Systems and methods for providing remote monitoring of electricity consumption for an electric meter

• US 20050043059A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Landis+Gyr Inc. (Landis+Gyr Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Hunt Techonologies Incorporated (Landis+Gyr Group AG)
• Inventors: Petite, Thomas D., Huff, Richard M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,209,840 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/557
• 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: G08C 2201/40 Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/42 Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/51 Remote controlling of devices based on replies, status thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00022 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• 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 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 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• 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: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/30 State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 : Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 : Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them

Abstract

A system for providing remote monitoring of electricity consumption is provided. Briefly described, in one embodiment the system may comprise a plurality of electric meters, a plurality of communication devices having a unique address and defining a wireless communication network, and a site controller. Each of the plurality of electric meters may be configured to measure the electricity consumption of a load attached to the electric meter. Each of the plurality of communication devices may be associated with one of the plurality of electric meters and configured to receive data related to the electricity consumption of the electric meter data and generate a transmit message using a predefined communication protocol being implemented by the wireless communication network. The transmit message may comprise the unique identifier and the data related to the electricity consumption of the electric meter. The site controller may be configured for communication with the wireless communication network and configured to receive the transmit message from one of the plurality of communication devices, identify the electric meter associated with the transmit message, and provide information related to the transmit message to a wide area network for delivery to a host computer.

Claims

1. A communication device adapted for use in an automated monitoring system for providing remote monitoring of commodity consumption, the automated monitoring system comprising a data controller in communication with a plurality of commodity meters via a wireless communication network and in communication with a host computer via a wide area network, the communication device comprising:

a data interface configured to receive data related to the commodity consumption measured by the commodity meter;

memory comprising a unique identifier corresponding to the commodity meter;

logic configured to receive the data related to the commodity consumption measured by the commodity meter, retrieve the unique identifier corresponding to the commodity meter, and generate a transmit message comprising the unique identifier and the data related to the commodity consumption measured by the commodity meter and configured such that the transmit message may be received by the data controller via the wireless communication network and such that the data controller may identify the commodity meter;

a wireless transceiver configured for communication over the wireless communication network and configured to provide the transmit message to the wireless communication network and receive messages from the wireless communication network; and

logic configured to receive a transmit message from another communication device and retransmit the received transmit message.

2. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the data controller further communicates data from the transmit message to the host computer via the wide area network.

3. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the data controller further communicates with the host computer via the wide are network one or more messages containing data from the transmit message.

4. The communication device of claim 1, wherein transceiver transmits and received communications at 900 MHz.

5. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the commodity meter is an electric meter.

6. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the commodity meter is a gas meter.

7. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the commodity meter is a water meter.

8. A communication device adapted for use in an automated monitoring system for providing remote monitoring of commodity consumption events, the automated monitoring system comprising a data controller in communication with a plurality of commodity meters via a wireless communication network and in communication with a host computer via a wide area network, the communication device comprising:

a data interface configured to receive data related to the commodity consumption events detected by the commodity meter;

memory comprising a unique identifier corresponding to the commodity meter;

logic configured to receive the data related to the commodity consumption events detected by the commodity meter, retrieve the unique identifier corresponding to the commodity meter, and generate a transmit message using predetermined communication protocol, the transmit message including the unique identifier and the data related to the commodity consumption events detected by the commodity meter and configured such that the transmit message may be received by the data controller via the wireless communication network;

a wireless transceiver configured for communication over the wireless communication network and configured to provide the transmit message to the wireless communication network and receive messages from the wireless communication network; and

logic configured to receive a transmit message from another communication device and retransmit the received transmit message.

9. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the communication protocol of the transmit message is the same communication protocol implemented by the data controller in communicating with the host computer via the wide area network.

10. The communication device of claim 9, wherein the communication protocol of the transmit message is TCP/IP.

11. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the wireless transceiver transmits and receives communications at a radio frequency of 900 MHz.

12. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the commodity meter is an electric meter.

13. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the commodity meter is a gas meter.

14. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the commodity meter is a water meter.

15. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the commodity consumption event is an interruption in consumption of the commodity.

16. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the commodity consumption event is a quantity of commodity consumption over a predetermined time period.

17. A site controller adapted for use in an automated monitoring system for providing remote monitoring of commodity consumption, the automated monitoring system comprising a site controller in communication with a plurality of communication devices coupled to commodity meters via a wireless communication network and in communication with a host computer via a wide area network, the site controller comprising:

a processor configured to execute instructions;

memory comprising instructions executable by the processor related to remote monitoring of commodity consumption;

a wireless transceiver configured for communication over the wireless communication network and configured to receive one or more transmit messages repeated by one or more communication devices prior to receipt by the site controller, wherein the one or more transmit messages include commodity consumption measured by a commodity meter and a unique identifier corresponding to the communication device that originated the transmit message; and

logic contained in memory and executable by the processor to generate outbound messages to one or more recipient communication devices such that the route of communication includes one or more communication devices that repeat the outbound message to the recipient communication device.

18. The site controller of claim 17, wherein the wireless transceiver transmits and receives communications at a radio frequency of 900 MHz.

19. The site controller of claim 17, further comprising:

a data interface configured to receive data related to the commodity consumption measured by a commodity meter coupled to the site controller.

20. The site controller of claim 19, wherein the commodity meter is an electric meter.

21. The site controller of claim 19, wherein the commodity meter is a gas meter.

22. The site controller of claim 19, wherein the commodity meter is a water meter.