METHODS AND SYSTEMS OF READING UTILITY METERS AND METHODS AND SYSTEMS OF TRANSMITTING UTILITY METER DATA

• US 20140320306A1
• Filed: 11/01/2012
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nisko Telematics 2012 Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Nisko Telematics 2012 Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Winter, Dan
• Granted Patent: US 9,752,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• 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 method of polling of meter data measured by a plurality of utility measuring devices and transmitted over a plurality of wireless local area network (WLAN) channels. The method comprises capturing a plurality of management frames which are transmitted periodically by a plurality of utility measuring devices over a plurality of WLAN channels, extracting meter data from each the management frame, and updating a plurality of consumer records, each according to respective the meter data from a respective the utility measuring device.

Claims

1. A method of polling of meter data measured by a plurality of utility measuring devices and transmitted over a plurality of wireless local area network (WLAN) channels, comprising:

capturing a plurality of management frames which are transmitted periodically by a plurality of utility measuring devices over a plurality of WLAN channels, said plurality of management frames are defined according to a WLAN protocol for communication before an association with an interrogation device is established;

extracting meter data from each said management frame; and

updating a plurality of consumer records, each according to respective said meter data from a respective said utility measuring device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said capturing is performed without establishing a WLAN association with any of said utility measuring devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of management frames are a plurality of probe request frames.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said capturing by conveying a portable radio transceiver along a reading path.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said extracting comprises extracting an identifier from each said management frame;

wherein said updating comprises updating each one of said plurality of consumer records according to a match with a respective said identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said updating comprises forwarding said meter data to a management system over a network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said updating comprises identifying a resource provider associated with a respective said meter data and forwarding said respective meter data to a first of a plurality of management units;

wherein said first management unit being associated with said resource provider.

8. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions adapted to perform the method of claim 1.

9. A method of providing an interrogation device with meter data over a wireless local area network (WLAN) channel, comprising:

automatically receiving an meter data from at least one consumption reading unit;

encoding said meter data in a management frame defined according to WLAN protocol, said management frame is defined according to a WLAN protocol for communication before an association with an interrogation device is established; and

transmitting said encoded meter data over a WLAN channel.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said transmitting is performed without an identification of a recipient.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said transmitting is repeated periodically.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving an encoded management frame which comprises an encryption key over said WLAN channel;

said encoding being performed according to said encryption key.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving an encoded management frame which comprises a request for additional data over said WLAN channel;

said encoding comprises encoding said additional data in said management frame.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said transmitting is performed in response to said request.

15. A utility measuring device, comprising:

a power source;

at least one consumption reading unit which measure consumption at least one resource and outputs meter data accordingly;

a processing unit which encodes said meter data as information element of a management frame defined according to a wireless local area network (WLAN) protocol, said management frame is defined according to a WLAN protocol for communication before an association with an interrogation device is established; and

WLAN interface unit which periodically transmits said encoded meter data over a WLAN channel.

16. The utility measuring device of claim 15, wherein said WLAN interface unit transmits said encoded meter data without an identification of a recipient.

17. The utility measuring device of claim 15, wherein said at least one consumption reading unit is a member of a group consisting of a power meter, a solar meter, a fuel meter, a gas meter, and a renewable energy meter.

18. A system of monitoring a plurality of consumption reading units installed in a plurality of consumer sites, comprising:

a plurality of utility measuring devices each transmits meter data, acquired from at least one consumption reading unit, over a wireless local area network (WLAN) channel as an information element of a management frame; and

an interrogation device which captures from each said utility measuring device a respective said management frame and updates a plurality of consumer records, each according to respective said meter data which is extracted from said respective management frame;

wherein said management frame is defined according to a WLAN protocol for communication before an association with said interrogation device is established.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said plurality of consumer records are managed by a management unit, said interrogation device extracts said meter data from said respective management frame and forwards said meter data over a network to said management unit.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein each said utility measuring device transmits respective said meter data without an identification of a recipient.