Remote access to electronic meters using a TCP/IP protocol suite

• US 20040218616A1
• Filed: 06/07/2004
• Published: 11/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elster Electricity LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Elster Electricity LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Bout, David E. Van den, Ardalan, Sasan H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,126,494 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00018 using phone lines
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00022 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2213/10 using simultaneously two or more different transmission means
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/128 involving the use of Internet protocol
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

An electronic meter incorporates a TCP/IP protocol suite and an HTTP server to provide two-way access to the meter data. Alternatively, the TCP/IP protocol suite may be incorporated into a gateway serving multiple meters connected through a power line or wireless two-way network. The gateway may incorporate an HTTP server for accessing data from multiple meters and for transmission of data to individual meters. Other aspects of the disclosed system include the use of a common gateway interface for remote access to meter data and to set meter parameters using HTML forms in HTTP browsers; remote reading and setting of multiple meter parameters using a TCP/IP protocol suite; a TCP/IP protocol suite implemented in designated nodes in a CEBus LAN with remote access through TCP/IP to routers and brouters and to individual meters on the LAN; and an SLIP-PPP enabled gateway for remote TCP/IP access through a serial interface to a single or multiple meter parameters.

Claims

1. An electronic metering system, comprising:

(A) a wide area network (WAN) operating in accordance with a TCP/IP protocol;

(B) a local area network (LAN) comprising a plurality of meters each of which includes meter electronics for measuring a prescribed commodity supplied by a utility and memory for storing measured data and meter control parameters;

(C) a gateway operatively coupled to said LAN and said WAN; and

(D) a server operatively coupled to said LAN and said gateway, whereby said WAN is provided remote access to said measured data and control parameters of said meters.

2. A system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a common gateway interface (CGI) application coupled to said server for use in accessing said measured data.

3. A system as recited in claim 2, wherein said server and said CGI application are embedded in each of said meters.

4. A system as recited in claim 3, wherein each of said meters further comprises a TCP/IP interface.

5. A system as recited in claim 2, wherein said server and said CGI application are embedded in said gateway.

6. A system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a virtual machine coupled to said server for use in accessing said data.

7. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said meters further comprises a LAN interface.

8. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said gateway comprises a LAN interface.

9. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said gateway comprises a TCP/IP interface.

10. A system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a common gateway interface (CGI) application coupled to said server for use in accessing said measured data;

wherein said server and CGI application are embedded in each of said meters;

wherein said gateway and each of said meters comprises a LAN interface and a TCP/IP interface; and

wherein said prescribed commodity is a member of the group consisting of electricity, water and gas.

11. A system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a common gateway interface (CGI) application coupled to said server for use in accessing said measured data;

wherein said server and CGI application are embedded in said gateway;

wherein each of said meters and said gateway comprises a LAN interface;

wherein said gateway further comprises a TCP/IP interface; and

wherein said prescribed commodity is a member of the group consisting of electricity, water and gas.

12. An electronic meter, comprising:

meter electronics for measuring a prescribed commodity supplied by a utility;

a memory for storing measured data and meter control parameters; and

a server operatively coupled to said meter electronics and memory;

said electronic meter being configured for use in a system including a wide area network (WAN) operating in accordance with a TCP/IP protocol, a local area network (LAN), and a gateway operatively coupled to said LAN and said WAN,

whereby said WAN is provided with remote access to said measured data and control parameters of said electronic meter.

13. An electronic meter as recited in claim 12, further comprising a LAN interface and a TCP/IP interface operating in the meter.

14. An electronic meter as recited in claim 12, further comprising a common gateway interface (CGI) application and a meter application operating in the meter.

15. A gateway for use in a system comprising an electronic meter connected to a local area network (LAN), the gateway, and a wide area network (WAN) operating in accordance with a TCP/IP protocol, wherein the electronic meter is operatively coupled to the WAN through the gateway, the gateway comprising:

a server embedded in the gateway and operatively coupled to said electronic meter, whereby said WAN is provided with remote access, via the gateway to measured data and control parameters of the electronic meter.

16. A gateway is recited in claim 15, further comprising a LAN interface and a TCP/IP interface embedded in the gateway.

17. A gateway as recited in claim 15, further comprising a common gateway interface (CGI) application operating in the gateway.

18. A method for operating an electronic metering system, comprising:

(A) providing a wide area network (WAN) operating in accordance with a TCP/IP protocol;

(B) coupling the WAN to a local area network (LAN) comprising a plurality of meters each of which includes meter electronics for measuring a prescribed commodity supplied by a utility and memory for storing measured data and meter control parameters;

(C) providing a server operatively coupled to said LAN; and

(D) providing said WAN with remote access to said measured data and control parameters of said meters.