Abstract: The information management system such as might be used for a source code management system. The information management system is distributed throughout an enterprise and is operated to allow secure communications with remote sites connected to a central site over an unsecured network. A secure channel is created through the unsecured network to transmit encryption and identifier information for one or more artifacts. This information is used to access an artifact from a remote site and decrypt it. Because artifacts, though encrypted, retain an identifiable form, they may be cached throughout the information management system. The ability to cache artifacts significantly reduces the bandwidth required for operating the information management system from remote sites.

Abstract: The invention includes an electronic utility meter, a data collector/meter and a method for communicating data in an automated meter reading system. The inventive method includes communicating data with a network and a first electronic utility meter, and communicating the data with the first electronic utility meter and one or more other meters.

Abstract: A dynamic self-configuring system for collecting metering data comprises a collector meter. The collector meter scans for meters that are operable to directly communicate with the collector and registers such meters as level one meters. The collector transmits instructions to the level one meters to scan for meters that are operable to directly communicate with the level one meters. The collector registers meters that respond as level two meters.

Abstract: A dynamic self-configuring system for collecting metering data comprises a collector meter. The collector meter scans for meters that are operable to directly communicate with the collector and registers such meters as level one meters. The collector transmits instructions to the level one meters to scan for meters that are operable to directly communicate with the level one meters. The collector registers meters that respond as level two meters.

Abstract: A dynamic self-configuring system for collecting metering data comprises a collector meter. The collector meter scans for meters that are operable to directly communicate with the collector and registers such meters as level one meters. The collector transmits instructions to the level one meters to scan for meters that are operable to directly communicate with the level one meters. The collector registers meters that respond as level two meters.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a frequency hopping spread spectrum transceiver. The transceiver includes a microcontroller; a transmitter having a voltage controlled oscillator, a direct digital synthesizer, and a power amplifier; and a receiver having an amplifier, a mixer, an IF amplifier, a demodulator, and a data slicer. When transmitting, the transmitter sends a preamble that allows the receiving device to detect the signal and lock to it to receive the data. When receiving, the receiver first scans all channels and sorts them based on a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) and then attempts to lock to the channel with the strongest RSSI value by first sampling the received signal to verify the preamble, then synchronizing to the bit edges of the received signal, then detecting the start of a Start Frame Delimiter (SFD), decoding bits to verify a valid SFD and then sampling data bits to receive the data.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a frequency hopping spread spectrum transceiver. The transceiver includes a microcontroller; a transmitter having a voltage controlled oscillator, a direct digital synthesizer, and a power amplifier; and a receiver having an amplifier, a mixer, an IF amplifier, a demodulator, and a data slicer. When transmitting, the transmitter communicates a preamble over a predetermined number of preamble channels, and thereafter communicate groups of data bytes that each comprise a subset of the data message over a predetermined sequence of data channels. When receiving, the receiver investigates the predetermined number of preamble channels to search for the preamble, each of the predetermined number of preamble channels being associated with a predetermined number of data channels in each sequence of data channels.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a frequency hopping spread spectrum transceiver. The transceiver includes a microcontroller; a transmitter having a voltage controlled oscillator, a direct digital synthesizer, and a power amplifier; and a receiver having an amplifier, a mixer, an IF amplifier, a demodulator, and a data slicer. When transmitting, the transmitter communicates a preamble over a predetermined number of preamble channels, and thereafter communicate groups of data bytes that each comprise a subset of the data message over a predetermined sequence of data channels. When receiving, the receiver investigates the predetermined number of preamble channels to search for the preamble and tests the received bits to insure that the preamble and a start frame delimiter have been properly received to synchronize the receiver with the transmitter.

Abstract: The invention includes an electronic utility meter, a data collector/meter and a method for communicating data in an automated meter reading system. The inventive method includes communicating data with a network and a first electronic utility meter, and communicating the data with the first electronic utility meter and one or more other meters.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a frequency hopping spread spectrum transceiver. The transceiver includes a microcontroller; a transmitter having a voltage controlled oscillator, a direct digital synthesizer, and a power amplifier; and a receiver having an amplifier, a mixer, an IF amplifier, a demodulator, and a data slicer. When transmitting, the transmitter sends a preamble that allows the receiving device to detect the signal and lock to it to receive the data. When receiving, the receiver first scans all channels and sorts them based on a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) and then attempts to lock to the channel with the strongest RSSI value by first sampling the received signal to verify the preamble, then synchronizing to the bit edges of the received signal, then detecting the start of a Start Frame Delimiter (SFD), decoding bits to verify a valid SFD and then sampling data bits to receive the data.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a frequency hopping spread spectrum transceiver. The transceiver includes a microcontroller; a transmitter having a voltage controlled oscillator, a direct digital synthesizer, and a power amplifier; and a receiver having an amplifier, a mixer, an IF amplifier, a demodulator, and a data slicer. When transmitting, the transmitter communicates a preamble over a predetermined number of preamble channels, and thereafter communicate groups of data bytes that each comprise a subset of the data message over a predetermined sequence of data channels. When receiving, the receiver investigates the predetermined number of preamble channels to search for the preamble and tests the received bits to insure that the preamble and a start frame delimiter have been properly received to synchronize the receiver with the transmitter.

Abstract: A dynamic self-configuring system for collecting metering data comprises a collector meter. The collector meter scans for meters that are operable to directly communicate with the collector and registers such meters as level one meters. The collector transmits instructions to the level one meters to scan for meters that are operable to directly communicate with the level one meters. The collector registers meters that respond as level two meters.

Abstract: A frequency synthesizer circuit, having first and second modes of operation, comprises a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) (64), a low-pass filter (74), a phase-locked loop (PLL) (67), an analog-to-digital converter (50), a digital-to-analog converter (56), a controller (48), and a VCO input switch. During the first mode, the VCO input switch couples the control input of the VCO to a control signal produced by the PLL, and the analog-to-digital converter measures the control signal and provides it to the controller which stores the control voltage measured by the analog-to-digital converter. During the second mode, the VCO input switch couples the control input of the VCO to the digital-to-analog converter which applies the stored control to the control input of the VCO.