Wireless Utility Monitoring And Control Mesh Network

• US 20070206521A1
• Filed: 03/05/2006
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Emeke Osaje
• Original Assignee: Emeke Osaje
• Inventors: Osaje, Emeke
• Application Number:
  US11/308,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20070206521A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/315
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/155 Ground-based stations H04B7/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor 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 scalable distributed wireless control and monitoring system for managing utility supply over a wide geographical area. Such distributed networks can manage/control electricity, gas, water and other petroleum product supply to a large geographical area. The network consist of plurality of nodes that control and monitor utility usage at subscriber point; these nodes are called activityNode. The ActivityNodes can communicate with one or plurality of superNodes. The superNodes act as center for control and management for the activityNodes. The superNode can send “instruction to disconnect” a subscriber to an ActivityNode. A superNode can exchange data with one or plurality of neighboring superNodes. An aggregate of superNodes can poll data from plurality of activityNodes on the network, this information can be analyzed to determine the network performance and can also be use to preempt fault on any part of the network.

Claims

1. A wireless distributed utility management and control mesh network comprising;

plurality of wireless transceiver units called ActivityNodes, located across a wide geographical area forming a mesh network with plurality of central control and management transceiver units called a SuperNodes; and

wherein the activityNodes have microcontroller, sensing and actuator units such that this mesh network can be deployed onto utilities like petroleum product, electricity, domestic gas and water distribution system.

2. The network of claim 1, wherein the activityNode consist of two sub units called the intelligent and the repeater units;

and

the intelligent unit comprise of the sensing device that measure the quantity of utility passing through the activityNode onto the subscriber and the repeater unit makes it possible for the activityNode to act as a repeater node for other activityNodes within radio transmission range.

4. The network of claim 1, wherein the mesh network can organize itself such that any valid activityNode on the mesh is a potential point of attachment for other activityNodes to the network and this allows the network to grow in different direction over a very large geographical area;

the activityNode communication can span several hundreds of meter and the intelligent unit in this node can vary the transmission power, which in turn determine the range of transmission.

5. the network of claim 1, wherein the activityNode and SuperNode can use two non-conflicting channels for communication and the channels can be derived using either Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) or other techniques;

the communication between an activityNode and the superNode can either be direct or could hop over plurality of neighboring activityNodes before it reaches the superNode;

the activityNode chooses a preferred hop path for messages sent to and received from the superNode, the hop path consist of the neighboring activityNodes.

8. The system of claim 1, such that the Intelligent and Repeater units of the activityNode have separate antennas, which are dedicated for their communication;

moreso, the superNode have two dedicated transceivers, one for communication with plurality of activityNodes and the other for communication with plurality of neighboring superNodes;

the superNode also have a high speed Ethernet port that allows it to be integrated to a Computer system which can have third party application and resource that the superNode can use when necessary.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the superNode can use the application or processing power from a computer to analyze the data from a set of activityNodes in a mesh and thus use the result to determine the performance of the mesh network;

and

this performance analysis could be extended to allow the superNode preempt or detect a fault on the utility distribution system.

10. The network of claim 1, wherein an activityNode is added to an existing mesh, network, it will send a request to attach using one of its default registration channels through any of the neighboring nodes on that network to the superNode;

he superNode will grant or deny the request to attach depending on the details of the new activityNode;

he decision of the superNode is relayed back top the requesting node through one of its default registration channel.

11. The method of claim 1, in an Electricity distribution system to consumer outlets;

and

a single or three-phase sensor monitors the amount of power passing through onto the consumer and generates a bill based on this when requested by the superNode;

wherein a single phase or three phase actuator is built into the activityNode such that the superNode can instruct the activityNode to connect or disconnect the consumer when necessary; and

when a consumer point is disconnected from the utility distribution, the intelligent module still draw power for its internal operation from the mains supply and it will continue to check if power is still passing through to the consumer or if the node is tempered.

12. Method of claim 11, wherein the mesh network is modified and adapted for domestic gas or water supply network for a large geographical area;

where the enclosure for the activityNode is modified such that it will provide ingress protection; and

the sensing device could be intrusive on non-intrusive;

the actuator device will make it possible to control the flow of gas or water and the primary source of power for the activityNode in such installation is from the battery supply which can be recharged from a solar panel or turbine.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the network is modified and adapted for petroleum pipeline monitoring over a wide geographical area and the modifications applied to this network include:

the activityNodes are arranged in series along the pipeline; and

one activityNode can communicate with three or more of its immediate neighbor in the upstream and downstream direction.

3. The actuator in the ActivityNode could be an electrical or mechanical device, which allows a subscriber to be connected to or disconnected from the utility distribution system;

wherein the superNode manages the operation of the mesh network and decides when a subscriber node is connected or disconnected from the network.

6. In the activityNode, the intelligent unit has exclusive access and control over the sensor and actuator devices;

the intelligent unit can transmit data through the repeater unit on that node, but the reverse is not permitted;

the activityNode can take power from different sources depending on the utility distribution;

for electricity distribution, the power can come from the mains supply with a backup battery system which is charged from the mains;

for petroleum product, water or domestic gas distribution, a mini turbine which is driven by the fluid flowing through the pipe or a solar panel can be used to charge a battery power supply system.

7. The intelligent unit in the activityNode can generate bill for the measure of utility that passed through it for the billing cycle;

the superNode synchronize all activityNode on the mesh to the start and end of the billing cycle; and

although more than one superNode can be present in a mesh network, only one can engage an activityNode unit in communication at any point in time;

wherein plurality of superNodes are present in a mesh, they can form virtual mesh networks with batches of activityNode, such that within a mesh, they could be several other sub-mesh networks called “

Independent Wireless Utility Network” and

an aggregate of Independent Wireless Utility Network will form a parent network called “

Distributed Wireless Utility Mesh Network”

.

14. the activityNode can send a request to the superNode through multiple hops, where the first hop must be through one of its immediate neighbors within wireless transmission range in the upstream or downstream direction;

this network is specially adapted to detect leaks or failures along the petroleum pipeline length; and

the superNode can gather and analyze data from the ActivityNodes to generate a profile/pressure-gradient for the product distribution in the pipeline;

abnormalities in the distribution profile will then be analyzed further to determine the location of a leak or failure;

this second phase of the detailed profile analysis by the superNode takes into account the flow dynamics.