System for the remote acquisition of the electric energy consumptions and for the remote control of the distributed targets of users, also of domestic type

• US 8,072,348 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2007
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gridspertise Srl
• Original Assignee: ENEL Distribuzione SPA (ENEL SPA)
• Inventors: Rogai, Sergio
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Jr., Timothy
• Application Number:
  US11/808,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20080042874A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,637 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.02, 340/870.11, 340/310.01, 324/74, 324/110
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/45 Utility meters networked together within a single building
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/1333 adapted for special tariff measuring
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/00 Arrangements for measuring time integral of electric power or current, e.g. electricity meters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/00 Water conservation; Efficient water supply; Efficient water use
• 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

Abstract

A system for the remote acquisition of data and for the remote control of electricity meters comprises a central server AMM in bi-directional communication with a plurality of concentrators. To each concentrator, a set of electricity meters is connected, such that bi-directional communication between each meter and its associated concentrator is possible. The intelligence of the system is distributed between the central server, the concentrators and the electricity meters. To this end, each meter comprises at least a first processor, a first data memory and a first program memory for bi-directional communication with the associated concentrator. The first data memory serves to at least temporarily store and/or transmit the data which have already undergone a first processing by the first processor. Each of the concentrators comprises a second processor, a second program memory and a second data memory as well as means for a bi-directional communication with a central server. The second data memory serves to temporarily store and/or transmit the data processed by the second processor.

Claims

1. System for the remote acquisition of data and for the remote control of the targets of users spread over a vast territory, comprising:

electricity meters including means to measure the electric energy consumptions and associated with each user,

concentrators, each concentrator being connected to a set of meters by a first means for the bi-directional transmission of data, said concentrators being connected to a central control and supervision unit through a second means for the bi-directional transmission of data,

wherein;

intelligence of the system is distributed between the central unit, the concentrators and the electricity meters;

each meter including means to transduce the measured energy consumption values into measuring data, a first processor to process said measuring data, a first memory, an output of said first processor being connected to said first memory via said first bi-directional transmission means so as to respectively at least temporarily store and/or transmit the processed measuring data processed by the first processor;

each concentrator includes a second microprocessor for further processing said data processed by the meters, a second memory to store the processed data issued by said meters and/or by said second microprocessor, an output of said second processor being connected to said second memory and/or to said second bi-directional transmission means, so as to respectively at least temporarily store and/or transmit said further processed data; and

at least one of the concentrators is configured to identify a repeater path by detecting at least one meter functioning as an intermediate bridge to another meter to permit communication between the other meter and the one concentrator via the repeater path,

wherein at least one of the concentrators is configured to generate a virtual image of at least one of the meters in the set and to update the virtual image based on energy consumption data from the first microprocessor or the first memory in the one meter, the virtual image being accessible by the central unit for determining information associated with the one meter.

2. System for the remote acquisition of data and for the remote control of the distributed targets of users, as in claim 1, wherein the at least one of the concentrators is configured to carry out an exchange of data between the virtual image of the at least one of the meters and the central unit.

3. System for the remote acquisition of data and for the remote control of the distributed targets of users, as in claim 2, wherein the at least one of the concentrators is configured to receive control information and/or program data from the central unit to update the virtual image of the at least one of the meters.

4. A data acquisition and control system, comprising:

multiple electricity meters distributed over a geographical area, each meter including first data processing circuitry for measuring electric energy consumption associated with an associated user and processing the measured consumption to provide energy consumption data,

distributed multiple concentrators, each concentrator including second data processing circuitry for communicating with an associated set of meters including receiving and processing energy consumption data from the first data processing circuitry in each meter in the associated set, and

a central unit for communicating with the concentrators and receiving the processed energy consumption data from the second processing circuitry in each concentrator,

wherein at least one of the concentrators is configured to generate a virtual image of at least one of the meters in the associated set and to update the virtual image based on energy consumption data from the first data processing circuitry in the one meter, the virtual image being accessible by the central unit for determining information associated with the one meter.

5. The data acquisition and control system in claim 4, wherein the at least one of the concentrators is configured to carry out an exchange of data between the virtual image of the at least one of the meters and the central unit.

6. The data acquisition and control system in claim 5, wherein the at least one of the concentrators is configured to receive control information and/or program data from the central unit to update the virtual image of the at least one of the meters.