ENERGY METERING SYSTEM, APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20120059610A1
• Filed: 08/25/2011
• Published: 03/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LSIS Co. Ltd. (LS Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LSIS Co. Ltd. (LS Corporation)
• Inventors: SON, Dong Min, Oh, Jung Hwan, Park, Jae Seong
• Granted Patent: US 9,291,477 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/62
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/28 Processes or tasks scheduled according to the power required, the power available or the power price
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/45 Utility meters networked together within a single building
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• 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

Disclosed is an energy metering system, apparatus and method that enables an energy meter to reduce power consumed in communication when remotely inspecting the energy meter under an energy pricing system changed depending on time. To this end, the energy meter transmits information on energy consumption at only a changed time of energy price, and operates in a power saving mode except the changed time. If the information on the energy consumption is transmitted at the changed time, the information on the energy consumption in each period having the same energy price is secured, and therefore, a central server has no difficulty in calculating an energy consumption rate. Thus, it is possible to minimize power consumed in communication while transmitting all the information on the energy consumption, required in the central server. Particularly, a battery is used longer in an environment using the battery, thereby reducing maintenance/repair cost.

Claims

1. An energy metering system, comprising:

a metering component configured to meter energy consumption;

a bidirectional communication component configured to transmit information on the energy consumption to a metering data collector in connection with the metering component and receive a control signal from the metering data collector;

the metering data collector configured to receive and collect the information on the energy consumption, transmitted by the bidirectional communication component, and then transmit the collected information to a central server, and transmit the control signal to the bidirectional communication component based on information on an energy pricing system, received from the central server; and

the central server configured to transmit the information on the energy pricing system, changed depending on production and consumption situations of energy, to the metering data collector, and receive the information on the energy consumption, collected from the metering data collector,

wherein the bidirectional communication component determines a time at which the information on the energy consumption is to be transmitted, based on the control signal.

2. The energy metering system of claim 1, wherein the energy is any one of electricity, gas and water.

3. The energy metering system of claim 1, wherein the bidirectional communication component operates by receiving power supplied from a battery.

4. The energy metering system of claim 3, wherein, when the voltage of the battery decreases to a certain value or less, the bidirectional communication component performs at least one an operation of transmitting the information on the energy consumption to the metering data collector and an operation of transmitting an alarm message to the metering data collector.

5. The energy metering system of claim 1, wherein the control signal includes information that enables a time at which energy price is changed to be determined as the time at which the information on the energy consumption is to be transmitted.

6. The energy metering system of claim 1, wherein the bidirectional communication component operates in a saving mode at a time at which the information on the energy consumption is not transmitted.

7. An energy metering method for measuring energy consumption of a load connected to an energy meter and transmitting information on the metered energy consumption, the energy metering method comprising:

receiving a control signal related to a time at which the information on the energy consumption is to be transmitted;

metering energy consumption of the load connected to the energy meter;

storing the information on the measured energy consumption; and

transmitting the information on the energy consumption at a time predetermined by the control signal.

8. The energy metering method of claim 7, wherein the energy is any one of electricity, gas and water.

9. The energy metering method of claim 7, wherein the time predetermined by the control signal is a time at which energy price is changed.

10. The energy metering method of claim 7, wherein the energy meter operates in a power saving mode at a time at which the predetermined time is not reached.