Automated meter reading system

• US 20080195562A1
• Filed: 02/09/2007
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elster Electricity LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Poweronedata Corporation
• Inventors: Worth, Stephen, Disalvo, Mark, Forseth, Gregory A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,739,148 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/412
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/063 related to remote communication
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/10 using digital techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/04 of instruments for measuring time integral of power or current
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

In an automatic remote metering system in accordance with the invention a method is provided for reprogramming each client utility meter from a host computer by downloading a reprogram first program from the host to a corresponding hub utility meter fourth memory portion via a communications link, verifying integrity of the reprogram first program, and downloading the reprogram first program from the hub utility meter to the client utility meter via a radio frequency link and overwriting the client utility meter first program code with the reprogram first program code.

Claims

1. A method of re-programming a utility meter, said utility meter comprising a microcontroller, said method comprising:

providing a first memory containing first program code;

providing a second memory providing microcontroller control;

providing a third memory for storing metering data;

downloading an application programmer to said second memory;

utilizing said application programmer to control said utility meter;

downloading second program code while said application programmer is controlling said utility meter;

overwriting said first program code with said second program code; and

transferring control of said microcontroller to said second program code.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising:

providing integrity verification of said application programmer prior to utilizing said application programmer to control said utility meter.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2, comprising:

aborting use of said application programmer in the event that integrity of said application programmer is not verified.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein:

said integrity verification step comprises utilizing checksums to determine integrity.

5. A method in accordance with claim 2, comprising:

providing integrity verification of said second program code prior to overwriting said first program code.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5, comprising:

aborting overwriting of said first program code in the event that integrity of said second program is not verified.

7. A method in accordance with claim 5, wherein:

said integrity verification step comprises utilizing checksums to determine integrity.

8. In an automatic meter reading system comprising a host computer and a plurality of groups of meters, each of said meters comprising a microcontroller operable to execute a firmware program, a method of reprogramming the firmware program of each of said meters, said method comprising:

arranging each of said group of meters to have one corresponding hub meter and the remaining meters of said group as client meters, wherein communications between each client meter and said host computer is via its corresponding hub meter;

providing in each said client meter a first memory containing first program code, a second memory providing microcontroller control, and a third memory for storing metering data;

downloading an application programmer to said second memory via said hub meter;

utilizing said application programmer to control said client meter, said application programmer being operable to continue communications at said client meter and being operable to perform metering operations while downloading program code;

downloading second program code from said hub meter to said client meter while said application programmer is controlling said client meter;

overwriting said first program code with said second program code; and

transferring control of said microcontroller to said second program code.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8, comprising:

providing integrity verification of said application programmer prior to utilizing said application programmer to control said client meter.

10. A method in accordance with claim 9, comprising:

aborting use of said application programmer in the event that integrity of said application programmer is not verified.

11. A method in accordance with claim 9, wherein:

said integrity verification step comprises utilizing checksums to determine integrity.

12. A method in accordance with claim 8, comprising:

providing integrity verification of said second program code prior to overwriting said first program code.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12, comprising:

aborting overwriting of said first program code in the event that integrity of said second program is not verified.

14. A method in accordance with claim 12, wherein:

said integrity verification step comprises utilizing checksums to determine integrity.

15. A method in accordance with claim 8, comprising:

providing in each said hub meter a first memory containing first program code, a second memory providing microcontroller control, a third memory for storing metering data, and a fourth memory;

downloading an application programmer to said hub meter second memory from said host computer;

utilizing said application programmer to control said hub meter; and

downloading second program code from said host computer to said hub meter fourth memory while said application programmer is controlling said client meter.

16. A method in accordance with claim 15, comprising:

providing integrity verification of said application programmer prior to utilizing said application programmer to control said hub meter.

17. A method in accordance with claim 16, comprising:

aborting use of said application programmer in the event that integrity of said application programmer is not verified.

18. A method in accordance with claim 16, wherein:

said integrity verification step comprises utilizing checksums to determine integrity.

19. A method in accordance with claim 15, comprising:

providing integrity verification of said second program code stored in said fourth memory.

20. A method in accordance with claim 19, comprising:

aborting downloading of said second program code in the event that integrity of said second program is not verified.

21. A method in accordance with claim 19, wherein:

said integrity verification step comprises utilizing checksums to determine integrity.

22. In an automatic remote metering system, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of groups of utility meters, each group comprising a plurality of client meters and a corresponding one hub meter,

providing each said client utility meter in a group with a microcontroller for controlling metering operations and communications, a first memory containing first program code, a second memory providing microcontroller control, and a third memory for storing metering data, and a radio frequency link to said corresponding hub utility meter;

providing said corresponding hub utility meter in a group with a microcontroller for controlling metering operations and communications, a first memory containing second program code, a second memory providing microcontroller control, a third memory for storing metering data, a fourth memory, a radio frequency link to said client utility meters in said group, and a communications link to a host computer;

reprogramming each said client utility meter by downloading a reprogram first program from said host to said corresponding hub utility meter fourth memory via said communications link, verifying integrity of said reprogram first program, and downloading said reprogram first program from said hub utility meter to said client utility meter first program via said radio frequency communications link and overwriting said client utility meter first program code with said reprogram first program code.

23. A method in accordance with claim 22, comprising:

performing said reprogramming step while performing communication and metering functions in each said client utility meter.

24. A method in accordance with claim 23, comprising:

providing a frequency hopping spread spectrum communications link as said radio frequency link.

25. A method in accordance with claim 24, wherein:

said communications link comprises a cellular communications link.

26. A method in accordance with claim 22, comprising:

reprogramming each said hub utility meter by downloading a hub reprogram first program from said host to each said hub utility meter fourth memory via said communications link, verifying integrity of said hub reprogram first program, and overwriting said hub utility meter first program code with said hub reprogram first program code.

27. A method in accordance with claim 26, comprising:

performing said hub utility meter reprogramming step while performing communication and metering functions in said hub utility meter.

28. In an automatic remote metering system, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of groups of utility meters, each group comprising a plurality of client meters and a corresponding one hub meter;

providing each said client utility meter in a group with a microcontroller for controlling metering operations and communications, a first memory portion containing first program code, a second memory portion providing microcontroller control, and a third memory portion for storing metering data, and a radio frequency communications link to said corresponding hub utility meter;

providing said corresponding hub utility meter in a group with a microcontroller for controlling metering operations and communications, a first memory portion containing second program code, a second memory portion providing microcontroller control, a third memory portion for storing metering data, a fourth memory portion, a radio frequency communications link to said client utility meters in said group, and a cellular communications link to a host computer;

reprogramming each said client utility meter from said host computer by downloading a reprogram first program from said host to said corresponding hub utility meter fourth memory portion via said cellular communications link, verifying integrity of said reprogram first program, and downloading said reprogram first program from said hub utility meter to said client utility meter first memory portion via said radio frequency communications link and overwriting said client utility meter first program code with said reprogram first program code.

29. A method in accordance with claim 28, comprising

prior to said reprogramming step, downloading from said host computer an applications program to said corresponding hub utility meter, verifying integrity of said applications program, downloading said applications program to said client utility meter via said radio frequency communications link and utilizing said applications program to control communications and metering at said client utility meter while performing said downloading said reprogram first program step.

30. In an automatic remote metering system, the method comprising:

providing a host computer;

providing a plurality of groups of utility meters, each group comprising a plurality of client meters disposed within geographic proximity to a corresponding one hub meter;

providing each said client utility meter in a group with a microcontroller for controlling metering operations and communications, a first memory portion containing first program code, a second memory portion providing microcontroller control, and a third memory portion for storing metering data, and a short range radio frequency communications link to said corresponding hub utility meter;

providing said corresponding hub utility meter in a group with a microcontroller for controlling metering operations and communications, a first memory portion containing second program code, a second memory portion providing microcontroller control, a third memory portion for storing metering data, a fourth memory portion, a radio frequency link to said client utility meters in said group, and a communications link to a host computer;

operating each said client utility meter and said corresponding hub meter such that metering information from each said client utility meter is uploaded to said host computer by utilizing said corresponding hub meter to relay said metering information to said host computer;

reprogramming each said client utility meter from said host computer by downloading a reprogram first program from said host to said corresponding hub utility meter fourth memory portion via said communications link, verifying integrity of said reprogram first program, and downloading said reprogram first program from said hub utility meter to said client utility meter first memory portion via said radio frequency link and overwriting said client utility meter first program code with said reprogram first program code.

31. A method in accordance with claim 30, comprising:

performing said reprogramming step while performing communication and metering functions in each said client utility meter.

32. A method in accordance with claim 30, comprising:

providing a frequency hopping spread spectrum communications link as said radio frequency link.

33. A method in accordance with claim 30, wherein:

said communications link comprises a cellular communications link.

34. A method in accordance with claim 30, comprising:

reprogramming each said hub utility meter by downloading a hub reprogram first program from said host computer to each said hub utility meter fourth memory via said communications link, verifying integrity of said hub reprogram first program, and overwriting said hub utility meter first program code with said hub reprogram first program code.

35. A method in accordance with claim 34, comprising:

performing said hub utility meter reprogramming step while performing communication and metering functions in said hub utility meter.