Utility meter interface system

• US 6,747,571 B2
• Filed: 03/08/1999
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Comverse Technology, Inc. (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Guyre, Michael A., Pasquarelli, Ronald J., Fierro, Robert A., Kundla, Gregory P., Burns, Martin J., Sobczak, Laurie M.
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, ALBERT KANG
• Application Number:
  US09/264,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20030128134A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,919 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.02, 340/870.03, 340/870.11, 340/10.41, 725/100, 324/142, 702/62, 714/748, 714/749
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/04 Arrangements for synchronous operation

Abstract

A method and apparatus for facilitating data exchange between a utility meter and a host device includes a first wireless interface device coupled to the meter via a first hardwired connection and a second wireless interface device coupled to the host device via a second hardwired connection. The first wireless interface device and the second wireless interface device are operative to wirelessly exchange data therebetween. According to one embodiment, gateway software is provided within the first wireless interface device to allow the first wireless interface device to initiate on behalf of the host computer a request for the meter to provide predetermined information, acknowledge on behalf of the host computer receipt of data containing the predetermined information, purge data containing the predetermined information of information unrelated to the predetermined information and encrypting and decrypting packets exchanged between the meter and host computer.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating data exchange between a utility meter for monitoring utility consumption and a host device, wherein the meter is coupled to a first wireless transceiver with a first hardwired connection and the host device is coupled to a second wireless transceiver with a second hardwired connection and the first transceiver and the second transceiver are operative to wirelessly exchange data therebetween, comprising:

providing a gateway meter management component coupled to the first hardwired connection;

generating a request for the meter to provide a predetermined set of information with the gateway meter management component;

transmitting the request from the gateway meter management component to the meter over the first hardwired connection;

upon receipt of the request by the meter, the meter transmitting a meter data set that contains the predetermined set of information to the gateway meter management component over the first hardwired connection;

upon receipt of the meter data set by the gateway meter management component, purging the meter data set of at least a portion of information unrelated to the predetermined set of information to provide a processed data set; and

transmitting the processed data set with the first transceiver and addressed for receipt by the second wireless transceiver.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the gateway meter management component is embodied as executable logic in the first wireless transceiver and wherein the first wireless transceiver executes the logic independently of operations carried out by the meter.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first transceiver is a modem.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the gateway meter management component is embodied as executable logic in a dedicated device coupled to the first hardwired connection, the dedicated device executing the logic independently of operations carried out by the first wireless transceiver and operations carried out by the meter.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising encrypting the processed data prior to wireless transmission.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising forwarding the processed data as received by the second transceiver to the host device and decrypting the encrypted processed data with the host device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a host acknowledgment packet generated by the host and intended for receipt by the meter from the second wireless transceiver to the first wireless receiver; and

intercepting the host acknowledgment packet with the gateway meter management component so as to prevent the host acknowledgment packet from being received by the meter.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon receipt of the meter data set by the gateway meter management component, generating an acknowledgment receipt in substitution for a host generated acknowledgment receipt of the meter data set with the gateway meter management component; and

transmitting the substitute host acknowledgment receipt to the meter over the first hardwired connection.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the meter is selected from an electric meter, a gas meter, a water meter and combinations thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second hardwired connection is at least in part an internet connection.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

conducting a first encryption of the processed data set with the gateway meter management component; and

conducting a second encryption of the encrypted processed data set with the first wireless transceiver.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

decrypting the second encryption performed by the first wireless transceiver with the second wireless transceiver; and

decrypting the first encryption performed by the gateway meter management component with the host.

13. A gateway meter management component for facilitating data exchange between a utility meter for monitoring utility consumption and a host device, wherein the meter is coupled to a first wireless transceiver with a first hardwired connection and the host device is coupled to a second wireless transceiver with a second hardwired connection and the first transceiver and the second transceiver are operative to wirelessly exchange data therebetween, the gateway meter management component comprising:

logic to generate a request for the meter to provide a predetermined set of information;

logic to transmit the request from the gateway meter management component to the meter over the first hardwired connection;

logic to receive a meter data set that contains the predetermined set of information from the meter over the first hardwired connection;

logic to, upon receipt of the meter data set, purge the meter data set of at least a portion of information unrelated to the predetermined set of information and to provide a processed data set; and

logic to deliver the processed data set to the first transceiver for transmission to the second wireless transceiver.

14. The gateway meter management component of claim 13, wherein the gateway meter management component is embodied as executable logic in the first wireless transceiver and wherein the first wireless transceiver executes the logic independently of operations carried out by the meter.

15. The gateway meter management component of claim 13, wherein the gateway meter management component is embodied as executable logic in a dedicated device coupled to the first hardwired connection, the dedicated device executing the logic independently of operations carried out by the first wireless transceiver and operations carried out by the meter.

16. The gateway meter management component of claim 13, further comprising logic to intercept a host acknowledgment packet generated by the host and intended for receipt by the meter with the gateway meter management component so as to prevent the host acknowledgment packet from being received by the meter.

17. The gateway meter management component of claim 13, further comprising logic to, upon receipt of the meter data set, generate an acknowledgment receipt in substitution for a host generated acknowledgment receipt of the meter data set and transmit the substitute host acknowledgment receipt to the meter over the first hardwired connection.

18. A system for exchanging data between a utility meter and a host device, comprising:

a first wireless transceiver coupled to the meter with a first hardwired connection;

a second wireless transceiver coupled to the host with a second hardwired connection; and

a gateway meter management component according to claim 13 coupled to the first hardwired connection.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the gateway meter management component is embodied as executable logic in the first wireless transceiver and wherein the first wireless transceiver executes the logic independently of operations carried out by the meter.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the gateway meter management component is embodied as executable logic in a dedicated device coupled to the first hardwired connection, the dedicated device executing the logic independently of operations carried out by the first wireless transceiver and operations carried out by the meter.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the second hardwired connection is at least in part an internet connection.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the gateway meter management component further includes logic to conduct a first encryption of the processed data set and the first wireless transceiver includes logic to conduct a second encryption of the encrypted processed data set.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the second wireless transceiver includes logic to decrypt a second encryption performed by the first wireless transceiver and the host includes logic to decrypt a first encryption performed by the gateway meter management component.