Wireless area network communications module for utility meters

• US 20010038343A1
• Filed: 07/13/2001
• Published: 11/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elster Electricity LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ABB Automation GmbH (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Meyer, Peter R., Dunn, David F., Hemminger, Rodney C., Loy, Garry M., Cunningham, Charles Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 6,650,249 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/00 Arrangements for measuring time integral of electric power or current, e.g. electricity meters
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/823 where the data is sent when the measured values exceed a threshold, e.g. sending an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

A communications module that permits remote meter reading of a utility meter via a wireless modem that communicates using data packet networks along a communications system, such as ARDIS. The communications module is a microprocessor-based transmitter/receiver which receives data collection requests from a system server, initiates data collection from a utility meter, and reports the data back to a host computer system residing, for example, at a central office. Preferably, session-based communication using the meter protocol is implemented between the communications module and the meter, and packet switching is used between the communications server and the communications module through the network.

Claims

1. A communications module for transmitting data between a meter and a host over a network, comprising:

a connector coupled to the meter for receiving meter data from the meter and providing said meter data to a controller;

a controller for controlling the operation of the communications module and for converting said meter data into a host protocol representing said meter data and host data and for providing said data to a radio modem;

said radio modem for transmitting and receiving signals representing said meter data and host data to and from the host; and

an antenna coupled to said radio modem.

2. The communications module according to

claim 1

, further comprising a power supply coupled to said controller and said radio modem for supplying power to said controller and said radio modem.

3. The communications module according to

claim 2

, wherein said power supply is coupled to a meter power supply.

4. The communications module according to

claim 3

, further comprising an energy storage device coupled to said power supply for storing power to be used by said power supply.

5. The communications module according to

claim 4

, wherein said energy storage device comprises one of a capacitor and a battery.

6. The communications module according to

claim 1

, wherein said antenna comprises a double-tapered dipole and a one-to-one balun.

7. The communications module according to

claim 6

, wherein said antenna is internal, and the communications module further comprises an external antenna.

8. The communications module according to

claim 7

, wherein said external antenna is one of a ground-plane antenna, an omni-directional antenna, a ¼

-wave antenna, and a ½

-wave whip antenna.

9. The communications module according to

claim 1

, wherein the module is connectable to a plurality of meters for multipoint meter reading.

10. The communications module according to

claim 1

, further comprising a power outage detector.

11. The communications module according to

claim 10

, wherein said power outage detector is configured to alert the host of a power outage after a predetermined programmable time.

12. The communications module according to

claim 1

, further comprising a memory coupled to said controller.

13. The communications module according to

claim 1

, wherein said controller is adapted to detect at least one alarm condition.

14. The communications module according to

claim 1

, wherein said host protocol is one of ARDIS RF and RAP.

17. A meter comprising the communications module of

claim 1

.

18. The meter of

claim 17

, further comprising a wide area network option board having a power supply, a current limiter coupled to the power supply, a header coupled to the current limiter, and a serial communications device coupled to the header, wherein the communications module is connected to the option board.

19. The meter of

claim 17

, further comprising a display for displaying radio modem status information at predetermined intervals.

20. The meter of

claim 19

, wherein the radio modem status information comprises at least one of signal strength, signal quality, and module location suitability.

15. A wide area network option board, comprising:

a power supply;

a current limiter coupled to the power supply;

a header coupled to the current limiter; and

a serial communications device coupled to the header.

16. The wide area network option board according to

claim 15

, wherein the power supply is an isolated step-up converter.