Virtual smart energy meter with integrated plug

• US 8,378,848 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2010
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digi International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Digi International Inc.
• Inventors: Young, Joel K., Mayne, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US12/823,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20110316717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.07, 340/870.02
• US Class Current: 340/870.07
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/18 Remote displaying of utility meter readings
• 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: 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

Various embodiments include a virtual meter. The virtual meter includes a controller configured to communicate, with a utility meter, meter information, using a first communications protocol. The controller may also be configured to translate between the meter information and virtual meter information. The controller may further be configured to communicate, with a smart energy network, the virtual meter information using a second communications protocol. Other devices and methods are disclosed.

Claims

1. A virtual meter comprising a controller configured to:

communicate, with a utility meter, meter information using a first communications protocol;

translate between meter information and virtual meter information; and

communicate, with a smart energy (SE) network, the virtual meter information using a second communications protocol in order to present the utility meter as a SE utility meter to the SE network, wherein the first communications protocol is an automatic meter reading (AMR) protocol incompatible with the SE network.

2. The virtual meter of claim 1, wherein the virtual meter information conforms to a ZigBee Smart Energy meter profile;

and wherein the meter information does not conform to the ZigBee Smart Energy meter profile.

3. The virtual meter of claim 2, wherein the Smart Energy meter profile conforms to a ZigBee Smart Energy 1.1 standard.

4. The virtual meter of claim 1, wherein the second communications protocol is a wireless mesh network protocol.

5. The virtual meter of claim 4, wherein the wireless mesh network is a ZigBee protocol network.

6. The virtual meter of claim 4, wherein the wireless mesh network implements an IEEE 802.15.4 communication protocol standard for wireless personal area networks (WPANs).

7. The virtual meter of claim 1, wherein the AMR protocol is wireless.

8. The virtual meter of claim 7, wherein the AMR protocol is Itron Encoder-Receiver-Transmitter (ERT).

9. The virtual meter of claim 1, where the virtual meter includes at least one of a SE router, SE gateway, or SE device.

10. A virtual meter comprising:

a housing;

a power plug integrated into the housing, wherein the virtual meter can be mounted to an electrical outlet via the power plug and wherein the virtual meter receives power through the power plug; and

a controller configured to;

communicate, with a utility meter, meter information using a first communications protocol;

translate between the meter information and virtual meter information; and

communicate, with a smart energy (SE) network, the virtual meter information using a second communications protocol in order to present the utility meter as a SE utility meter to the SE network, wherein the first communications protocol is an automatic meter reading (AMR) protocol incompatible with the SE network.

11. The virtual meter of claim 10, wherein the virtual meter includes a locking mechanism to secure the virtual meter to the electrical outlet.

12. The virtual meter of claim 10, wherein the virtual meter information conforms to a ZigBee Smart Energy meter profile;

and wherein the meter information does not conform to the ZigBee Smart Energy meter profile.

13. The virtual meter of claim 12, wherein the Smart Energy meter profile conforms to a ZigBee Smart Energy 1.1 standard.

14. The virtual meter of claim 10, wherein the second communications protocol is a wireless mesh network protocol.

15. The virtual meter of claim 14, wherein the wireless mesh network is a ZigBee protocol network.

16. The virtual meter of claim 14, wherein the wireless mesh network implements an IEEE 802.15.4 communication protocol standard for wireless personal area networks (WPANs).

17. The virtual meter of claim 10, wherein the AMR protocol is wireless.

18. The virtual meter of claim 17, wherein the AMR protocol is Itron Encoder-Receiver -Transmitter (ERT).

19. The virtual meter of claim 10, where the virtual meter includes at least one of a SE router, SE gateway, or SE device.

20. The virtual meter of claim 10, wherein the power plug is interchangeable.

21. A system comprising:

a smart energy (SE) network, the smart energy network implementing a first communications protocol;

a utility meter, the utility meter implementing a second communications protocol, the second communications protocol being an automatic meter reading (AMR) protocol incompatible with the SE network; and

a virtual meter communicatively coupled to the SE network and the utility meter, wherein the virtual meter includes a power plug and a controller configured to;

communicate, with the utility meter, meter information using the first communications protocol;

translate between the meter information and virtual meter information; and

communicate, with the SE network, the virtual meter information using the second communications protocol in order to present the utility meter as a SE utility meter to the SE network; and

wherein the power plug is integrated into a housing of the virtual meter and the virtual meter can be mounted to an electrical outlet via the power plug.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the virtual meter includes a locking mechanism to secure the virtual meter to the electrical outlet.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the virtual meter information conforms to a ZigBee Smart Energy meter profile;

and wherein the meter information does not conform to the ZigBee Smart Energy meter profile.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the Smart Energy meter profile conforms to a ZigBee Smart Energy 1.1 standard.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the first communications protocol is a wireless mesh network protocol.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the wireless mesh network is a ZigBee protocol network.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the wireless mesh network implements an IEEE 802.15.4 communication protocol standard for wireless personal area networks (WPANs).

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the AMR protocol is wireless.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the AMR protocol is Itron Encoder-Receiver-Transmitter (ERT).

30. The system of claim 21, where the virtual meter includes at least one of a SE router, SE gateway, or SE device.

31. In a system having a smart energy (SE) network, a utility meter, and a virtual meter, a method comprising:

communicating, using the virtual meter, in a first format with the utility meter using a first communications protocol;

translating, using the virtual meter, the first format to a second format to create a message, wherein the first and second formats are different; and

communicating, using the virtual meter, the message to the SE network using a second communications protocol in order to present the utility meter as a SE utility meter to the SE network, wherein the first and second communications protocols are different, and wherein the first communications protocol is an automatic meter reading (AMR) protocol incompatible with the SE network.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein communicating in a first format with the utility meter includes:

receiving, from the SE network, a communication for the utility meter in the second format;

translating the communication from the second format to the first format to create a second message; and

communicating the second message to the utility meter.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein translating includes identifying data in the first format that corresponds to parameters of the second format.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the second format conforms to a ZigBee Smart Energy meter profile;

and wherein the meter information does not conform to the ZigBee Smart Energy meter profile.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein the first format conforms to an Itron Encoder-Receiver-Transmitter (ERT) format.