] 4 Communication module [0051] 5 Data collector [0052] 6 Communication module [0053] 7 Antenna [0054] 8 First communication protocol [0055] 9 Second communication protocol [0056] 10 Message [0057] 11 Preamble [0058] 12 Postamble [0059] 13 Header [0060] A Data packet [0061] A Assembled data packet A [0062] A1 Data subpacket [0063] A2 Data subpacket [0064] A3 Data subpacket [0065] A4 Data subpacket [0066] t1 Time interval (between first and second preamble) [0067] t2 Time interval (between second and third preamble) [0068] tA1 Time gap (between preamble and data subpacket A1) [0069] tA2 Time gap (between preamble and data subpacket A2) [0070] tA3 Time gap (between preamble and data subpacket A3) [0071] tA4 Time gap (between preamble and data subpacket A4) [0072] tPA Time gap (between preamble and data packet)
