METHODS OF PROCESSING DATA CORRESPONDING TO A DEVICE THAT CORRESPONDS TO A GAS, WATER, OR ELECTRIC GRID, AND RELATED DEVICES AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS

• US 20150097695A1
• Filed: 04/29/2014
• Published: 04/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Duke Energy Corporation
• Original Assignee: Duke Energy Corporation
• Inventors: Laval, Stuart, Smith, Raiford
• Granted Patent: US 9,729,678 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: 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 69/03 Protocol definition or specification protocol conformance testing H04L1/244
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• 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 20/242 Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

Methods of operating a communication node are provided. A method of operating a communication node may include receiving data from an electric grid device via a network interface. The method may include processing the data from the electric grid device at the communication node. Moreover, the method may include transmitting a filtered portion of the data to an electric utility head end system, after processing the data at the communication node. In some embodiments, a method of operating a communication node may include using a message broker controlled by a virtual machine in the communication node to provide a protocol to interface with a field message bus that includes a standards-based or open-source Application Programming Interface (API). Related communication nodes and computer program products are also described.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. A method of operating a communication node, the method comprising:

using a message broker controlled by a virtual machine in the communication node to provide a protocol to interface with a field message bus comprising a standards-based or open-source Application Programming Interface (API); and

transmitting or receiving data corresponding to an electric grid device, via the field message bus.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the communication node comprises a first communication node;

the field message bus interfaces with a second communication node; and

the first and second communication nodes comprise respective peer communication nodes comprising the field message bus therebetween.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first and second communication nodes correspond to different first and second vendors, respectively.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first and second communication nodes correspond to different first and second hierarchical tiers, respectively, in a hierarchical arrangement of communication nodes.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising using the protocol of the message broker to interface with a translator unit that is between a device protocol and the field message bus.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising using the protocol of the message broker to interface with a standards-based or open-source-API-based application in the communication node.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising using the protocol of the message broker to interface with a plurality of field message buses.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the virtual machine operates using an application processor or a partition of a central processing unit of the communication node.

22. The method of claim 14, further comprising isolating an application processing unit of the communication node from a central processing unit of the communication node, using the virtual machine.

23. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium including computer readable program code therein configured to perform the method of claim 14.

24-36. -36. (canceled)

37. A communication node, comprising:

a network interface configured to provide communications with a first electric grid device; and

a processor configured to control a virtual machine in the communication node, the virtual machine configured to provide a message broker that is configured to interface with a field message bus and/or another communication node corresponding to a second electric grid device

wherein;

the field message bus comprises a standards-based or open-source Application Programming Interface (API);

the message broker is configured to provide a protocol to interface with the field message bus comprising the standards-based or open-source API; and

the virtual machine is configured to transmit or receive data corresponding to the second electric grid device, via the field message bus.

38. The communication node of claim 37, wherein:

the communication node comprises a first communication node;

the other communication node comprises a second communication node configured to interface with the field message bus; and

the first and second communication nodes comprise respective peer communication nodes comprising the field message bus therebetween.

39. The communication node of claim 38, wherein the first and second communication nodes correspond to different first and second vendors, respectively.

40. The communication node of claim 38, wherein the first and second communication nodes correspond to different first and second hierarchical tiers, respectively, in a hierarchical arrangement of communication nodes.

41. The communication node of claim 37, wherein the protocol of the message broker is configured to interface with a translator unit that is between a device protocol and the field message bus.

42. The communication node of claim 37, wherein the protocol of the message broker is configured to interface with a standards-based or open-source-API-based application in the communication node.

43. The communication node of claim 37, wherein the protocol of the message broker is configured to interface with a plurality of field message buses.

44. The communication node of claim 37, wherein the virtual machine is configured to operate using an application processor or a partition of a central processing unit of the communication node.

45. The communication node of claim 37, wherein the virtual machine is configured to isolate an application processing unit of the communication node from a central processing unit of the communication node.

46-84. -84. (canceled)