System and method for collecting information from utility meters

• US 20090153356A1
• Filed: 12/18/2007
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elster Electricity LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Elster Electricity LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Holt, John R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,368,554 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.20
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• 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 method of communicating between a collector meter and back haul device is disclosed. The method provides the collector meter, the collector meter has a local communications means for communicating to a plurality of utility metering devices, the collector meter also has having a short haul communications means. The method further provides the back haul device. The back haul device having the short haul communication means and a wireless telephonic communication means. The method communicates information between the collector meter and the back haul device using the short haul communication means. The method further sends data from the back haul device to a utility receiving center using the wireless telephonic means.

Claims

1. A method of communicating between a collector meter and cellular interface comprising:

providing the collector meter, the collector meter having a first communications means for communicating to a plurality of utility metering devices, the collector meter having a second communications means;

providing the cellular interface, the cellular interface having the second communication means and a wireless telephonic communication means;

collecting utility usage data from the plurality of utility meters by the collector meter utilizing the first communication means;

communicating the utility usage data from the collector meter to the cellular interface using the second communication means; and

,

sending the utility usage data from the cellular interface to a utility receiving center using the wireless telephonic means.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first communication means is wireless.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the second communication means is wireless.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the collector meter is a power meter.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the collector meter is a water meter.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the collector meter is a gas meter.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the second communication means utilizes Bluetooth technology.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein the second communication means utilizes ZigBee based technology.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein the first communication means ZigBee based technology.

10. A collector metering device comprising:

metering circuitry, the metering circuitry measuring an amount of resources used by a consumer,

a local area network (LAN) communication circuit, wherein the collector meter communicates with other metering devices using the LAN communication circuit;

an interface circuit;

a short haul communication circuit, the interface circuit providing communication between the LAN communication circuit and the short haul communication circuit, the collector meter communicating with a cellular interface using the short haul communication circuit.

11. The collector metering device of claim 10 wherein the LAN communication circuit communicates using frequencies in the instrument, scientific and medical (ISM) bands.

12. The collector metering device of claim 10 wherein the short haul communication circuit communicates using frequencies in the instrument, scientific and medical (ISM) bands.

13. The collector metering device of claim 12 wherein the short haul communication circuit uses Bluetooth technology to communicate with the cellular interface.

14. The collector metering device of claim 12 wherein the short haul communication circuit uses ZigBee technology to communicate with the cellular interface.

15. The collector metering device of claim 10 wherein customer utility usage information is communicated to the cellular interface.

16. The collector metering device of claim 15 wherein the collector metering device monitors consumer electrical usage.

17. The collector metering device of claim 15 wherein the collector metering device monitors consumer gas usage.

18. The collector metering device of claim 15 wherein the collector metering device monitors consumer water usage.

19. A cellular interface for communicating with a utility company, the cellular interface comprising:

a cellular radio frequency (RF) circuit electrically coupled to an interface circuit, the interface circuit electrically coupled to a short haul RF circuit wherein the short haul RF circuit communicates with a collector meter, the collector meter transmitting customer usage information via the short haul RF circuit and the interface circuit passing the information on to the cellular RF circuit which communicates the customer usage information with the utility company using cell phone technology.

20. The cellular interface of claim 19 wherein the short haul RF circuit uses Bluetooth technology to communicate with the collector meter.

21. The cellular interface of claim 20 wherein the cellular interface communicates with a plurality of collector meters.

22. The cellular interface of claim 19 wherein the short haul RF circuit uses ZigBee technology to communicate with the collector meter.

23. The cellular interface of claim 19 wherein the customer usage information further comprises usage information relating to electrical power usage.

24. The cellular interface of claim 19 wherein the customer usage information further comprises usage information relating to gas usage.

25. The cellular interface of claim 19 wherein the customer usage information further comprises usage information relating to water usage.