Protocol Translation in Smart Grid Communications

• US 20140201381A1
• Filed: 01/15/2013
• Published: 07/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Yokoyama, Akihisa, Shimizu, Takayuki, Sato, Kazuma, Kumita, Kunihiko
• Granted Patent: US 9,307,027 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/167 Adaptation for transition between two IP versions, e.g. between IPv4 and IPv6 translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses H04L61/2503
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A system and method for managing smart grid communication is disclosed. The system includes a communication module, a discovery module, a translation module and a smart grid module. The communication module receives data initiating smart grid communication between a utility server and a communication node. The discovery module identifies a server protocol used by the utility server to communicate with the communication node. The discovery module identifies a node protocol used by the communication node to communicate with the utility server. The node protocol is incompatible with the server protocol. The translation module performs a protocol translation between the server protocol and the node protocol. The smart grid module handles the smart grid communication between the utility server and the communication node using the protocol translation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving data initiating smart grid communication between a utility server and a communication node;

identifying a server protocol used by the utility server to communicate with the communication node;

identifying a node protocol used by the communication node to communicate with the utility server, the node protocol being incompatible with the server protocol;

performing a first protocol translation between the server protocol and the node protocol; and

handling the smart grid communication between the utility server and the communication node using the first protocol translation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the node protocol is a common communication protocol used by the communication node to communicate with different utility servers that use different server protocols.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the server protocol is a common communication protocol used by the utility server to communicate with different communication nodes that use different node protocols.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein handling the smart grid communication comprises:

receiving, from the utility server, a first set of server protocol data that is organized using the server protocol;

converting, based on the first protocol translation, the first set of server protocol data to a first set of node protocol data that is organized using the node protocol;

sending the first set of node protocol data to the communication node;

receiving, from the communication node, a second set of node protocol data that is organized using the node protocol;

converting, based on the first protocol translation, the second set of node protocol data to a second set of server protocol data that is organized using the server protocol; and

sending the second set of server protocol data to the utility server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication node is one of an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, a smart appliance and an electric vehicle supply equipment.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving update data for the server protocol;

updating the server protocol based on the update data;

performing a second protocol translation between the updated server protocol and the node protocol; and

handling the smart grid communication between the utility server and the communication node using the second protocol translation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data describing a new server protocol;

performing a third protocol translation between the new server protocol and the node protocol; and

handling the smart grid communication between the utility server and the communication node using the third protocol translation.

8. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium encoding instructions that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving data initiating smart grid communication between a utility server and a communication node;

identifying a server protocol used by the utility server to communicate with the communication node;

identifying a node protocol used by the communication node to communicate with the utility server, the node protocol being incompatible with the server protocol;

performing a first protocol translation between the server protocol and the node protocol; and

handling the smart grid communication between the utility server and the communication node using the first protocol translation.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the node protocol is a common communication protocol used by the communication node to communicate with different utility servers that use different server protocols.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the server protocol is a common communication protocol used by the utility server to communicate with different communication nodes that use different node protocols.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein handling the smart grid communication comprises:

receiving, from the utility server, a first set of server protocol data that is organized using the server protocol;

converting, based on the first protocol translation, the first set of server protocol data to a first set of node protocol data that is organized using the node protocol;

sending the first set of node protocol data to the communication node;

receiving, from the communication node, a second set of node protocol data that is organized using the node protocol;

converting, based on the first protocol translation, the second set of node protocol data to a second set of server protocol data that is organized using the server protocol; and

sending the second set of server protocol data to the utility server.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the communication node is one of an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, a smart appliance and an electric vehicle supply equipment.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the instructions cause the computing device to perform operations further comprising:

receiving update data for the server protocol;

updating the server protocol based on the update data;

performing a second protocol translation between the updated server protocol and the node protocol; and

handling the smart grid communication between the utility server and the communication node using the second protocol translation.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the instructions cause the computing device to perform operations further comprising:

receiving data describing a new server protocol;

performing a third protocol translation between the new server protocol and the node protocol; and

handling the smart grid communication between the utility server and the communication node using the third protocol translation.

15. A system comprising:

a communication module receiving data initiating smart grid communication between a utility server and a communication node;

a discovery module communicatively coupled to the communication module, the discovery module identifying a server protocol used by the utility server to communicate with the communication node, the discovery module identifying a node protocol used by the communication node to communicate with the utility server, the node protocol being incompatible with the server protocol;

a translation module communicatively coupled to the discovery module, the translation module performing a first protocol translation between the server protocol and the node protocol; and

a smart grid module communicatively coupled to the discovery module and the translation module, the smart grid module handling the smart grid communication between the utility server and the communication node using the first protocol translation.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the node protocol is a common communication protocol used by the communication node to communicate with different utility servers that use different server protocols.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the server protocol is a common communication protocol used by the utility server to communicate with different communication nodes that use different node protocols.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the communication module receives, from the utility server, a first set of server protocol data that is organized using the server protocol;

the smart grid module converts, based on the first protocol translation, the first set of server protocol data to a first set of node protocol data that is organized using the node protocol;

the communication module sends the first set of node protocol data to the communication node;

the communication module receives, from the communication node, a second set of node protocol data that is organized using the node protocol;

the smart grid module converts, based on the first protocol translation, the second set of node protocol data to a second set of server protocol data that is organized using the server protocol; and

the communication module sends the second set of server protocol data to the utility server.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the communication node is one of an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, a smart appliance and an electric vehicle supply equipment.

20. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

an update module updating the server protocol based on update data describing an update for the server protocol; and

wherein the translation module performs a second protocol translation between the updated server protocol and the node protocol and the smart grid module handles the smart grid communication between the utility server and the communication node using the second protocol translation.