TRANSMISSION OF UTILITY DATA

• US 20090322556A1
• Filed: 06/24/2009
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dhaliwal, Ronnie S., Cook, Charles I., Casey, Steven M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,792,626 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5433 Remote metering
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5458 Monitor sensor; Alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/546 Combination of signalling, telemetering, protection circuits for remote indication of supply or distribution network condition H02J13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2843 Mains power line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/062 using different frequency bands for speech and other data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• 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

Certain embodiments are directed at methods and systems for transmitting utility usage data using a public switched telephone network (“PSTN”). The methods and systems may include collecting utility usage data pertaining to a customer premises with a utility meter at the customer premises. The utility usage data may be transmitted automatically from the utility meter to an access point of a public broadband network. The utility usage data may be received at the access point. A digital subscriber line (“DSL”) modem in communication with the access point may modulate the utility usage data at the access point. The utility usage data may be transmitted securely through the public switched telephone network to an Internet point of presence. The utility usage data may be received at the Internet point of presence. The utility usage data may be transmitted from the Internet point of presence to a utility provider via the Internet.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting utility usage data using a public switched telephone network, the method comprising:

collecting, with a utility meter at a customer premises, utility usage data pertaining to the customer premises;

transmitting automatically the utility usage data from the utility meter to an access point of the public broadband network;

receiving the utility usage data at the access point;

modulating the utility usage data at the access point with a digital subscriber line (“

DSL”

) modem coupled with the access point; and

transmitting securely the utility usage data through the public switched telephone network to an Internet point of presence;

receiving the utility usage data at the Internet point of presence; and

transmitting the utility usage data from the Internet point of presence to a utility provider via the Internet.

2. A method for transmitting utility usage data using a service provider'"'"'s access network, comprising:

collecting the utility usage data with a data collecting device;

transmitting the utility usage data from the data collecting device to an access point coupled with a modem;

receiving the utility usage data at the access point; and

transmitting the utility usage data from the access point to a receiving entity through the service provider'"'"'s access network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the data collecting device is in communication with a power line communications network.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the data collecting device comprises a device selected from the group consisting of:

an electricity meter;

a gas meter;

a water meter;

a set-top box; and

a network interface device.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the data collecting device is attached to an exterior wall of a customer premises.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the utility usage data comprises utility usage data from a smart device.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting the utility usage data from the data collecting device comprises transmitting the utility usage data from the data collection device automatically without human input.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting the utility usage data from the data collecting device comprises transmitting the utility usage data in real-time.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting the utility usage data from the data collecting device to the access point comprises transmitting the utility usage data wirelessly.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting the utility usage data from the data collecting device to the access point occurs when the data collecting device receives a prompt from the receiving entity.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the access point is located within a customer premises.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the access point is located outside a customer premises.

13. The method of claim 2, where the modem is an DSL modem.

14. The method of claim 2, where the modem is an optical network termination device.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein the access point is a network interface device.

16. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing power to the access point through a connector coupled with the data collecting device.

17. The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting the utility usage data comprises transmitting the utility usage data securely.

18. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiving entity comprises an entity selected from the group consisting of:

a utility provider;

a service provider;

a utility services provider;

an aggregation provider; and

a customer.

19. The method of claim 2, wherein the access point is configured to receive the utility usage data through a communication channel, wherein the communication channel comprises a channel selected from the group consisting of:

an RS485 channel;

an RS232 channel;

an EIA-485 channel; and

an encoder-receiver-transmitter (“

ERT”

) channel.

20. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, at the access point, a set of control data;

transmitting the control data from the access point to the data collecting device;

receiving the control data at the data collecting device;

transmitting the control data from the data collecting device to at least one device; and

controlling the at least one device with the control data.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the control data is received from the receiving entity.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the receiving entity comprises an entity selected from the group consisting of:

a utility provider;

a service provider;

a utility services provider;

an aggregation provider; and

a customer.

23. A system for transmitting utility usage data using a public switched telephone network, comprising:

a power line communications network at a customer premises;

a utility meter in communication with the power line communications network, wherein the utility meter collects utility usage data from a customer premises;

a transmission device in communication with the utility meter, wherein the transmission device is configured to transmit automatically and securely the utility usage data from the utility meter;

an access device, wherein the access device is in communication with the transmission device to receive the secure utility usage data;

a digital subscriber line (“

DSL”

) modem in communication with the access device, wherein the DSL modem is configured to securely transmit the utility usage data through the public switched telephone network to a utility provider via the Internet.

24. A system for transmitting utility usage data over a service provider'"'"'s access network, comprising:

a utility usage data collecting device;

a broadband modem in communication with the data collecting device, wherein the broadband modem is configured to communicate with a service provider'"'"'s access network and to transmit data from the data collecting device to a receiving entity.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising a power line communications network in communication with the data collecting device.

26. The system of claim 24, further comprising a network interface device housing the broadband modem.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the broadband modem is a digital subscriber line (“

DSL”

) modem.

28. The method of claim 24, where the modem is an optical network termination (“

ONT”

) device.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein:

the broadband modem is further configured to receive control instructions from the receiving entity and to transmit the control instructions to the power line communications network; and

the power line communications network is further configured to transmit the control instructions to at least one device in order to control the at least one device.

30. The system of claim 24, further comprising a utility monitoring module (“

UMM”

) in communication with the broadband modem and the utility usage device.