Gateway-Controlled Communications With a Meter In a Utility Network
First Claim
1. A method of communicating messages between utility meters and at least one utility via a network, comprising the following steps:
- storing, in a gateway node on the network that provides an interface between meters and a utility, data comprising (i) identification of each utility that registers with the gateway node, (ii) identification of each meter that registers with the gateway node, and (iii) associations between individual meter identifications and utility identifications;
in response to receipt of a message from a meter, determining the identification of a utility that is associated with said meter, based upon said stored data; and
forwarding data in the received message to the identified utility.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic electric meter for use in a networked automatic meter reading environment. The meter includes a meter microcontroller, a measurement microcontroller, a communication microcontroller and spread spectrum processor, and a plurality of other communication interface modules for communicating commodity utilization and power quality data to a utility. The meter measures electricity usage and monitors power quality parameters for transmission to the utility over a spread spectrum local area network (LAN) to a remotely located gateway node. The gateway node transmits this data to the utility over a commercially available fixed wide area network (WAN). The meter also provides direct communication to the utility over a commercially available network interface that plugs into the meter'"'"'s backplane or bus system, bypassing the local area network communication link and gateway node.
64 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method of communicating messages between utility meters and at least one utility via a network, comprising the following steps:
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storing, in a gateway node on the network that provides an interface between meters and a utility, data comprising (i) identification of each utility that registers with the gateway node, (ii) identification of each meter that registers with the gateway node, and (iii) associations between individual meter identifications and utility identifications; in response to receipt of a message from a meter, determining the identification of a utility that is associated with said meter, based upon said stored data; and forwarding data in the received message to the identified utility. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method of communicating messages between utility meters and at least one utility via a network, comprising the following steps:
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storing, in a gateway node on the network that provides an interface between meters and a utility, data comprising (i) identification of each utility that registers with the gateway node, (ii) identification of each meter that registers with the gateway node, and (iii) associations between individual meter identifications and utility identifications; in response to a request to send a message to a meter, verifying whether said meter is a registered meter, based upon said stored data; and sending the message to the meter if it is verified to be a registered meter. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of obtaining data from utility meters via a network, comprising the following steps:
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storing, in a gateway node on the network that provides an interface between meters and a utility, data comprising (i) identification of each meter that registers with the gateway node, and (ii) a schedule for sending messages to meters; in response to a condition specified in said schedule, retrieving stored data relating to meters identified in said schedule that are associated with said condition; and sending a message to each identified meter, requesting data from the identified meter. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A gateway node that provides an interface between meters and a utility in a utility network, said gateway node comprising:
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a data store containing (i) identification of each utility that registers with the gateway node, (ii) identification of each meter that registers with the gateway node, and (iii) associations between individual meter identifications and utility identifications; and a processor that is responsive to receipt of a message from a meter, to determine the identification of a utility that is associated with said meter, based upon said stored data, and forward data in the received message to the identified utility. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A gateway node that provides an interface between meters and a utility in a utility network, said gateway node comprising:
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a data store containing (i) identification of each utility that registers with the gateway node, (ii) identification of each meter that registers with the gateway node, and (iii) associations between individual meter identifications and utility identifications; and a processor that is responsive to a request to send a message to a meter, to verify whether said meter is a registered meter, based upon said stored data, and send the message to the meter if it is verified to be a registered meter. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A gateway node that provides an interface between meters and a utility in a utility network, said gateway node comprising:
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a data store containing (i) identification of each meter that registers with the gateway node, and (ii) a schedule for sending messages to meters; and a processor that is responsive to a condition specified in said schedule, to retrieve stored data relating to meters identified in said schedule that are associated with said condition, and send a message to the identified meters requesting data from the identified meters. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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29. A gateway node in a utility network that provides communication between at least one utility and a plurality of meters, the gateway node having stored therein a data structure containing:
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an identifier for each utility that registers with the gateway node, for access by the gateway node to verify whether a received message was sent by a registered utility; and an identifier for each meter that registers with the gateway node, for access by the gateway node to verify whether a received message was sent by a registered meter. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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Specification