Host-Client Utility Meter Systems And Methods For Communicating With The Same

• US 20070130408A1
• Filed: 02/06/2007
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Universal Smart Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Leach, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,487,282 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/305
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/43 using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
• 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

Abstract

A host automated meter reading (AMR) device may communicate with one or more client AMR devices in proximity to the host meter. The host and client AMR devices operate as master and slave devices, respectfully, in a host-client AMR device system. The host AMR device may transmit command and control functions to the client AMR devices, and may receive AMR device information from each client AMR device. The host AMR device may also transmit AMR device information from both itself and the client AMR devices over a communications network to a utility. Furthermore, the host AMR device may receive command and control functions from the utility via the same communications network, and may relay those functions to the AMR devices associated with that particular host AMR device.

Claims

1. A host automated meter reading (AMR) device, comprising:

a communication module, in communication with a plurality of client AMR devices through at least one of a plurality of different types of communication devices;

wherein said communication module is operable to receive meter data associated with said plurality of client AMR devices and is operable to transmit said meter data to a utility remote from said plurality of client AMR devices; and

a processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute software instructions for;

determining which of the plurality of different types of communication devices is associated with the communication module, and

formatting the meter data into a format compatible with the communication device associated with the communication module for transmission to the plurality of client AMR devices.

2. The host AMR device of claim 1, wherein the host AMR device further comprises at least one interface to receive meter data associated with said host AMR.

3. The host AMR device of claim 2, wherein the communication module is farther operable to transmit, to the utility, the meter data associated with the host AMR.

4. The host AMR device of claim 2, wherein the communication module is further operable to receive instructions from said utility and to forward said instructions to at least one of said plurality of client AMR devices.

5. The host AMR device of claim 1, wherein the communication module is operable to execute a request received from said utility, wherein said request is associated with at least one of said plurality of client AMR devices.

6. The host AMR device of claim 1, wherein said communications module is operable to communicate with said utility via a communications medium selected from the group of communication mediums consisting of cellular, satellite, telephone, cable, and RF modems.

7. The host AMR device of claim 1, wherein said communications module is operable to communicate with at least one of said plurality of client AMR devices via a Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) communication medium.

8. The host AMR device of claim 2, wherein said at least one interface comprises a PCMCIA slot.

9. The host meter communication device of claim 1, wherein said communications module is operable to communicate with at least one of the plurality of client AMR devices via a network interface card, a wireless network interface card, or a serial communications card.

10. A method of communicating between client and host meters comprising the steps of:

providing at least one client meter in communication with a host meter through at least one of a plurality of different types of communication devices associated with the at least one client meter;

formatting meter data into a format compatible with the at least one of the plurality of different types of communication devices associated with the at least one client meter;

transmitting meter data from at least one client meter using a first short range communication capability of said at least one client meter to a host meter; and

receiving command data from said host meter using a second short range communication capability of said at least one client meter.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said first short range communication capability of the transmitting step is provided by a Wi-Fi communication medium.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said second short range communication capability of the receiving step is provided by a Wi-Fi communication medium.

13. A computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions for performing the steps of:

receiving meter data sent from a host meter to a host server over a network;

displaying the meter data via an interface to allow a user to monitor communications and meter data sent from said host meter;

accepting instructions at said interface and sending those instructions to the host server for further distribution to a client meter by the host meter; and

processing information to allow communication by the host server wherein said host server is capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from said host meter.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said interface is a World Wide Web browser operable to displaying meter data over the Internet.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the meter data is displayed at a location remote to the utility.