Architecture neutral device abstraction layer for interfacing devices and applications

• US 6,393,341 B1
• Filed: 12/07/1999
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Elster Electricity LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ABB Automation Inc (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Scoggins, Sean Michael, Udin, Sergei, Lawrence, David Crawford, Hodges, Eugene Wilson IV, Sutton, John Chalmers III, Beroset, Edward John
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RODRIGUEZ, PAUL L
• Application Number:
  US09/455,859
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 700/286, 709/319, 709/321, 710/62, 710/63, 710/64, 710/65, 710/72, 710/73, 703/27, 340/870-2-8, 340/637, 705/63, 705/412, 702/61, 702/62
• US Class Current: 700/286
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/00 Coin-freed apparatus with meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity

Abstract

An interface layer and method is provided that permits applications, without modification, to operate with any type of meter. The interface comprises an abstraction layer and library or repository of descriptions specific to each meter type. The abstraction layer provides the capability to communicate with any meter through a variety of applications. Upon receiving an application request, the abstraction layer retrieves the description for the particular meter type from the repository and processes the request. In this manner, only one data representation is needed for applications to communicate with a wide variety of meters.

Claims

1. A communications system that interfaces a utility meter and a host, comprising:

an application resident on the host that issues a request to the utility meter in a standard data description language;

the utility meter having a communication protocol;

an interface layer in communication with the application and the utility meter that allows the application to communicate with the utility meter regardless of the communication protocol, the interface layer comprising;

a repository having a plurality of utility meter descriptions associated with utility meter types;

an abstraction layer coupled to the repository, the abstraction layer receiving the request in the standard data description language, determining the utility meter type, and converting the request to the communication protocol based on the utility meter type and the plurality of utility meter descriptions in the repository; and

a data processor that processes data from the utility meter responsive to the request to provide post-processing behavior comprising data analysis and virtual meter features.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the application is one of a graphical user interface, a DOS based user interface, and a web based user interface.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a compiler to compile the utility meter descriptions in the repository.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the standard data description language is extensible markup language.

5. A method for interfacing a host and a utility meter, comprising:

receiving an application request from an application resident on the host in a standard data description language at a utility meter;

determining the utility meter type;

retrieving a description for the utility meter from a storage device associated with an interface layer responsive to the application request;

converting the application request to a utility meter protocol request based on the utility meter type and the description;

transmitting the utility meter protocol request to the utility meter;

receiving an answer from the utility meter at the interface layer; and

processing the answer from the utility meter to provide post-processing behavior comprising data analysis and virtual meter features.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the storage device is a repository of utility meter data for a plurality of utility meters.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising compiling the utility meter data in the repository to form a data dictionary.

8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising forming the application request in extensible markup language.

9. An interface layer for delivering data between an application resident on a host and a utility meter, comprising:

an abstraction layer receiving a request from the application in a standard data description language, determining the utility meter type and converting the request to a predetermined communication protocol based on the utility meter type and a plurality of utility meter descriptions;

a repository coupled to the abstraction layer comprising the plurality of utility meter descriptions associated with utility meter types; and

a data processor that processes data from the utility meter responsive to the request to provide post-processing behavior comprising data analysis and virtual meter features.

10. The interface layer according to claim 9, wherein the standard data description language is extensible markup language.

11. The interface layer according to claim 9, wherein the abstraction layer communicates with a plurality of utility meters using the associated utility meter descriptions.

12. The interface layer according to claim 9, wherein the abstraction layer retrieves one of the plurality of utility meter descriptions pursuant to receiving the request.