SYSTEM AND METHOD OF COMMUNICATION USING A SMART METER

• US 20120131324A1
• Filed: 11/18/2010
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Ansari, Adil, Slates, Richard Dale, Chillar, Rahul Jaikaran, Caird, Kenneth James
• Granted Patent: US 8,774,143 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/100
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/20 using a distributed architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/43 using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/84 Measuring functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/86 Performing a diagnostic of the sensing device
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

Described herein are embodiments of methods and systems of communicating with smart appliances through a smart grid and smart meter infrastructure. In one aspect, a method is described comprising a smart meter connected to a first network receiving via the first network registration information for an appliance operably connected to the first network, wherein the registration information includes a unique identifier for the appliance; transmitting at least a portion of the registration information and a smart meter identifier that uniquely identifies the smart meter to a second computing device connected to a second network; receiving, by the second computing device, update information for the appliance; transmitting, by the second computing device, the update information to the smart meter via the second network using the unique identifier for the device and the smart meter identifier; transmitting, by the smart meter, the update information to the appliance; and updating the appliance with the update information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving via a first network, by a meter connected to the first network, information for a device operably connected to said first network, wherein said information includes a unique identifier for said device;

transmitting via a second network, by the meter connected to the second network, at least a portion of the information and a meter identifier that uniquely identifies the meter to a second computing device connected to the second network;

receiving, by said second computing device, update information for the device;

transmitting, by the second computing device, the update information to the meter via the second network using the unique identifier for the device and the meter identifier;

transmitting, by the meter, the update information to the device; and

updating the device with the update information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving via a first network, by a meter connected to the first network, information for a device operably connected to said first network comprises receiving the information via one or more of a WPAN, LAN/WLAN, WMAN, WAN/WWAN, RS232, USB, Firewire, Ethernet, wireless USB, cellular, OpenHAN, power line carrier (PLC), and broadband over power lines (BPL).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting via a second network, by the meter connected to the second network, at least a portion of the information and a meter identifier that uniquely identifies the meter to a second computing device connected to the second network comprises transmitting the at least a portion of the information and the meter identifier that uniquely identifies the meter to the second computing device via a smart-grid network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the smart-grid network comprises one or more of a WPAN, LAN/WLAN, WMAN, WAN/WWAN, RS232, USB, Firewire, Ethernet, wireless USB, cellular, OpenHAN, power line carrier (PLC), and broadband over power lines (BPL).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier for said device comprises a network address on the first network for the device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the device operably connected to said first network comprises a plurality of devices operably connected to the first network.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein transmitting, by the second computing device, the update information to the meter via the second network using the unique identifier for the device and the meter identifier comprises determining by the second computing device the device from among the plurality of devices operably connected to the first network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining by the second computing device the device from among the plurality of devices operably connected to the first network comprises automatically scanning the first and second networks for devices to be updated.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the meter identifier that uniquely identifies the meter comprises a network address on the second network for the meter.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting via a second network, by the meter connected to the second network, at least a portion of the information and a meter identifier that uniquely identifies the meter to a second computing device connected to the second network comprises transmitting at least a portion of the information and the meter identifier that uniquely identifies the meter to a utility service provider'"'"'s computing device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, by said second computing device, update information for the device comprises the second computing device receiving a software or firmware update for the device.

12. A method of communication using a meter, said method comprising:

receiving via a first network, information for a device operably connected to said first network, wherein said information includes a unique identifier for said device;

transmitting via a second network, at least a portion of the information to a computing device connected to the second network, wherein said information comprises the unique identifier for the appliance;

receiving, via the second network, update information for the device, wherein said update information is transmitted using the unique identifier for the device; and

transmitting, via the first network, the update information to the device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving via a first network, information for an appliance operably connected to said first network comprises receiving the information via one or more of a WPAN, LAN/WLAN, WMAN, WAN/WWAN, RS232, USB, Firewire, Ethernet, wireless USB, cellular, OpenHAN, power line carrier (PLC), and broadband over power lines (BPL).

14. The method of claim 12, wherein transmitting via a second network, at least a portion of the information to a second computing device connected to the second network comprises transmitting the at least a portion of the information to the second computing device via a smart-grid network.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the smart-grid network comprises one or more of a WPAN, LAN/WLAN, WMAN, WAN/WWAN, RS232, USB, Firewire, Ethernet, wireless USB, cellular, OpenHAN, power line carrier (PLC), and broadband over power lines (BPL).

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the unique identifier for said device comprises a network address on the first network for the device.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein transmitting via a second network, at least a portion of the information to a second computing device connected to the second network comprises transmitting at least a portion of the information to a utility service provider'"'"'s computing device.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving, by said second computing device, update information for the device comprises the second computing device receiving a software or firmware update for the device.

19. A system comprised of:

a first network;

a meter operably connected to the first network, wherein the meter receives via the first network, information for a device operably connected to said first network, said information including a unique identifier for said device;

a second network operably connected with the meter;

a second computing device operably connected with the second network, wherein the meter transmits via the second network, at least a portion of the information and a meter identifier that uniquely identifies the meter to the second computing device connected to the second network,

wherein the second computing device receives update information for the device,

wherein the second computing device transmits the update information to the meter via the second network using the unique identifier for the device and the smart meter identifier,

wherein the smart meter transmits the update information to the device, and

wherein the device is updated with the update information.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the second network comprises a smart grid network.

21. A method comprising:

receiving via a first network, by a smart meter connected to the first network, registration information for an appliance operably connected to said first network, wherein said registration information includes a unique identifier for said appliance;

transmitting via a second network, by a smart meter connected to the second network, registration information for an appliance connected to the smart meter via a first network and a smart meter identifier that uniquely identifies the smart meter, to a second computing device connected to the second network, wherein said second network is comprised of a plurality of smart meters, each of the plurality of smart meters connected to a respective first network and each respective first network connected to one or more appliances;

receiving, by said second computing device, said registration information and the smart meter identifier and storing said registration information and smart meter identifier with registration information and smart meter identifiers for the plurality of smart meters and their respective one or more appliances to form a plurality of smart meter identifiers each associated with one or more registration information;

receiving, by said second computing device, update information for at least one of the one or more appliances;

determining, by the second computing device, by comparing the update information to each of the one or more registration information for each smart meter identifier, a selected smart meter identifier to receive the update information;

transmitting, by the second computing device, the update information to the a selected smart meter associated with the selected smart meter identifier;

transmitting, by the selected smart meter, the update information to the appliance; and

updating the appliance with the update information.