Utilities communications architecture compliant power management control system

• US 6,301,527 B1
• Filed: 09/24/1999
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Meagher, Patrick, Baigent, Drew, Narel, Radoslaw, Petrizzi, James, Butland, Geoff
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hartman, Jr., Ronald D
• Application Number:
  US09/405,346
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 700/286, 700/295, 713/300
• US Class Current: 700/286
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23262 DDE direct data exchange, DLL dynamic library linking
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25014 Fieldbus general name of bus connected to machines, detectors, actuators
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25428 Field device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31091 One client handled by several servers
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31145 Ethernet
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31186 TCP-IP internet protocol
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31367 MMS manufacturing message specification, rs511, iso9506
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/10 Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

Software (50) is loaded into the host computer (12) and includes an Ethernet server (52), a Modbus (DDE) server (54), an MMS server (56), and a third-party proprietary protocol server (58). Each of these servers (52, 54, 56, and 58) allows external programs (60) running on the host and view node computers (12, 40, and 44) to access power management data from the various devices (26) in the power management control system (10). Modbus server (52) allows external programs (60) to access power management data from devices (26), which communicate using the Modbus protocol. MMS server (56) allows external programs (60) to access power management data from MMS/UCA2 compliant devices (34), which communicate using the MMS protocol. Ethernet server (52) provides for network layer TCP/IP encapsulation for communications over Ethernet networks (20) and (22). Third party server (58) allows communications between external programs (60) and device (38), which uses any proprietary protocol. Power management control system (10) implements the UCA Version 2 architecture, having an Ethernet physical layer, a Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) network layer, and a Manufacturing Message Specification (MMS) application layer.

Claims

1. A power management system comprising:

a computer;

an interface at said computer defining a first network having a network layer protocol;

a gateway connected to said first network, said gateway converting said network layer protocol to a first application layer protocol and defining a second network;

a first intelligent electronic device connected to said second network;

a second intelligent electronic device connected to said first network;

a first server associated with said computer for communicating with said first intelligent electronic device using said first application layer protocol, said first server processing data received from said first intelligent electronic device to manage power use; and

a second server associated with said computer for communicating with said second intelligent electronic device using a second application layer protocol, said second server processing data received from said second intelligent electronic device to manage power use.

2. The power management system of claim 1 wherein said network layer protocol is a TCP/IP protocol.

3. The power management system of claim 1 wherein said first application layer protocol is a Modbus protocol.

4. The power management system of claim 1 wherein said second application layer protocol is a Manufacturing Message Specification protocol.

5. The power management system of claim 1 further including:

a concentrator connected to said second network, said concentrator converting said first application layer protocol to a third application layer protocol and defining a third network; and

a third intelligent electronic device connected to said third network.

6. The power management system of claim 5 wherein said third application layer protocol is a Commnet protocol.

7. The power management system of claim 1 wherein said first network has an Ethemet physical layer protocol.

8. The power management system of claim 1 wherein said second network has an RS-485 physical layer protocol.

9. The power management system of claim 1 wherein said third network has a Commnet physical layer protocol.

11. The power management system of claim 1 further including:

a concentrator connected to said second network, said concentrator converting said Modbus application layer protocol to a Commnet application layer protocol and defining a third network; and

a third intelligent electronic device connected to said third network.

10. A power management system comprising:

a computer;

an interface at said computer defining a first network having a TCP/IP network layer protocol;

a gateway connected to said first network, said gateway converting said TCP/IP network layer protocol to a Modbus application layer protocol and defining a second network;

a first intelligent electronic device connected to said second network;

a second intelligent electronic device connected to said first network;

a first server associated with said computer for communicating with said first intelligent electronic device using said Modbus application layer protocol, said first server processing data received from said first intelligent electronic device to manage power use; and

a second server associated with said computer for communicating with said second intelligent electronic device using a Manufacturing Message Specification application layer protocol, said second server processing data received from said second intelligent electronic device to manage power use.