NETWORK END DEVICE CONFIGURATION SYSTEM

• US 20120218087A1
• Filed: 02/28/2011
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Wang, Xiaofeng, Larson, Ronald Ray
• Application Number:
  US13/036,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20120218087A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.41
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them

Abstract

Aspects of the invention provide for a network end device configuration system. In one embodiment, a system is disclosed comprising: at least one computing device adapted to configure an end device to an electrical network by performing actions comprising: obtaining an indicator that the end device has entered the electrical network; querying the end device for global positioning data about the end device in response to the obtaining of the indicator; obtaining the global positioning data about the device; and associating an identification of the end device with the global positioning data about the end device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one computing device adapted to configure an end device to an electrical network by performing actions comprising;

obtaining an indicator that the end device has entered the electrical network;

querying the end device for global positioning data about the end device in response to the obtaining of the indicator;

obtaining the global positioning data about the device; and

associating an identification of the end device with the global positioning data about the end device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one computing device is further adapted to send a query through the electrical network to determine whether the end device has entered the electrical network.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the obtaining of the indicator includes receiving a returned response signal indicating that the end device has entered the electrical network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the end device is selected from the group consisting of:

a remote terminal unit, a smart meter, a feeder device, a power management unit, and an intelligent electronic device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the electrical network includes a plurality of network equipment and a plurality of network nodes, and wherein the end device is connected to at least one of each of the plurality of network equipment and the plurality of network nodes.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the end device includes a GPS transmitter.

7. A program product stored on a computer readable medium, which when executed by at least one computing device, performs the following:

obtains an indicator that the end device has entered the electrical network;

queries the end device for global positioning data about the end device in response to the obtaining of the indicator;

obtains the global positioning data about the device; and

associates an identification of the end device with the global positioning data about the end device.

8. The program product of claim 7, wherein the at least one computing device is further adapted to send a query through the electrical network to determine whether the end device has entered the electrical network.

9. The program product of claim 8, wherein the obtaining of the indicator includes receiving a returned response signal indicating that the end device has entered the electrical network.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the end device is selected from the group consisting of:

a remote terminal unit, a smart meter, a feeder device, a power management unit, an intelligent electronic devices and a programmable communicating thermostat.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the electrical network includes a plurality of network equipment and a plurality of network nodes, and wherein the end device is connected to at least one of each of the plurality of network equipment and the plurality of network nodes.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the end device includes a GPS transmitter.

13. A system comprising:

an electrical network including a plurality of network nodes and network equipment; and

at least one computing device operably connected to the electrical network, the at least one computing device adapted to configure an end device to one of the plurality of network nodes of the electrical network by performing actions comprising;

obtaining an indicator that the end device has connected to the one of the plurality of network nodes or the network equipment;

querying the end device for global positioning data about the end device in response to the obtaining of the indicator;

obtaining the global positioning data about the end device, and obtaining global positioning data about at least one of the one of the plurality of network nodes or the network equipment; and

associating an identification of the end device with the global positioning data about at least one of;

the end device, the one of the plurality of network nodes and the network equipment.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one computing device is further adapted to send a query through the electrical network to determine whether the end device has connected to the one of the plurality of network nodes or the network equipment.

15. The program product of claim 14, wherein the obtaining of the indicator includes receiving a returned response signal indicating that the end device has connected to the one of the plurality of network nodes or the network equipment.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the end device is selected from the group consisting of:

a remote terminal unit, a smart meter, a feeder device, a power management unit, and an intelligent electronic device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the end device includes a GPS transmitter.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the end device is operably connected to at least two distinct components of the network equipment.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least two distinct components of the network equipment have distinct operating protocols.