DE10123251C1 - Radio system for consumption data acquisition - Google Patents

Abstract

Radio system for recording consumption data from a radio network with terminals and data collectors (2), a terminal each having a device for recording consumption values (V) and a radio transmitter for transmitting radio telegrams (1) with the consumption values (V) which can be assigned to the terminal and a data collector ( 2) a radio receiver for receiving the radio telegrams (1), an arithmetic unit with memory (4, 7) for checking and storing the radio telegrams (1, 6) and / or the associated consumption values (V) and a radio transmitter for sending radio telegrams ( 6). In order to create a cost-effective radio system for consumption data acquisition with an increased radio range, the radio transmitters of the end devices and the data collectors (2) work in the same frequency range, the data collectors (2) transmitting the received radio telegrams (1) again and transmitting the radio telegrams (6) is checked by means of a radio telegram management (3) in the data collector (2).

Description

The invention relates to a radio system for recording consumption data, in particular in buildings, from a radio network with end devices and data collection learn, wherein a terminal device for detecting consumption evaluate and a radio transmitter for sending radio telegrams with the has consumption values that can be assigned to the terminal and a data collector one radio receiver each for receiving the radio telegrams, one rake plant with memory for checking and storing the radio telegrams and / or the associated consumption values and a radio transmitter for off sending radio telegrams.

There are various concepts of wireless consumption data collection systems systems for recording heating costs, heating, water, electricity or gas consumption known. The systems usually work on the released ISM frequency bands (434 MHz and 868 MHz in Europe). Is widespread System with a larger number of permanently installed data collectors with reception part in the building. The data collectors are arranged so that they are for one Readers are freely accessible, preferably in stairwells and stairways or in hallways. The number of data collectors required results from the Range of the transmitters of the consumption data acquisition devices and the ge wanted redundancy. Everyone is regularly required to create a statement Read data collector of a building. Such unidirectional radio systems  for consumption data acquisition in buildings, whose data collectors only have a receiving part and received no possibility of forwarding gener consumption data have the major disadvantage that they only the data of the transmitters of the consumption data that are within radio range can receive and store capture devices. Occurs (possibly battery-powered) data collector, are his collected billing data lost. A settlement is usually not without delay more is possible. Therefore, have been increased in such radio systems by Number of data collectors created redundancies, however, by which Equipment factor of the system is deteriorated because at least two da tens collector in the range of a consumption data acquisition device have to. This increases the cost of purchasing and installing the sys tems and when reading the increased number of data collectors. Fer ner means taking the redundancies in the radio system into account billing additional effort.

There are also hierarchically structured radio systems in which the summarized consumption values via one or more intermediate receivers / transmitters be transferred to a central office. With such a system go If a data collector fails, no readings are lost, the effort for is the conception and establishment of such a hierarchical radio network however high. On the one hand, the intermediate recipients / transmitters have to hierarchy level perform different tasks, so that different or appropriately modified devices are necessary. Second is a redundancy of the different communication channels in each as far as possible To reach the hierarchy level. Hence the cost of a hierarchy high radio network.

DE 197 06 613 A1 describes a method for recording consumption evaluate the consumption data registered by a measuring device  a data transmission device of the measuring device wirelessly to the Consumption data received and arranged away from the measuring device Nete detection device can be sent. In order to broadcast on To limit the bare necessities, the registration device demands the consumption chs data from the measuring device.

DE 197 41 085 A1 describes a similar method for detecting on-site Lich distributed data points known data from a central job. If certain data points are not reached, tries to get the data from other data points or from so-called bridges get places.

DE 199 05 316 A1 discloses a data transmission system for consumption data acquisition, in which the receiver uses a time control device Time of the next expected data transmission of a respective one Sender estimates and the recipient temporarily in a tolerance time interval, which contains the estimated time, switches ready to receive.

The object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive radio system To create consumption data collection of the type mentioned, the one  has increased radio range, is easily expandable and a reading of the Consumption data possible with a single, any data collector.

This task is essentially solved in that the radio transmitters of the End devices and the data collector work in the same frequency range and that the data collectors send the received radio telegrams out again the, whereby the transmission of the received radio telegrams by means of a Radio telegram management in the data collector is checked. So that becomes a simple flood network created so that a data collector not only the in Radio coverage lying consumption recording devices can receive son also shipments from neighboring data collectors. Through this further route (flood) the radio telegrams to other data collectors, which transmit the radio telegrams forward the program, the consumption data of each endge is distributed advises on all data collectors, so that a reading of the consumption data any data collector. To avoid or on restriction of multiple transmissions of a radio telegram by the same The transmission of the radio telegrams is a data collector by a radio tele controlled gram management in the data collector.

For this purpose, the radio telegram administration preferably maintains an end list devices, of which a radio telegram emp caught and sent out again. A radio telegram is sent from the Da tens collector only sent again if the assigned terminal is not on the blacklist. This will save energy in the Data collector and to reduce the radio pollution in the radio system si ensured that this data collector already directly or indirectly emp caught and flooded radio telegrams are not sent out again.

To forward radio telegrams from a terminal device only for one to block the agreed period, the radio telegram management checks  Receiving a radio telegram, whether the one assigned to the radio telegram Otherwise the end device is already in the blacklist, it gathers it with a blocking period in the blocking list and deletes it after the blocking period has expired again from this blacklist. This ensures that only receive ne, identical radio telegrams can no longer be flooded, one after the expiry of Blocking period sent new radio telegram with new consumption values of the corresponding terminal, however, is taken into account again.

Managing the blacklist is particularly easy if it is chronological is organized according to starting times. A first-in-first-out Memory (FIFO) particularly good. At short regular intervals or immediately removed before a device identification is checked in the blocked list the radio telegram management of a data collector, the device identification, whose blackout period has expired, from the blacklist. Because of the chronology organization, only the oldest entries are checked one after the other, until an entry is found whose blocking period has not yet expired.

Another way to control the transmission of radio telegrams is to keep an access counter in the radio telegram itself, each with the transmission of the radio telegram is counted, the radio tel the access counter when the radio telegram is received checks and only sends the radio telegram again if the access counter has not reached a predetermined threshold. Should receive in the a radio telegram does not yet contain an access counter (i.e. the radio tel gram has not yet been flooded), the access counter is transmitted by the radio telephones Gram management inserted. It is particularly easy to begin with the value zero ning access counter, which is incremented until it has reached a maximum. In In this case, a radio telegram is no longer flooded and the Da contained If necessary, these are transferred to the data collector's data memory. By  the access counter is the number of multiple transmissions of a radio tel effectively limited by a data collector.

To prevent radio telegrams from being sent multiple times from the same data flooded collectors, the access counter can be kept with the blacklist can be combined with a blocking period, the duration of the blocking period depending is determined by the value of the access counter. The first flood is if the access counter has its start value, the blocking time is maximum. With everyone another stage that the flooded radio telegram on its way through the Flood network takes, the blocking time can be reduced with increasing access counter become. This ensures that the radio system can be used again earlier new radio telegrams are available. Without access counter dependent access the last data collector in a row also assigns the blocking times of transfer levels the maximum lockout time since he cannot determine how many flood stages have already been passed. The system recovery times after Flooding a radio telegram would be less favorable in this case.

To avoid a large load on the radio system by direct Flooding a radio telegram after the first reception will be sent out the radio telegram in each data collector is preferably a pseudo coincidence lig assigned certain transmission time and the radio telegram until Er range of the transmission time is temporarily stored in a temporary memory chert, which forms a send queue for radio telegrams to be flooded. By pseudo-random selection of the time of transmission based on the Systematic collisions avoided.

It is also conceivable to send radio telegrams during a transmission pause with a preferably pseudo-random length in a temporary memory store and preferably after the end of the transmission break as a conti to send a sequence of radio telegrams. Then not everyone  An individual transmission time and the The number of independent radio telegrams can be reduced.

It can further be provided according to the invention that the transmission of Radio telegrams only within the specified time intervals of a duty cycle Interval of the radio system is made. The duty cycle is the ratio from transmitter on time to transmitter off time within one as a duty cycle Interval designated period. By setting appropriate Everyone can set time intervals for the transmission of radio telegrams given duty cycle can be easily realized.

A transmission counter can be provided to determine the time intervals every time radio telegrams are sent by the data collector is counted further. This takes advantage of the fact that a radio is emitted legrams an essentially constant, determinable time. he the transmission counter reaches a maximum for compliance with the duty cycle permissible value, then the data collector provides the flooding of further radio telephones gram. After the duty cycle interval has expired, the transmission counter will be displayed then reset and it can be used again in a new duty cycle interval Radio telegrams are sent from the data collector.

In addition, after each transmission of a radio telegram or a radio a transmission pause can be inserted, which consists of a minimum Period and possibly a variable, preferably pseudo-randomly determined Period is built up. This allows the transmission times for radio telephones frames or radio telegram sequences defined solely via variable pause times be and it is possible to call for a minimal uninterrupted pause time (transmitter off time) and a maximum uninterrupted sen the-to-meet time. The random portion can be continuous or discrete in Form of break time slots are formed. The data collector receives  radio telegrams from devices or other devices continue during the pause data collectors, if necessary, rejects irrelevant radio telegrams, adds incoming radio telegrams consecutively in a send queue in the temporary memory and sends everything en bloc at the end of the pause out. The radio telegram management in the data collector then determines again a pause of random length.

To save the consumption values, a consumption value contained in a received radio telegram is stored in a data memory of the data collector if a current data record is not yet available. The topicality of the consumption value or data record can preferably be determined by means of a time stamp or a defined, in particular matrix-like, memory structure in which the storage location is given as a function of device identification and time of detection. It is conceivable, for example, that a data collector can save consumption values of 500 devices for a period of 12 or 18 months. In such a case, the memory would be created as a two-dimensional field with 12 or 18 by 500 elements. The storage location then results from the monthly index 1 to 12 or 18 and a device index, which is calculated, for example, using a hash table. A calendar-like memory matrix is well suited if radio telegrams are to be received at regular intervals and data is to be managed for a fixed maximum number of end devices. If such boundary conditions are not known, incoming data records can be stored in the memory together with a time stamp, for example as a linear list. Depending on the discretization required, timestamps have a resolution that is accurate to the day, week, month or year. Depending on the application, other resolutions are also conceivable. A data record is up-to-date when its time stamp matches the continuous system time stamp.

In order to save electricity, it is provided according to the invention that in particular re battery-powered data collector only at certain operating intervals switches, the switch-on times for the receivers and / or transmitters with the other data collectors, in particular using synchronization flood telegram men can be synchronized. Battery operated data collectors switch their Receiver only in comparatively large time intervals, all Data collectors enter their receiver and / or transmitter approximately simultaneously should switch to enable an effective flooding of the radio telegrams. Each data collector has one to determine the switch-on time Timer. Naturally, time-determining components, such as Quartz crystals with tolerances. The timers of the data collectors can Therefore, long-term differences in time accumulate such that the Recipient arrival times of different data collectors only a little or not at all do not cover. Synchronis are therefore used to synchronize the timer sations flood telegrams used, the current at the time of sending State of the timer of the data collector and a characteristic of its origin hold. As with the end devices, this can be, for example, a clear and unique one Device identification. The radio telegram management of every data collector has a decision-making process on the basis of which decisions are made can determine which timer is the one determining the system by which the adapt their own timers to them. The synchronization takes place at such intervals that the time tolerances are not over a critical dimension can accumulate.

The system affiliation of a terminal and / or a Da is preferred tensammlers in particular by means of a device identification list and / or egg a matching system code. For this purpose, for example, everyone Data collector during commissioning a list of device identifications all consumption recording devices (end devices) belonging to the system and Data collector fed. Once all system data collector identifications  are known, terminal device identifications can already be used as operating pairs meters, for example, via the radio system using special radio telegrams be fed. Feeding an identification list with the devices of one Systems or the assignment of a system code can also be done via a servi interface or manually using existing controls. at Allocation of a uniform system code must ensure that various systems received different system codes. The system code must included in the radio telegrams to determine the system affiliation his.

Furthermore, to further simplify the radio system, it is provided that the Operating parameters of a data collector using service radio telegrams and / or variably adjustable through parameterization during device manufacture are. In doing so, there is a distinction between radio-relevant approval-relevant and not approval-relevant operating parameters, with non-approval relevant parameters during commissioning or during the ongoing loading drive can be changed to optimize system behavior. To the Possibility of radio collisions between neighboring radio systems to mi nim, it may be beneficial in different systems set different operating times. By simply passing on The radio system is also intended to serve servicing Cases such as deleting, replacing or adding system components and support their parameterization. For the service cases are in one first step, for example, the desired inputs on any data collector positions and in a second step the flooding of information initiated. Are externally supplied data collectors with permanent reception part of the system, corresponding service flood telegrams can be forwarded immediately be sent. Is it battery powered data collectors that only switch on their receiver at specified operating times Service radio telegrams preferably to the next possible, all data collectors  shared time. In this case, a Command queue may be provided in the memory of the data collector to be able to cache a sufficient number of service commands.

To further optimize the radio system, it can be provided that a Data collector by means of service radio telegrams Automatically adjusts determination of its radio environment. So the data can Dodge collectors independently in a disturbed radio environment.

A radio system according to the invention is described below with reference to FIG the drawing described in more detail. The specified operating parameters refer to a typical application for consumption data acquisition in within a building. However, the radio system according to the invention can also with other operating parameters and / or in a different extent, for example wise for several buildings, a district or the like.

Show it:

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a data collector of the radio system of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a flow chart for the control of the data collector;

Fig. 3 shows a principle time diagram for the inventive system Funksys;

Fig. 4 is a detailed timing chart for the inventive radio system;

Fig. 5 is a radio telegram with consumption values;

Fig. 6 is a radio telegram for synchronization and flooding Be operating parameters and

Fig. 7 is a radio telegram for servicing;

The end devices of the radio system are consumption recording devices, for example for heating costs, heat, electricity, gas or the like, with a radio transmitter which sends radio telegrams 1 with consumption data at pseudo-random times. On average, radio telegrams 1 are sent approximately every 180 seconds. A radio telegram 1 contains the consumption value V on a key date and additionally the consumption values V of the last four months. After reaching the deadline and up to about six weeks later, the end devices increase their transmission rate to an average of every 60 seconds in order to ensure that the relevant consumption values are disseminated quickly and safely. The content of radio telegrams 1 changes in a typical three-way rhythm: Instead of the consumption values of the past four months, the consumption values of the past months 1 to 4 , 5 to 8 and 9 to 12 are sent cyclically before the cut-off date. The key date consumption as the most important billing value is contained in each radio telegram 1 .

The radio telegrams 1 sent by the terminals are received by battery-operated data collectors 2 , which can each manage up to 500 terminals. A data collector 2 has a radio receiver for receiving the radio telegrams 1 , an arithmetic unit with memory 4 , 7 for checking and storing the radio telegrams 1 , 5 and / or the associated consumption values V and a radio transmitter for transmitting radio telegrams 5 to other data collectors 2 , In the arithmetic unit a radio telegram management 3 is provided as the processing and control unit. In order to be able to access the data collector 2 , for example to read consumption data or to perform service work, a readout and / or service interface 9 is also provided.

The entire radio system consists of a total of up to 500 end devices, which send their consumption data V to up to fifteen data collectors 2 . This corresponds approximately to an equipment factor of 33, which is defined as the ratio of the number of end devices to the number of data collectors 2 of the radio system. Such a configuration of the radio system has proven to be particularly advantageous for the consumption data acquisition within a building, particularly in relation to the time required for the transmission of the radio telegrams 6 to other data collectors 2 (flu).

The frequency range in which the radio system operates is 868 MHz, and the duty cycle, ie the ratio of the transmitter on time to the transmitter off time, is 0.1%. In a duty cycle interval of one hour, the transmitter on time, in which radio telegrams 6 may be retransmitted, is 3.696 after 3.6 seconds and the transmitter off time, in which data collector 2 is not allowed to transmit anything, is 3596 , 4 seconds. The maximum uninterrupted transmission time and the maximum uninterrupted pause time are each 720 milliseconds. The length of a typical radio telegram is 4.1 milliseconds, so that the transmission time slots or the time slots for the transmission pause extension can be dimensioned with 5 milliseconds. From the maximum uninterrupted transmission time and the time slot duration, this results in a number of 144 time slots for transmitting radio telegrams 1 , 6 . A maximum of 878 radio telegrams 1 , 6 can be sent within a duty cycle interval. The maximum flood duration of a data collector 2 is approximately 1540 milliseconds, with a processing time of 100 milliseconds for a radio telegram 1 , 6 being assumed. This results in a maximum flood duration of 23.1 seconds for the entire radio system. For typical systems with fewer elements, the average flood duration is usually around 4 seconds.

The operation of the radio system will be described below with reference to FIG. 1. A radio telegram 1 sent by a terminal device (consumption detection device) not shown and received by a data collector 2 contains a device identification ID, an access counter AC and the recorded consumption value V. The received radio telegram 1 is used in the radio telegram management 3 , which has the task of Radio control and memory management takes over, analyzed. The device identification ID is first entered in a blocking list 4 , with a blocking period t (w) being assigned to each device identification. Furthermore, the radio telegram 1 is set in an area of the memory of the data collector 2 serving as an output queue 5 . The access counter AC is incremented by 1 to AC + 1 and a radio transmission time 6 is assigned a transmission time t (s). As soon as the transmission time t (s) is reached, the radio telegram 6 is sent (flooded) and received by further data collectors 2 . To record the consumption, the consumption value V is extracted from the received radio telegram 1 and, together with the device identification ID and the access counter AC, is stored in an area of the memory of the data collector 2 which serves as data memory 7 , the consumption value V being one of the memory locations V1 until V18 is assigned. Due to the matrix-like structure of the data memory 7 , the consumption value V can be assigned in time by means of assignment to a specific memory location V1 to V18. Alternatively, a time stamp could also be saved. When checking the received radio telegram 1 , the radio telegram management 3 determines whether a current consumption value V for a terminal with the device identification ID is already stored in the data memory 7 . In this case, the consumption value V is not stored again. In addition, a radio telegram 1 , whose access counter AC has already reached a maximum value, is deleted by a delete operation 8 without being forwarded to the output queue 4 . A readout and service interface 9 is also provided for reading out the consumption values V and configuring the data collector 2 . Fig. 2 shows the operating sequence in the radio telegram management of the data collector 3 2 in a more detailed flow chart.

As can be seen Fig. 3, a data collector 2 is not be on any day 10 ready for operation. On non-reception days, the data collector 2 remains switched off to save energy. The transmitter and receiver of data collector 2 are only switched on on certain reception days. Such a reception day is divided into 24 duty cycle intervals 11 of one hour each, in which the radio transmission is carried out in time slots according to predetermined radio rules 12 . The radio rules 12 provide duty cycle breaks 13 , predetermined by a minimum transmitter off time, and transmission times 14 , predetermined by a maximum transmitter on time. The transmission times 14 are divided into time slots 15, in each of which a radio telegram 6 with the corresponding radio telegram definition 16 can be sent.

The exact timing diagram for the radio systems can be found in FIG. 4 who. Since a consumption value V on the key date and monthly consumption values V are sufficient for the accuracy of the data acquisition by the sending end devices, a data collector 2 only has to have one reception day in the month and, if appropriate, an additional reception day after the key date. At the beginning of the reception day, all data collectors 2 switch on their receivers simultaneously every four hours. When the receiver is switched on for the first time on the day of reception, the timers are first synchronized monthly, with a typical timer tolerance in the range of 100 ppm. This takes about four to five minutes. During the monthly synchronization, the data collectors 2 can already receive radio telegrams 1 from terminals. With the flooding of radio telegrams 6 , however, they wait until the end of the synchronization phase, since it is not ensured that all data collectors 2 are already ready to receive. After synchronization is complete, data collectors 2 remain on reception for another five minutes and flood radio telegrams 6 . Then they stop radio operation until the next four-hour interval is reached. In the following four-hour intervals, the accumulated timer tolerances can only be a few seconds since the previous month synchronization. Therefore, only a day synchronization takes place in the five following four-hour intervals. The day synchronization consists of a few sporadically sent synchronization telegrams that are interspersed in the normal flood process. This means that data collectors 2 who have missed the monthly synchronization, for example due to external interference, also have the option of compensating for their time tolerances.

The receiver on times in the five following four-hour intervals should be 10 minutes each. In total, a data collector 2 is in operation for about 60 minutes on the day of reception, and thus in the month. The transmitter on-time available due to the duty cycle is about 22 seconds. With this result, it is easily possible to implement battery-operated data collectors 2 that can be operated with long-term batteries (eg lithium cells) over several years. If there is sufficient battery capacity available, the radio properties of the system can be improved by switching on radio operation at shorter intervals, e.g. one or two hour intervals.

Permanently supplied data collectors 2 (e.g. through external supply from the socket) are not subject to any restrictions in the supply current. You can therefore be permanently in receive and transmit mode. The transmission mode is limited solely by the duty cycle of the selected frequency band. Such data collectors 2 can be used as pure repeaters in addition to their actual function for the acquisition and administration of terminal data. This can advantageously be used for walk-by or drive-by reading operations due to the extension of the terminal radio links by the data collectors 2 . These methods of reading in passing or driving past can be used sensibly where entering a building is difficult to read or where the cost / benefit ratio for the reading requires. In such cases, it is conceivable to dispense entirely with the storage of the data in the data collector 2 in order to further reduce the system costs.

Possible radio telegram definitions that are used for radio operation in the radio system are based on the international standard IEC 870-5-1 format class FT 3 and the European standard proposal of CEN TC 294 . Suitable telegram formats and operating modes for earmarked data or radio transmission are described in this standard or this proposed standard. The general prior art prefers DC-free line coding for the wireless transmission of information, for example by superimposing the user data stream with a well-defined pseudo-random bit stream. This does not guarantee freedom from DC voltage, but only approximates it on a statistical average. The advantage of data scrambling is that it does not generate any overhead. One method that ensures that there is no DC voltage is the 3-out-of-6 coding, as proposed in CEN TC 294 . Here 4 data bits are converted into 3 zero and 3 one bits. At the same data rate, 50% overhead is generated compared to the NRZ coding. The Manchester code known from information technology is also proposed in the CEN TC 294 as line coding for radio transmission. The Manchester code generates at least one edge change and two chips from each NRZ bit. The overhead here is 100% and is the most unfavorable. The advantage of Manchester coding is the simple implementation with few logic gates.

In order to be able to operate a flood network according to the invention efficiently and efficiently, short radio telegrams 1 , 6 are required. Firstly, the self-collision rate must be kept low. On the other hand, a duty cycle restriction only allows a limited transmission time. This should be used as efficiently as possible. Short radio telegrams 1 , 6 are obtained by restricting them to the really necessary data and a high transmission rate. The FIG. 5 nominee radio telegram 1, 6 with the consumption values transfer rate is only 4.1 milliseconds at 100 kilo chips per second [kcps] and can accommodate five billing relevant consumption values.

The synchronization flood telegram shown in FIG. 6 can be used for flooding the date and time for the purpose of synchronizing the receiver switch-on times. 11 × 8 bit useful data, for example operating parameters, can also be added to the flood telegram, which are to be distributed to all data collectors in the system. This user data can be fed into any data collector 2 of the radio system.

The flood telegram shown in FIG. 7 can be used for service cases such as "add / replace / delete device".

In the event of a device replacement, the data part of the flood telegram contains the identifier of the device that was replaced (manufacturer old, ID old, medium / version old), followed by the identifier of the new device (manufacturer new, ID new and medium / version new) ). If other data collectors 2 of a system receive such a telegram, then they replace the identifier of the old device with the identifier of the new device in the memory and thus regard it as belonging to the system. The telegram header contains the ID of the data collector from which the service command was issued and a function code for this service case in the "Function / AC" field.

The "delete device" case can be handled as a special case of device replacement spindles. One possibility, for example, would be to delete the "old identifier" of the equate the device with the "new identifier". Another option is there  in setting the "new identifier" to an invalid / impossible value, For example, possible when using BCD coding. The telegram header ent holds the ID of the data collector from whom the service command was issued and in "Function / AC" field a function code for this service case.

The procedure for the "Add device" service case can be treated analogously. For this purpose, the "new identifier" of the added device can be set to "old identifier" or the "old identifier" can be set to an invalid / impossible value. The telegram header contains the ID of data collector 2 , from which the service command was issued, and a function code for this service case in the "Function / AC" field.

An elementary advantage of the radio system described is the simplicity of its design, which is reflected in the technical implementation of a data collector 2 and the subsequent function test, which saves time and money. This advantage arises, among other things, from the fact that no higher-level network protocol or special send / confirm or request / respond procedures have been implemented to network the data collectors 2 . On the transmitter side, the data collectors 2 behave almost like duplicated end devices. Therefore, the radio telegrams 1 , 6 can be processed in the same way by end devices and data collectors at the receiving end.

Another advantageous aspect of the invention is the great simplification of typical service cases. The reading can be emphasized here in particular. In systems without a networked data collector, each data collector must be read out individually. The raw data obtained in this way contain numerous redundancies. There is therefore a need to consolidate and clean the data before further processing. In the system according to the invention, the flood network can assume that all data collectors 2 receive and manage the consumption data V of all terminals in a system.

It follows that it is usually sufficient to read out a single data collector 2 in order to obtain all consumption data V relevant to billing. Redundances can not occur here; the data obtained from a data collector 2 can therefore be processed directly.

Other service cases, such as B. the distribution of operating parameters and confi guration data to all data collectors 2 of a system can be done very easily by the flu. The data can be fed into any data collector 2 and automatically distributed through the flood network.

Another advantage of the radio system according to the invention is that Duty cycle requirements of the new ISM frequency bands by the transmitter transmission restriction using the transmission counter in the duty cycle Interval can be easily maintained.

With the radio system according to the invention, a flood network was created that has no fixed topology. In operation, this arises randomly over the radio ranges. A cumbersome network planning or configuration can therefore be omitted. Due to the similarity of all data collectors 2 and the absence of pronounced hierarchical levels in the radio system, a high level of robustness of radio communication is achieved. Failures of individual data collectors 2 do not automatically lead to a breakdown of the radio system, since there are no fixed communication channels. This creates a particularly user-friendly and maintenance-friendly plug & play solution.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

received radio telegram

2

data collector

3

Radio telegram management

4

Memory, output queue

5

Block list

6

flooded radio telegram

7

Memory, data storage

8th

clearing operation

9

Readout and service interface

10

days

11

Duty cycle intervals

12

radio rules

13

Duty cycle breaks

14

transmission times

15

time slots

16

Radio telegram definition
ID device identification
AC hit counter
V Consumption value
t (w) lock-up period
t (s) time of transmission

Claims (16)

1. Radio system for consumption data acquisition from a radio network with end devices and data collectors ( 2 ), one end device in each case a device for recording consumption values (V) and a radio transmitter for transmitting radio telegrams ( 1 ) with the consumption values that can be assigned to the end device (V) has and a data collector ( 2 ) each have a radio receiver for receiving the radio telegrams ( 1 ), an arithmetic unit with memory ( 4 , 7 ) for checking and storing the radio telegrams ( 1 , 6 ) and / or the associated consumption values (V) and A radio transmitter for sending radio telegrams ( 6 ), characterized in that the radio transmitters of the terminals and the data collector ( 2 ) work in the same frequency range and that the data collectors ( 2 ) transmit the received radio telegrams ( 1 ) again, whereby the transmission of the radio telegrams ( 6 ) is controlled by means of a radio telegram management ( 3 ) in the data collector ( 2 ). 2. Radio system according to claim 1, characterized in that the radio telegram management ( 3 ) keeps a block list ( 5 ) of the terminals, of which a radio telegram ( 1 , 6 ) has already been received and sent again by the data collector ( 2 ), and that a radio telegram ( 6 ) is only sent out again by the data collector ( 2 ) if the assigned terminal is not in the block list ( 5 ). 3. Radio system according to claim 2, characterized in that upon receipt of a radio telegram ( 1 ) by the radio telegram management ( 3 ) it is checked whether the terminal assigned to the radio telegram ( 1 ) is already in the block list ( 5 ), otherwise together with a blocking period (t (w)) entered in the blocking list ( 5 ) and deleted again from the blocking list ( 5 ) after the blocking period (t (w)) has expired. 4. Radio system according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the blocking list ( 5 ) is organized chronologically according to times of reception, in particular as a first-in-first-out memory. 5. Radio system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an access counter (AC) is carried in the radio telegram ( 1 , 6 ), which is counted each time the radio telegram ( 6 ) is sent, that the radio telegram management ( 3 ) controls the access counter ( AC) checked upon receipt of the radio telegram ( 1 ) and only sends the radio telegram ( 6 ) out again if the access counter (AC) has not reached a predetermined threshold value. 6. Radio system according to one of claims 3 or 4 and claim 5, there characterized in that the duration of the blocking period (t (w)) depends on the value of the access counter (AC) is determined. 7. Radio system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a radio telegram ( 6 ) to be transmitted is assigned a preferably pseudo-randomly determined transmission time (t (s)) and the radio telegram ( 6 ) until the transmission time (t (s)) is reached. is temporarily stored in a temporary storage ( 4 ). 8. Radio system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that to be sent out radio telegrams (6) depause during a Sen having preferably pseudorandom length in a temporary mo ry (4) is latched, and preferably after the transmission pause as a continuous sequence of radio telegrams (6) be sent. 9. Radio system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transmission of radio telegrams ( 6 ) is only undertaken within the intended time intervals of a duty cycle interval of the radio system. 10. Radio system according to claim 9, characterized in that the time intervals can be determined by means of a transmission counter. 11. Radio system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that after each transmission of a radio telegram ( 6 ) or a radio telegram sequence, a transmission pause is inserted, which is made up of a minimum period and possibly a variable, preferably pseudo-randomly determined period. 12. Radio system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a consumption value (V) contained in a received radio telegram ( 1 ) is stored in the data memory ( 7 ) of the data collector ( 2 ) if a current data record is not yet available, the Up-to-dateness of the consumption value (V) or data record can be determined by means of a time stamp or a defined, in particular matrix-like memory structure. 13. Radio system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an in particular battery-operated data collector ( 2 ) only switches on at certain operating intervals, the switch-on times for the receiver and / or transmitter with the other data collectors ( 2 ) in particular by means of synchronization Flood telegrams can be synchronized. 14. Radio system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the system affiliation of a terminal and / or a data collector ( 2 ) can be determined in particular by means of a device identification list and / or a matching system code. 15. Radio system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the operating parameters of a data collector ( 2 ) are variably adjustable by means of service radio telegrams and / or by parameterization in the manufacture of the device. 16. Radio system according to claim 15, characterized in that a data collector ( 2 ) by means of service radio telegrams automatically adjusts its operating parameters by determining its radio environment.