Electronic electric meter for networked meter reading

• US 7,064,679 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2003
• Issued: 06/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Silver Spring Networks, Inc. (Itron, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Silver Spring Networks, Inc. (Itron, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nap, Kimbel A., Ehrke, Lance A., Dresselhuys, Donn R.
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, ALBERT KANG
• Application Number:
  US10/672,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20040070517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.02, 340/870.03, 340/637, 324/110, 370/401, 370/346
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/45 Utility meters networked together within a single building
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/008 Modifications to installed utility meters to enable remote reading
• 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 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49018 with other electrical component

Abstract

An electronic electric meter for use in a networked automatic meter reading environment. The electric meter retrofits into existing meter sockets and is available for new meter installations for both single phase and three phase electric power connections. The meter utilizes an all electronic design including a meter microcontroller, a measurement microcontroller, a communication microcontroller and spread spectrum processor, and a plurality of other communication interface modules for communicating commodity utilization and power quality data to a utility. The electric meter utilizes a modular design which allows the interface modules to be changed depending upon the desired communication network interface. The meter measures electricity usage and monitors power quality parameters for transmission to the utility over a two-way 900 MHz spread spectrum local area network (LAN) to a remotely located gateway node. The gateway node transmits this data to the utility over a commercially available fixed wide area network (WAN). The meter also provides direct communication to the utility over a commercially available network interface that plugs into the meter'"'"'s backplane or bus system bypassing the local area network communication link and gateway node.

Claims

1. A device for measuring commodity utilization, the device comprising:

a transducer operable to sense a physical characteristic of the commodity and generate commodity utilization data based on the physical characteristic;

a controller operable to be coupled to the transducer to process the commodity utilization data; and

a network communication section operatively coupled to the controller, and having a plurality of network modules including a local area network module, and a wide area network module, and wherein the network communication section is configured to communicate data comprising the processed commodity utilization data with either one or both of the network modules.

2. The device of claim 1, and wherein the controller is programmed to select either one or both of the local area network module and the wide area network module of the network communication section.

3. The device of claim 1, and wherein the communication network section further comprises a plug-in network interface module configured to interface with either a local area network device or a wide area network device.

4. The device of claim 1, and wherein the communication network section comprises a narrowband personal communication service (“

PCS”

) interface.

5. The device of claim 3, and wherein the communication network section comprises a power line carrier (“

PLC”

) interface.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a level translator operatively coupled to the transducer to condition the commodity utilization data.

7. The device of claim 1, and wherein the transducer further comprises a voltage interface transducer.

8. The device of claim 1, and wherein the transducer further comprises a current interface transducer.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising a display operatively coupled to the controller to display the processed commodity utilization data.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising an antenna operatively coupled to the network communication section to transmit and receive the data.

11. The device of claim 1, and wherein the network communication section further comprises a spread spectrum processor to spectrally spread a radio frequency signal.

12. The device of claim 11, and wherein the network communication section further comprises a radio frequency transceiver to transmit and receive a spectrally spread radio frequency signal.

13. The device of claim 12, and wherein the radio frequency transceiver further comprises a frequency synthesizer operable to modulate the spectrally spread radio frequency signal.

14. The device of claim 1, and wherein the controller comprises a programmable controller.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is an electric meter.

16. A measuring device comprising:

a transducer for sensing a physical characteristic of a commodity and generate therefrom commodity utilization data;

a controller for processing the commodity utilization data; and

a network communication section for communicating data comprising the processed commodity utilization data with either one or both of a local area network module and a wide area network module, and being operatively coupled to the controller.

17. The measuring device of claim 16, and wherein the controller is programmed to select from either one or both of the local area network module and the wide area network module of the network communication section.

18. The measuring device of claim 16, and wherein the communication network section further comprises a plug-in network interface module.

19. The measuring device of claim 16, and wherein the communication network section comprises a narrowband personal communication service (“

PCS”

) interface.

20. The measuring device of claim 16, and wherein the communication network section comprises a power line carrier (“

PLC”

) interface.

21. The measuring device of claim 16, further comprising a level translator for conditioning the commodity utilization data.

22. The measuring device of claim 16, and wherein the transducer means further comprises a voltage interface transducer for sensing a voltage level.

23. The measuring device of claim 16, and wherein the transducer means further comprises a current interface transducer for sensing a current level.

24. The measuring device of claim 16, further comprising a display for displaying the processed commodity utilization data.

25. The measuring device of claim 16, further comprising an antenna for transmitting and receiving the data.

26. The measuring device of claim 16, and wherein the network communication section further comprises a spread spectrum processor for spectrally spreading a radio frequency signal.

27. The measuring device of claim 26, and wherein the network communication section further comprises a radio frequency transceiver for transmitting and receiving a spectrally spread radio frequency signal.

28. The measuring device of claim 27, and wherein the radio frequency transceiver comprises a frequency synthesizer for modulating the spectrally spread radio frequency signal.

29. The measuring device of claim 16, and wherein the controller comprises a programmable controller.

30. The measuring device of claim 16, wherein the device is an electric meter.

31. A method of measuring commodity utilization, the method comprising the acts of:

sensing a physical characteristic of a commodity;

processing commodity utilization data based on the sensed physical characteristic;

selecting from a network communication section either one or both of a local area network module and a wide area network module; and

communicating data comprising the processed commodity utilization data with either one or both of the local area network module and the wide area network module.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising programming a controller to select either one or both of the local area network module and the wide area network module of the network communication section.

33. The method of claim 31, and wherein the network communication section comprises a narrowband personal communication services (“

PCS”

) device.

34. The method of claim 31, and wherein the network communication section comprises a power line carrier (“

PLC”

) device.

35. The method of claim 31, further comprising the acts of sensing a voltage level with a voltage interface transducer.

36. The method of claim 31, further comprising the acts of sensing a current level with a current interface transducer.

37. The method of claim 31, further comprising the acts of displaying the processed commodity utilization data.

38. The method of claim 31, further comprising the acts of transmitting and receiving the data at an antenna.

39. The method of claim 31, further comprising the act of spectrally spreading a radio frequency signal based on the commodity utilization data.

40. The method of claim 31, further comprising the act of transmitting and receiving a spectrally spread radio frequency signal.

41. The method of claim 31, further comprising the act of modulating the spectrally spread radio frequency signal.

42. The method of claim 31, wherein the commodity comprises electricity and wherein the method further comprises the act of performing sensing the physical characteristic of the electricity at an electric meter.