SYSTEM AND METHOD OF WIRELESS ENABLED DEVICE CONFIGURATION OVER AN ADVANCED METERING INFRASTRUCTURE (AMI)

• US 20120207056A1
• Filed: 02/14/2011
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Ree, Bradley Richard, LaFrance, Ryan Marc
• Granted Patent: US 9,019,864 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• 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 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Described herein are embodiments of methods and systems for configuring a wireless-enabled device over an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) network. In accordance with one aspect, a method is provided comprising receiving, from a first device via a first network, information about one or more wireless access points accessible by the first device. The method further comprises receiving, from a second device via a second network, configuration information for the first device for configuring the first device to connect to a wireless network through one of the one or more wireless access points; and configuring the first device using the configuration information. In one aspect, configuring the first device includes sending at least a portion of the configuration information to the first device via the first network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a first device via a first network, information about one or more wireless access points accessible by the first device;

receiving, from a second device via a second network, configuration information for the first device for configuring the first device to connect to a wireless network through one of the one or more wireless access points; and

configuring said first device using said configuration information, wherein said configuring includes sending at least a portion of the configuration information to the first device via the first network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, from a first device via a first network, information about one or more wireless access points accessible by the first device comprises receiving from the first device, information about one or more wireless access points accessible by the first device via an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, from a first device via a first network, information about one or more wireless access points accessible by the first device comprises receiving from a smart meter via the first network, information about one or more wireless access points accessible by the smart meter.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the smart meter comprises metering, communication and processing technology.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, from a first device via a first network, information about one or more wireless access points accessible by the first device comprises receiving from a smart meter, information about one or more wireless access points accessible by the smart meter via an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, from a first device via a first network, information about one or more wireless access points accessible by the first device comprises receiving from a charging station for an electric or hybrid electric vehicle (EV) via the first network, information about one or more wireless access points accessible by the charging station.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, from a first device via a first network, information about one or more wireless access points accessible by the first device comprises receiving from a charging station for an electric or hybrid electric vehicle (EV) via the first network, information about one or more wireless access points accessible by the smart meter via an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, from a second device via a second network, configuration information for the first device for configuring the first device to connect to a wireless network through one of the one or more wireless access points comprises receiving the configuration information for the first device for configuring the first device to connect to a wireless network through one of the one or more wireless access points from a computer via the Internet.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, from a second device via a second network, configuration information for the first device for configuring the first device to connect to a wireless network through one of the one or more wireless access points comprises receiving the configuration information for the first device for configuring the first device to connect to a wireless local area network (WLAN).

10. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the configuration information for the first device for configuring the first device to connect to a wireless local area network (WLAN) comprises receiving configuration information for the first device for configuring the first device to connect to a WLAN that is based on a set of wireless networking standards under IEEE 802.11.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving, from a second device via a second network, configuration information for the first device for configuring the first device to connect to a wireless network through one of the one or more wireless access points comprises receiving at least a service set identifier (SSID) number and password for the first device for configuring the first device to connect to a wireless network.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, from a second device via a second network, configuration information for the first device for configuring the first device to connect to a wireless network through one of the one or more wireless access points comprises receiving the configuration information for a smart meter for configuring the smart meter to connect to a wireless local area network (WLAN) through one of the one or more wireless access points from a computer via the Internet.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, from a second device via a second network, configuration information for the first device for configuring the first device to connect to a wireless network through one of the one or more wireless access points comprises receiving the configuration information for an electric vehicle charging station for configuring the charging station to connect to a wireless local area network (WLAN) through one of the one or more wireless access points from a computer via the Internet.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring said first device using said configuration information includes sending at least a portion of the configuration information to the first device via the first network comprises sending the sending at least a portion of the configuration information to the first device via an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) network.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first device includes one of a smart meter or an electric vehicle charging station.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving from the first device via the first network an IP address for the first device such that at least the second device can communicate with the first device via the wireless network.

17. A system comprised of:

a memory; and

a processor operably connected with the memory, said processor configured to;

receive, from a first device via a first network, information about one or more wireless access points accessible by the first device;

receive, from a second device via a second network, configuration information for the first device for configuring the first device to connect to a wireless network through one of the one or more wireless access points; and

configure said first device using said configuration information, wherein said configuring includes sending at least a portion of the configuration information to the first device via the first network.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first network comprises an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) network.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the first device comprises one of a smart meter or a charging station for an electric or hybrid electric vehicle (EV).

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the smart meter comprises metering, communication and processing technology.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the second network comprises an Internet connection.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the second device comprises a computer.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the wireless network comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN).

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the configuration information for the first device for configuring the first device comprises at least a service set identifier (SSID) number and password for the first device for configuring the first device to connect to the wireless network.

25. The system of claim 17, wherein the first device comprises a smart meter and the smart meter is configured to connect to a wireless local area network (WLAN) through one of the one or more wireless access points from a computer via the Internet.

26. The system of claim 17, wherein the first device comprises a charging station for an electric or hybrid electric vehicle (EV) and the charging station is configured to connect to a wireless local area network (WLAN) through one of the one or more wireless access points from a computer via the Internet.

27. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to receive from the first device via the first network an IP address for the first device such that at least the second device can communicate with the first device via the wireless network.

28. A device comprised of:

a memory;

a wireless network interface;

a first network interface;

a processor operably connected with the memory, the first network interface, and the second network interface, wherein the processor is configured to;

detect, using the wireless network interface, the presence of an active wireless network;

transmit, using the first network interface, information about the wireless network to a computing device over a first network; and

receive, using the first network interface, configuration information from the computing device via the first network, wherein at least a portion of the configuration information is transmitted to the computing device from a second device via a second network and at least a portion of the configuration information is stored in the memory.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein the processor is further configured to:

connect, using the wireless network interface, to the active wireless network using at least a portion of the configuration information;

receive, using the wireless network interface, from the wireless network, an IP address assigned to the device and storing the IP address in the memory; and

transmit, using the first network interface, the IP address to the computing device via the first network.

30. The device of claim 28, wherein the first network comprises an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) network.

31. The device of claim 28, wherein the device comprises one of a smart meter or a charging station for an electric or hybrid electric vehicle (EV).

32. The device of claim 28, wherein the second network comprises an Internet connection.

33. The device of claim 28, wherein the second device comprises a computer.

34. The device of claim 28, wherein the wireless network comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN).

35. The device of claim 28, wherein the configuration information comprises at least a service set identifier (SSID) number and password for the device for configuring the device to connect to the wireless network.