Remote access to electronic meters using a TCP/IP protocol suite

• US 6,747,981 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2001
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Elster Electricity LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Elster Electricity LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Ardalan, Sasan H., Van den Bout, David E.
• Primary Examiner(s): VINCENT, DAVID ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US09/975,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20020044559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.01, 340/870.02, 340/870.07, 340/870.11, 370/241, 370/249, 370/252, 370/352-4, 370/389, 370/400-402, 370/419, 370/458, 370/438, 370/463, 370/489, 379/111, 379/102.11, 379/106.03, 379/106.04, 379/106.07, 379/106.08, 379/114.01, 379/1.01
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00018 using phone lines
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• 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 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/128 involving the use of Internet protocol
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

An electronic meter incorporates a TCP/IP protocol suite and an HTTP server to provide two-way access to the meter data. Alternatively, the TCP/IP protocol suite may be incorporated into a gateway serving multiple meters connected through a power line or wireless two-way network. The gateway may incorporate an HTTP server for accessing data from multiple meters and for transmission of data to individual meters. Other aspects of the disclosed system include the use of a common gateway interface for remote access to meter data and to set meter parameters using HTML forms in HTTP browsers; remote reading and setting of multiple meter parameters using a TCP/IP protocol suite; a TCP/IP protocol suite implemented in designated nodes in a CEBus LAN with remote access through TCP/IP to routers and brouters and to individual meters on the LAN; and an SLIP-PPP enabled gateway for remote TCP/IP access through a serial interface to a single or multiple meter parameters.

Claims

1. An electronic metering system, comprising:

(A) a wide area network (WAN) operating in accordance with a TCP/IP protocol;

(B) a local area network (LAN) comprising at least one meter which includes meter electronics for measuring a prescribed commodity supplied by a utility and memory for storing measured data and meter control parameters;

(C) a gateway operatively coupled to said LAN and said WAN; and

(D) an HTTP server, embedded in one of said gateway and said meter, for accessing said measured data and meter control parameters, whereby said WAN is provided remote access to said measured data and meter control parameters.

2. A system as recited in claim 1, and further comprising a common gateway interface (CGI) application coupled to said server for use in accessing said measured data.

3. A system as recited in claim 1, and further comprising a virtual machine coupled to said server for use in accessing said data.

4. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said prescribed commodity is electricity.

5. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said prescribed commodity is gas.

6. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said prescribed commodity is water.

7. A system as recited in claim 2, wherein said HTTP server and CGI application are embedded in each of said meters.

8. A system as recited in claim 2, wherein said server and CGI application are embedded in said gateway.

9. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said meters further comprises a LAN interface.

10. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said gateway comprises a LAN interface.

11. A system as recited in claim 7, wherein each of said meters further comprises a TCP/IP interface.

12. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said gateway comprises a TCP/IP interface.

13. A system as recited in claim 1, and further comprising a common gateway interface (CGI) application coupled to said server for use in accessing said measured data;

wherein said server and CGI application are embedded in each of said meters;

wherein said gateway and each of said meters comprises a LAN interface and a TCP/IP interface; and

wherein said prescribed commodity is a member of the group consisting of electricity, water and gas.

14. A system as recited in claim 1, and further comprising a common gateway interface (CGI) application coupled to said server for use in accessing said measured data;

wherein said server and CGI application are embedded in said gateway;

wherein each of said meters and said gateway comprises a LAN interface;

wherein said gateway further comprises a TCP/IP interface; and

wherein said prescribed commodity is a member of the group consisting of electricity, water and gas.

15. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said LAN is a CEBus LAN.

16. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein said LAN is a CEBus LAN.

17. A system as recited in claim 14, wherein said LAN is a CEBus LAN.

19. An electronic meter as recited in claim 17, further comprising a local area network (LAN) interface and a TCP/IP interface operating in the meter, wherein said meter is configured for use in a system including a LAN and a gateway operatively coupled to the LAN and the WAN.

20. An electronic meter as recited in claim 19, further comprising a common gateway interface (CGI) application and a meter application operating in the meter.

18. An electronic meter, comprising:

meter electronics for measuring a prescribed commodity supplied by a utility;

a memory for storing measured data and meter control parameters; and

an HTTP server, embedded in one of said gateway and said meter, operatively coupled to said meter electronics and memory;

said electronic meter being configured for use in a system including a wide area network (WAN) operating in accordance with a TCP/IP protocol, wherein said WAN is provided with remote access to said measured data and control parameters of said electronic meter.

21. A gateway for use in a system comprising an electronic meter connected to the gateway and a wide area network (WAN) operating in accordance with a TCP/IP protocol, wherein the electronic meter is operatively coupled to the WAN through the gateway, the gateway comprising:

an HTTP server, embedded in one of said gateway and operatively coupled to said electronic meter or in said electronic meter and operatively coupled to said gateway, whereby said WAN is provided with remote access, via the gateway, to measured data and control parameters of the electronic meter.

22. A gateway as recited in claim 21, further comprising a local area network (LAN) interface and a TCP/IP interface embedded in the gateway.

23. A gateway as recited in claim 21, further comprising a common gateway interface (CGI) application operating in the gateway.

24. A method for operating an electronic metering system, comprising:

(A) providing a wide area network (WAN) operating in accordance with a TCP/IP protocol;

(B) coupling the WAN to a local area network (LAN), wherein the LAN is coupled to at least one meter which includes meter electronics for measuring a prescribed commodity supplied by a utility and memory for storing measured data and meter control parameters;

(C) providing an HTTP sever, embedded in one of said gateway and said meter, for accessing said measured data and meter control parameters; and

(D) providing said WAN with remote access to said measured data and control parameters of said meter.

25. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein said WAN is coupled to said LAN via said meter, and wherein said meter further includes a gateway.

26. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein the server comprises a common gateway interface (CGI) application.

27. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein the meter further comprises a LAN interface.

28. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein the meter further comprises a WAN interface.

29. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein said WAN is coupled to said LAN via said meter;

wherein said meter further includes a gateway, a WAN interface and a LAN interface; and

wherein the server is embedded in the meter and comprises an HTTP server and a common gateway interface (CGI) application.

30. A method for operating an electronic metering system, comprising:

(A) coupling a WAN operating in accordance with a TCP/IP protocol to at least one meter, said meter comprising meter electronics for measuring a prescribed commodity supplied by a utility, memory for storing measured data and meter control parameters, and a server application running on an HTTP server embedded in one of a gateway and said meter; and

(B) providing said WAN with remote access to said measured data and control parameters of said meter, wherein communications between the WAN and the meter are in accordance with a TCP/IP protocol.

31. A method as recited in claim 30, wherein said WAN is coupled to a local area network (LAN) via said meter, and wherein said meter further includes a gateway.

32. A method as recited in claim 30, wherein the server application comprises an HTTP server application.

33. A method as recited in claim 30, wherein the server application comprises a common gateway interface (CGI) application.

34. A method as recited in claim 30, wherein the meter further comprises a LAN interface.

35. A method as recited in claim 30, wherein the meter further comprises a WAN interface.

36. An electronic meter for use in an electronic metering system in which access to metered data and control parameter is provided to one or more devices on a wide area network (WAN) operating in accordance with a TCP/IP protocol, comprising meter electronics for measuring a prescribed commodity supplied by a utility, memory for storing measured data and meter control parameters, and a server application running on an HTTP server embedded in one of a gateway and said meter.

37. An electronic meter as recited in claim 36, wherein communications between the WAN and the meter are in accordance with a TCP/IP protocol.

38. An electronic meter as recited in claim 36, wherein said meter further includes a gateway, whereby said WAN can be coupled to a local area network (LAN) via said meter.

39. An electronic meter as recited in claim 36, wherein the server application comprises an HTTP server application.

40. An electronic meter as recited in claim 36, wherein the server application comprises a common gateway interface (CGI) application.

41. An electronic meter as recited in claim 36, wherein the meter further comprises a LAN interface.

42. An electronic meter as recited in claim 36, wherein the meter further comprises a WAN interface.