UTILITY POWERED COMMUNICATIONS GATEWAY

• US 20130121384A1
• Filed: 11/10/2011
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Ree, Bradley Richard, Prince, Christopher Terry
• Granted Patent: US 8,515,383 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks

Abstract

Described herein are embodiments of methods, systems and devices of providing a communications gateway between one or more first networks and a second network. In accordance with one aspect, a method is provided comprising receiving, by a first device, information communicated from one or more first networks, wherein the first device is a low power device; and transmitting, by a second device, at least part of the information over a second network, wherein the second device is a high power device and wherein the first device and the second device receive power from a wired communications system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a first device, information communicated from one or more first networks, wherein the first device is a low power device; and

transmitting, by a second device, at least part of the information over a second network, wherein the second device is a high power device and wherein the first device and the second device are located within an electrical meter used to meter a first power source and said first device and second device receive power from a single power supply connected to an electrical power source separate from the first power source.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more first networks comprise home-area networks (HANs).

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the HANs utilize one or more of an IEEE Standard 802.15.n (Zigbee), 802.11n (WiFi), power line carrier (PLC), or broadband over power line (BPL) when communicating with the first device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein second network comprises an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical power source separate from the first power source comprises electrical power wiring accompanying a wired communications system and the wired communications system comprises one of a cable television system, a cable Internet system or a telephone system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device comprises a wireless receiver.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the wireless receiver comprises an IEEE Standard 802.15.n (Zigbee) receiver.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device comprises a wireless transceiver.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second device comprises a wireless advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) radio transceiver.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, by the second device, instructions via the second network; and

transmitting, by the first device, at least part of the instructions to one or more of the one or more first networks.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device is low power relative to a received or transmitted signal strength to the high power second device.

12. A communications gateway comprised of:

a first device, wherein the first device is configured to transmit or receive information over one or more first networks and said first device is a low power device;

a second device, wherein the second device is configured to transmit or receive information over a second network and said second device is a high power device;

a processor, wherein the processor is operably connected to the first device and the second device and the processor is configured to process the information received or transmitted by the first or second devices; and

a single power supply, wherein the first device, the second device, the processor and the single power supply are located within an electrical meter used to meter a first power source and said first device, second device and processor receive power from the single power supply connected to an electrical power source separate from the first power source.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more first networks comprise home-area networks (HANs).

14. The communications gateway of claim 13, wherein the HANs utilize one or more of an IEEE Standard 802.15.n (Zigbee), 802.11n (WiFi), power line carrier (PLC), or broadband over power line (BPL) when communicating with the first device.

15. The communications gateway of claim 12, wherein second network comprises an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) network.

16. The communications gateway of claim 12, wherein the electrical power source separate from the first power source comprises electrical power wiring accompanying a wired communications system and the wired communications system comprises one of a cable television system, a cable Internet system or a telephone system.

17. The communications gateway of claim 12, wherein the first device comprises a wireless receiver.

18. The communications gateway of claim 17, wherein the wireless receiver comprises an IEEE Standard 802.15.n (Zigbee) receiver.

19. The communications gateway of claim 12, wherein the second device comprises a wireless transceiver.

20. The communications gateway of claim 12, wherein the second device comprises a wireless advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) radio transceiver.

21. The communications gateway of claim 12, wherein the communications gateway is configured to:

receive, by the second device, instructions via the second network;

process the instructions using the processor, and

transmit, by the first device, at least part of the instructions to one or more of the one or more first networks.

22. The communications gateway of claim 12, wherein the communications gateway is configured to:

receive, by the first device, information communicated by one or more of the one or more first networks;

process the information using the processor, and

transmit, by the second device, at least part of the information to the second network.

23. The communications gateway of claim 12, wherein the first device is low power relative to a received or transmitted signal strength to the high power second device.

24. A communications gateway comprised of:

a wireless IEEE Standard 802.15.n (Zigbee) low power transceiver, wherein the Zigbee transceiver is configured to transmit or receive information over one or more home-area networks (HANs);

an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) high power transceiver, wherein the AMI transceiver is configured to transmit or receive information over an AMI network;

a processor, wherein the processor is operably connected to the Zigbee transceiver and the AMI transceiver and the processor is configured to process the information received or transmitted by the Zigbee transceiver or AMI transceiver; and

a single power supply, wherein the Zigbee transceiver, the AMI transceiver, the processor and the single power supply are located within an electrical meter used to meter a first power source and said Zigbee transceiver, AMI transceiver and processor receive power from the single power supply connected to an electrical power source separate from the first power source.

25. The communications gateway of claim 24, wherein the electrical power source separate from the first power source comprises electrical power wiring accompanying a wired communications system and the wired communications system comprises one of a cable television system, a cable Internet system or a telephone system.

26. A method comprising:

measuring consumption of a commodity;

transmitting consumption data using a low power transmitter;

receiving the consumption data from the low power transmitter; and

transmitting the consumption data using a high power transmitter, wherein the low power transmitter and the high power transmitter are located within an electrical meter used to meter a first power source and said low power transmitter and high power transmitter receive power from a single power supply connected to an electrical power source separate from the first power source.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the low power transmitter comprises one of an IEEE Standard 802.15.n (Zigbee) or 802.11n (WiFi) transmitter.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein high power transmitter comprises an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) transmitter, power line carrier (PLC) transmitter, or broadband over power line (BPL) transmitter.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the electrical power source separate from the first power source comprises electrical power wiring accompanying a wired communications system and the wired communications system comprises one of a cable television system, a cable Internet system or a telephone system.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the low power transmitter is low power relative to a received or transmitted signal strength to the high power transmitter.