On-line web accessed energy meter

• US 20060082468A1
• Filed: 10/20/2004
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EI Electronics LLC (Hubbell, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Electro Industries/Gaugetech
• Inventors: Wang, Wei, Kagan, Erran
• Granted Patent: US 7,304,586 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.20
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/2513 Arrangements for monitoring electric power systems, e.g. power lines or loads; Logging
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• 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

An electrical metering system capable of performing multiple metering functions, collecting data, and wirelessly provides the collected metering data to a utility operator. In the electrical metering system, at least one computing device for initiating a request for data. A first modem connects the computing device to an infrastructure. A wireless embedded modem for wirelessly connects an electric meter to an infrastructure, and the wireless electric modem receives a request from the computing device and wirelessly transmits the metering data to the computing device, thereby initiating the request.

Claims

1. An electrical metering system capable of performing multiple metering functions, collecting data, and wirelessly providing the collected metering data to a utility operator, the electrical metering system comprising:

at least one computing device for initiating a request for data;

a first modem for connecting the computing device to an infrastructure; and

a wireless embedded modem for wirelessly connecting an electric meter to an infrastructure,

wherein the wireless electric modem receives a request from the computing device and wirelessly transmits the metering data to the computing device thereby initiating the request.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the infrastructure comprises a telephone infrastructure including telephone landlines operated by at least one telephone company and a cell phone infrastructure including cell phone relay stations operated by at least one cell service provider.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the infrastructure comprises a wide area, network.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the infrastructure further comprises a carrier network infrastructure including a broadcasting means operated by at least one carrier network provider.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the wide area network is the Internet.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is selected from one of a desktop personal computer, a laptop computer a cell phone, a hand held computing device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the computing device uses wireless technology.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the computing device uses a web browsing program to initiate the request for data.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a communication means for connecting the wireless embedded modem communicate with the revenue meter, the communication means being selected from hard wired wireless means.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the hard wired means is selected from one of a serial connection, the Ethernet, a universal serial bus (USB).

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the wireless means utilizes 802.11 protocol.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a meter peripheral device connected to the revenue meter, the meter peripheral device act as a server for at leas one revenue meter in managing the metering data and the connection between the computing device and the embedded wireless modem.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the meter peripheral device utilizing industry standard interface protocols selected from Modbus remote terminal unit (RTU) and ONP.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the embedded wireless modem utilizing industry standard interface protocols are selected from General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), and Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) to communicate.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the embedded wireless modem utilizing industry standard interface protocols selected from 802.11a and 802.11b to communicate.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the embedded wireless modem utilizing industry standard interface protocols used within the cell phone industry to communicate.

17. A method for performing multiple metering functions, collecting data, and wirelessly providing the collected metering data to a utility operator, the method comprising the steps of:

connecting at least one computing device to an infrastructure;

initiating a request for data from the computing device;

receiving the request in a wireless embedded modem connected to an electric meter; and

establishing a connection with the computing device over the infrastructure,

wherein the wireless embedded modem is wirelessly transmitting the metering data to the computing device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the infrastructure is selected from

(a) a telephone infrastructure including telephone landlines operated by at least one telephone company and a cell phone infrastructure including cell phone relay stations operated by at least one cell service provider;

(b) a wide area network; and

(c) the wide area network and a carrier network infrastructure including a broadcasting means operated by at least one carrier network provider.