INTERFACE BUS FOR UTILITY-GRADE NETWORK COMMUNICATION DEVICES

• US 20120054397A1
• Filed: 10/06/2010
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SmartSynch Incorporated (Itron, Inc.)
• Inventors: Melvin, Charles W. Jr., Seal, Robert B., Warren, Phillip, Howard, Edward G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,880,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/300
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00024 by means of mobile telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 using wireless data transmission

Abstract

In one embodiment, a network device having a plurality of hardware interfaces is disclosed. The network device includes a central processing unit and a main circuit board. The main circuit board has expansion slots that receivably connect corresponding secondary circuit boards to the main circuit board. The main circuit board also has sensors for detecting predetermined parameters. A voltage regulator is operative to regulate one or more particular expansion slots, in response to detection of a predetermined parameter associated with respective slots.

Claims

1. A network device having a plurality of interfaces, comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU); and

a main circuit board having a plurality of expansion slots operatively connected thereto, the plurality of expansion slots operative to receivably connect a corresponding plurality of secondary circuit boards to the main circuit board, the main circuit board further having at least one voltage regulator and at least one sensor for detecting one or more predetermined parameters,

wherein the voltage regulator is operative to regulate at least one expansion slot of the plurality of expansion slots in response to at least one predetermined parameter associated with the particular expansion slot.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a power regulator operative to regulate power supplied to at least one of the plurality of expansion slots.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of expansion slots is PCIe operative.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of expansion slots are operatively compatible with a plurality of different secondary circuit board cards.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a common operating system operatively connected to the CPU.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the device further comprises common storage device operatively connected to the CPU and the operating system.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a management information base (MIB) operative to store and actively maintain a log comprising data associated with internal events.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined parameters are stored at an accessible management information base (MIB).

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined parameters are modifiable via updating commands to the accessible management information base (MIB).

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the CPU is further operative to actively maintain a table of data comprising data associated with a real-time operative state of the plurality of expansion cards.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the CPU is further operative to execute a software that, when executed monitors operability of all circuitry on the main circuit board and operatively regulates at least one of the plurality of expansion slots according to the at least one predetermined parameter.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one predetermined parameter comprises at least one parameter associated with temperature, voltage, state of input power, operational state of the device, mode of operation of the device, door open, network status, and system health.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises means for updating software drivers for executable software associated with the network device.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of secondary circuit boards comprise at least one secondary circuit board that is operative to perform a function that is different from a function operatively performed by at least one other secondary circuit board of the plurality of secondary circuit boards.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of secondary circuit boards comprise secondary circuit boards operative to perform communications functions through a network to communicate with at least one remotely located communications device.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the network comprises at least one of a smart grid, WAN, LAN, and HAN.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the CPU is further operative to simultaneously regulate operation of at least two secondary circuit boards performing different respective functions from each other, the at least two secondary circuit boards operatively received and connected to corresponding expansion slots.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the at least one remotely located communications device is an intelligent communication device operative to perform communications functions in a smart grid.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the communications functions comprise utility-grade telemetry.

20. A remotely operable system, comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU); and

a circuit board having a plurality of interfaces, the interfaces comprising one or more sensors operative to sense one or more predetermined parameters, wherein the CPU operatively regulates the interfaces according to sensed predetermined parameters.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the system further comprises a power regulator operative to regulate power supplied to the plurality of interfaces.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein at least one of the plurality of interfaces is PCIe operative.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the plurality of interfaces are operatively compatible with a plurality of different secondary circuit board cards.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the system further comprises a common operating system operatively connected to the CPU.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the system further comprises a common storage device operatively connected to the CPU and the operating system.

26. The system of claim 20, wherein the system further comprises a management information base (MIB) operative to actively maintain a log comprising data associated with internal events.

27. The system of claim 20, wherein the predetermined parameters are stored at an accessible management information base (MIB).

28. The system of claim 20, wherein the predetermined parameters are modifiable via updating commands to an accessible management information base (MIB).

29. The system of claim 20, wherein the CPU is further operative to actively maintain a table of data comprising data associated with a real-time operative state of the plurality of interfaces.

30. The system of claim 20, wherein the CPU is further operative to execute a software operative to monitor operability of all circuitry on the main circuit board and operatively regulate the plurality of interfaces according to the one or more predetermined parameters.

31. The system of claim 20, wherein at least one of the predetermined parameters is associated with temperature, voltage, state of input power, operational state of the device, mode of operation of the device, door open, network status, and system health.

32. The system of claim 20, wherein the system further comprises means for updating software drivers for executable software associated with the network device.

33. The system of claim 23, wherein the plurality of secondary circuit boards comprise at least one secondary circuit board that is operative to perform a function that is different from a function operatively performed by at least one other secondary circuit board of the plurality of secondary circuit boards.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the plurality of secondary circuit boards comprise secondary circuit boards operative to perform communications functions through a network to communicate with at least one remotely located communications device.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the network comprises at least one of a smart grid, WAN, LAN, and HAN.

36. The system of claim 20, wherein the CPU is further operative to simultaneously regulate operation of at least two secondary circuit boards performing different respective functions from each other, the at least two secondary circuit boards operatively received and connected to corresponding interfaces.

37. The system of claim 34, wherein the at least one remotely located communications device is an intelligent communications device operative to perform communication functions in a smart grid.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the communications functions comprise utility-grade telemetry.

39. A computer-implemented method for remotely operating a network device, the method comprising:

configuring a plurality of interfaces on a circuit board, the plurality of interfaces comprising a voltage regulator and a temperature sensor, wherein the voltage regulator operatively regulates the plurality of interfaces according to one or more predetermined parameters for the plurality of interfaces.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein at least one of the plurality of interfaces is PCIe operative.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the plurality of interfaces are operatively compatible with a plurality of different secondary circuit board cards.

42. The method of claim 39, wherein the device further comprises a common operating system operatively connected to a CPU.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the device further comprises a common storage device operatively connected to the CPU and the operating system.

44. The method of claim 39, wherein the device further comprises a management information base (MIB) operative to maintain a log comprising data associated with internal events.

45. The method of claim 39, wherein the one or more predetermined parameters are available at an accessible management information base (MIB).

46. The method of claim 39, wherein the predetermined parameters are modifiable via updating commands to the accessible management information base (MIB).

47. The method of claim 42, wherein the CPU is further operative to execute a software operative to monitor operability of all circuitry on the main circuit board and to operatively regulate the plurality of interfaces according to predetermined parameters.

48. The method of claim 42, wherein the CPU is further operative to actively maintain a table of data comprising data associated with a real time operative state of the plurality of interfaces.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein the CPU is further operative to perform real time monitoring of operability of the plurality of interfaces.

50. The method of claim 39, wherein the one or more predetermined parameters comprise parameters associated with at least one of temperature, voltage, state of input power, operational state of the device, mode of operation of the device, door open, network status and system health.

51. The method of claim 39, wherein the device further comprises means for updating software drivers for executable software associated with the network device.

52. The method of claim 41, wherein the plurality of secondary circuit boards comprise at least one secondary circuit board that is operative to perform a function that is different from a function operatively performed by at least one other secondary circuit board in the plurality of secondary circuit boards.

53. The method of claim 41, wherein the plurality of secondary circuit boards comprise secondary circuit boards operative to perform communications functions through a network to communicate with at least one remotely located communications device.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the network comprises at least one of a smart grid, WAN, LAN, and HAN.

55. The method of claim 42, wherein the CPU is further operative to simultaneously regulate operation of at least two secondary circuit boards performing different respective functions from each other, the at least two secondary circuit boards operatively received and connected to corresponding interfaces.

56. The method of claim 53, wherein the at least one remotely located communications device is an intelligent communications device operative to perform communication functions in a smart grid.

57. The method of claim 53, wherein the communications functions comprise utility-grade telemetry.