METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR POWERLINE TO MESHED NETWORK FOR POWER METER INFRA-STRUCTURE

• US 20140176340A1
• Filed: 12/19/2013
• Published: 06/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Jetlun Corporation
• Original Assignee: Jetlun Corporation
• Inventors: CHAN, Tat-Keung, CHAN, Elsa A., LIANG, Ray
• Application Number:
  US14/135,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20140176340A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0435 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply symmetric encryption, i.e. same key used for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for symmetric key encryption H04L9/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/25 using a mesh network, e.g. a public urban network such as public lighting, bus stops or traffic lights
• 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 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 using security domains
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• 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

A transparent networking system for meter infrastructure within a network. The system has a single transparent meshed communication network comprising a first ZigBee network provided within a first spatial region and a second ZigBee network provided within a second spatial region. The network has a powerline carrier configured between the first ZigBee network and the second ZigBee network to facility transfer of bi-directional information packet by packet between the first ZigBee network and the second ZigBee networks.

Claims

1. A transparent networking system for energy management within a network, the system comprising:

a single transparent meshed communication network comprising;

a first ZigBee network provided within a first spatial region, the first spatial region being within a confinement of a first thirty meter range;

a second ZigBee network provided within a second spatial region, the second spatial region being with a confinement of a second thirty meter range;

a powerline carrier configured between the first ZigBee network and the second ZigBee network to facility transfer of bi-directional information packet by packet between the first ZigBee network and the second ZigBee networks; and

an encryption configured in a powerline format for the bi-directional information, the powerline format being a 128 bit AES encryption to encapsulate the bi-directional information packet by packet;

each of the packets having a ZigBee CBKE intact; and

whereupon the 128 bit AES encapsulating each of the packets configuring the ZigBee CBKE intact.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first ZigBee network comprising a plurality of first ZigBee enabled devices and wherein the second ZigBee network comprising a plurality of second ZigBee enabled devices;

wherein the confinement is greater than a thirty meter range;

wherein the powerline format is a Homeplug™

format.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising an Nth ZigBee network, where N is an integer greater than 2, and an Nth powerline carrier configured to the first ZigBee network and the second ZigBee network.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the first ZigBee network comprising a plurality of first ZigBee enabled devices and wherein the second ZigBee network comprising a plurality of second ZigBee enabled devices, each of the plurality of first ZigBee enabled devices being configured to communicate with any one of the second plurality of ZigBee enabled devices.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the transfer of the bi-direction information packet by packet is provided in a PHY/MAC layer of the powerline carrier.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the bi-directional information maintains a 802.15.4 header in an address table.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the powerline carrier is configured to identify either the first ZigBee network or the second ZigBee network.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the first ZigBee network comprises a first powerline transceiver coupled to a first ZigBee transceiver;

and wherein the second ZigBee network comprises a second powerline transceiver coupled to a second ZigBee transceiver.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the first ZigBee network maintains each of source addresses from the first ZigBee network and each of destination addresses for the second ZigBee network;

wherein the second ZigBee network maintains each of source addresses from the second ZigBee network and each of destination addresses for the first ZigBee network.

10. A transparent networking system for meter infrastructure within a network, the system comprising:

a single transparent meshed communication network comprising;

a first ZigBee network provided within a first spatial region, the first spatial region being within a confinement of a first spatial meter range;

a second ZigBee network provided within a second spatial region, the second spatial region being with a confinement of a second spatial meter range;

a powerline carrier configured between the first ZigBee network and the second ZigBee network to facility transfer of bi-directional information packet by packet between the first ZigBee network and the second ZigBee networks.

11. The system of claim 11 wherein the first ZigBee network comprising a plurality of first ZigBee enabled devices and wherein the second ZigBee network comprising a plurality of second ZigBee enabled devices.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising an Nth ZigBee network, where N is an integer greater than 2, and an Nthpowerline carrier configured to the first ZigBee network and the second ZigBee network.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the first ZigBee network comprising a plurality of first ZigBee enabled devices and wherein the second ZigBee network comprising a plurality of second ZigBee enabled devices, each of the plurality of first ZigBee enabled devices being configured to communicate with any one of the second plurality of ZigBee enabled devices.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the transfer of the bi-direction information packet by packet is provided in a PHY/MAC layer of the powerline carrier.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the bi-directional information maintains a 802.15.4 header in an address table.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the powerline carrier is configured to identify either the first ZigBee network or the second ZigBee network.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the first ZigBee network comprises a first powerline transceiver coupled to a first ZigBee transceiver;

and wherein the second ZigBee network comprises a second powerline transceiver coupled to a second ZigBee transceiver.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the first ZigBee network maintains each of the addresses for a plurality of second plurality of ZigBee enabled devices;

wherein the second ZigBee network maintains each of the addresses for a plurality of first ZigBee enabled devices.

19. A method for communicating within a single transparent meshed network comprising:

initializing a first sniffer device in the first ZigBee network;

initializing a second sniffer device in the second ZigBee network;

initializing a first powerline driver;

initializing a second powerline driver;

scanning the first ZigBee network through a plurality of first channels using a first switching operation;

selecting a first channel for the first ZigBee network by the first switching operation through the plurality of channels, the first channel being from the plurality of channels in the first ZigBee network;

scanning the second ZigBee network through a plurality of second channels using a second switching operation;

selecting a second channel for the second ZigBee network by the second switching operation through a plurality of channels, the second channel being from the plurality of channels in the second ZigBee network, the second channel being the same as the first channel;

recording information from the first ZigBee network;

recording information from the second ZigBee network;

sniffing each of the first ZigBee network and the second Zigbee network;

receiving a data packet from a first ZigBee enabled device within the first ZigBee network;

checking the data packet to parse a header of the data packet to determine whether to forward the data packet by comparing a plurality of entries in an address table of the first ZigBee network;

transferring the data packet from the first ZigBee network to the second ZigBee network using a powerline carrier through a PHY/MAC layer.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

checking PLC data from the powerline carrier to parse a header of the data packet and forward the data packet to a second Zigbee enabled device in the second ZigBee network.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

checking PLC data from the powerline carrier to parse a header of a data packet from a second Zigbee enabled device in the second ZigBee network; and

forwarding the data packet to one of the first ZigBee enabled devices.