Remote data readout system for transmitting digital data over existing electrical power lines

• US 4,040,046 A
• Filed: 06/13/1975
• Issued: 08/02/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Northern Illinois Gas Company (Southern Company)
• Original Assignee: Northern Illinois Gas Company (Southern Company)
• Inventors: Martell, Dennis J., Long, George, Batz, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Habecker, Thomas B.
• Application Number:
  US05/586,997
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 340/310 R, 340/310 A, 340/310 CP, 340/152 T
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/006 Remote reading of utility meters to a non-fixed location, i.e. mobile location
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5416 by adding signals to the wave form of the power source
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5425 improving S/N by matching impedance, noise reduction, gain control
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5433 Remote metering
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5437 Wired telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5441 Wireless systems or telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5458 Monitor sensor; Alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5466 using three phases conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5483 using coupling circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5491 using filtering and bypassing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/542 the information being in digital form
• 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 system for providing remote readout of a plurality of groups of data indicating devices including a control unit for each group of data indicating devices for receiving interrogate data signals transmitted over a communication line or RF signal link from an interrogate unit at a central location to the locations of the control units, and for transmitting the interrogate data to transponders associated with the indicating devices over existing electrical power lines to which the control unit and transponders are connected via existing electrical outlets. The transponders are responsive to the interrogate data to generate reply data representing the reading of an associated indicating device for transmission over the electrical power line to the control unit which effects the transmission of the reply data to the central location.

Claims

1. In a system which employs AC electrical power lines for effecting selective readout of information registered on a plurality of register means, each of which is associated with a different one of a plurality of utility devices located within an electrically wired building complex having electrical power distribution conductors which are connected over a power distribution box and a service main for said complex to said power lines and which extend to a plurality of locations within said complex and supply power to standard electrical receptacles connected to said electrical power distribution conductors, certain ones of said electrical receptacles being located in the vicinity of the utility devices, each of said utility devices having plug means for connecting the utility device to one of the electrical receptacles for supplying power to the utility devices, while permitting convenient relocation of the utility devices, the improvement comprising an individual data transponder means for each of said register means for each utility device, each data transponder means including transmitter means operable when enabled to generate data signals which represent the information provided by an associated register means, and a power cord having an electrical plug adapted to be plugged into one of said electrical receptacles to connect said data transponder means to said power distribution conductors in said building complex to enable said data signals to be conducted over said power cord to said power distribution conductors, and a control transponder means coupled to the power distribution conductors for said building complex, including means responsive to interrogate signals provided by an interrogate means located externally of said building complex to provide enabling signals for transmission over the electrical power distribution conductors in said building complex to said transmitter means, and receiver means in said control transponder means including means for receiving said data signals which are transmitted over said building complex power distribution conductors by each of the plurality of data transmitters and means for transmitting the information to said interrogate means over a communication link which effectively bypasses said power distribution box and said service main.

2. In a data acquisition system including interrogate means for accumulating information which has been registered on a plurality of mechanical register means at different locations in a building complex using existing electrical power distribution conductors of the building complex which extend from a service entrance to a plurality of locations within the complex and supply power to standard electrical receptacles connected thereto, each of the mechanical register means being associated with a different one of a plurality of utility devices located within the building complex, each of the utility devices having plug means for connecting the utility device to a convenient one of the electrical receptacles for supplying power to the utility devices, while permitting convenient relocation of the utility devices, the improvement comprising a plurality of data transmitters each individually associated with a different one of said mechanical register means, each of said data transmitters including encoder means for encoding the information registered by an associated register means into digital data, a power cord having an electrical plug adapted to be plugged into one of said standard electrical receptacles in the proximity of the utility device with which the data transmitter is used, a control transponder coupled to the power distribution conductors in said building complex and including means for initiating the transmission of said digital data over said power cord to said building complex power distribution conductors, and receiver means having a power cord with an electrical plug adapted to be plugged into one of said electrical receptacles for connecting said receiver means to said electrical power distribution conductors in said building complex to receive said digital data as transmitted by the plurality of data transmitters in the system, said interrogate means being located externally of said building complex, and said control transponder including means for transmitting said data to said interrogate means over a communication link which effectively bypasses said service entrance.

3. In a data acquisition system including data accumulating means for accumulating information which has been registered on a plurality of mechanical register means associated with utility devices at different locations in a building complex using the existing electrical power distribution conductors in the building complex which extend from a service entrance for said building complex to supply power to electrical receptacles connected to said power distribution conductors at different locations in the building, the improvement comprising a plurality of data transponders, each of which is connected to a different one of said mechanical register means, each of said data transponders including encoder means for encoding the information registered by an associated register means into digital data, and transmitter means controlled by said encoder means to provide data signals representing said digital data at a data output thereof, each of said data transponders having a power cord with a plug adapted to be plugged into any of said electrical receptacles for connecting the data output of said transmitter means to said building complex power distribution conductors to enable said data signals to be conducted over said power cord to said building complex power distribution conductors, and a control transponder connected to said building complex power distribution conductors including receiver means to receive said digital data as transmitted by the plurality of data transponders in the system, said data accumulating means being located externally of said building complex and said control transponder including means for transmitting said digital data to said data accumulating means over a communication link which effectively bypasses said service entrance.

4. A system as set forth in claim 3 wherein said control transponder has a power cord with an electrical plug for connecting said control transponder to said electrical power distribution conductors over one of said electrical receptacles.

5. A system as set forth in claim 3 which includes means in said control transponder means responsive to interrogate signals provided by said data accumulating means for initiating the readout of each of said transmitter means over the power distribution conductors in said building.

6. A system as set forth in claim 3 wherein said communication link is an RF link, and wherein said data accumulating means is contained within a mobile unit.