Intelligent electronic device for receiving and sending data at high speeds over a network

• US 9,080,894 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2008
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EI Electronics LLC (Hubbell, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Electro Industries/Gaugetech
• Inventors: Spanier, Joseph, Wang, Wei, Siqueira da Silva, Dulciane
• Primary Examiner(s): SOMERS, MARC S
• Application Number:
  US12/061,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20080235355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,658 Days
• Field of Search: 707/600, 707/602, 707/705, 707/736, 707/755, 707/821, 707/822
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/2513 Arrangements for monitoring electric power systems, e.g. power lines or loads; Logging
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/10 using digital techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/116 Details of conversion of file system types or formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1847 specifically adapted to static storage, e.g. adapted to flash memory or SSD
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1865 Transactional file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2358 Change logging, detection, and notification replication G06F16/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0655 Vertical data movement, i.e. input-output transfer; data movement between one or more hosts and one or more storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0688 Non-volatile semiconductor memory arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• 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

The present disclosure provides methods and systems for improving a data transfer rate from an intelligent electronic device (IED) to external PC clients, via a network interface. In one embodiment, an FTP based approach is disclosed which allows for significant optimization of download speeds providing as much a 100 times the download speed capability. In accordance with one aspect of present disclosure, an improved data rate is achieved by utilizing a high-speed transfer protocol, such as the FTP protocol in conjunction with a novel file system incorporated into the IED.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

enabling a remote client to poll an intelligent electronic device (IED) to obtain feedback data concerning the current state of entries in a plurality of logs which are stored in a storage file system of the IED, the IED being configured to measure electrical parameters of electrical energy usage at a customer location;

parsing the feedback data at the remote client to determine whether new entries have been entered in the logs since a previous polling step and, if it is determined that new entries have been entered, then determining a range of records to be retrieved for each of the logs;

communicatively connecting to the IED from the remote client via an IED connection port;

retrieving IED identification information from the IED by the remote client and using a first portion of the IED identification information to determine features that are supported by a version of firmware of the IED;

retrieving a programmable settings file from the IED by the remote client;

using the retrieved programmable settings file at the remote client to calculate a file mapping of each log stored in the storage file system of the IED, each file mapping including information regarding which files are stored in which logs and the location of records in each file;

enabling the remote client to use a second portion of the IED identification information to create a log storage directory;

retrieving, by the remote client, header files from the IED, wherein the header files are associated with the logs in a one-to-one relationship, the header files including information pertaining to the layout of records in the logs;

retrieving log files based on information included in the retrieved header files; and

parsing records, by the remote client, from the retrieved log files.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing the retrieved programmable settings file in a non-volatile memory in the IED.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of parsing the records from the retrieved log files further comprises the step of initializing internal data structures allocated to accommodate data fields of the parsed log files.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the IED identification information comprises a factory assigned serial number.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of storing the retrieved log files in an intermediate data format at the remote client subsequent to the step of parsing the records from the retrieved log files.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the intermediate data format comprises at least one of a Comma Separated Value (CSV) file format and a Binary Log Records file format.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of analyzing, converting, and storing the log files in the intermediate data format in a database file.

8. A remote client system comprising:

a command channel port configured to transfer data to an intelligent electronic device (IED) and receive data from the IED, the IED being configured to measure electrical parameters of electrical energy usage at a customer location; and

a log retrieval system configured to;

poll the IED to obtain a status response concerning a current status of the entries in a plurality of logs stored in a storage file system of the IED;

determine from the status response whether new entries have been entered in the logs since a previous polling step and, if it is determined that new entries have been entered, then determine a range of records to be retrieved for each log;

open the command channel port to establish a log retrieval session with the IED;

retrieve IED identification information from the IED and use a first portion of the IED identification information to determine features that are supported by a version of firmware of the IED;

retrieve a programmable settings file from the IED;

calculate, using the retrieved programmable settings file, a file mapping of each log stored in the storage file system of the IED, each file mapping including information regarding which files are stored in which logs and the location of records in each file;

use a second portion of the IED identification information to create a log storage directory;

retrieve header files from the IED, the header files being associated with the logs in a one-to-one relationship and including information pertaining to the layout of records in the logs;

retrieve log files based on information included in the header files; and

parse records from the log files.

9. The remote client system according to claim 8, wherein the command channel port utilizes a File Transfer Protocol (FTP).

10. The remote client system according to claim 8, wherein the log retrieval system comprises a communicator application, a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) log retrieval application, a log converter application, and a log viewer application.

11. The remote client system according to claim 8, wherein the log retrieval system is further configured to initialize internal data structures allocated to accommodate data fields of the parsed log files.

12. The remote client system according to claim 8, wherein the IED identification information comprises a factory assigned serial number.

13. The remote client system according to claim 8, further comprising system memory configured to store the parsed log files in an intermediate data format.

14. The remote client system according to claim 13, wherein the intermediate data format comprises at least one of a Comma Separated Value (CSV) file format and a Binary Log Records file format.

15. The remote client system according to claim 13, further comprising a database, wherein the log retrieval system is further configured to analyze, convert, and store the parsed log file records in the intermediate data format in the database.

16. A system comprising:

an intelligent electronic device (IED) configured to monitor and determine power usage of a load within a power distribution system, the IED comprising;

a plurality of sensors coupled to a plurality of phases of the power distribution system, the plurality of sensors configured to sense electrical parameters of the power distributed by the power distribution system to the load;

a storage file system configured to store logs representing the sensed electrical parameters; and

a communication device;

a client system configured to retrieve and process the logs stored in the storage file system of the IED, the client system comprising a command channel port and a log retrieval system; and

a network in communication with the communication device of the IED and the command channel port of the client system, the network configured to enable the IED to transfer data via the communication device to the client system and to enable the client system to transfer data via the command channel port to the IED;

wherein the log retrieval system of the client system is configured to;

poll the IED to obtain a status response concerning a current status of entries in the logs stored in the storage file system of the IED;

determine from the status response whether new entries have been entered in the logs since a previous polling process and determine a range of records to be retrieved for each log if it is determined that new entries have been entered;

open the command channel port to establish a log retrieval session with the IED;

retrieve IED identification information from the IED and using a first portion of the IED identification information to determine features that are supported by a version of firmware of the IED;

retrieve a programmable settings file from the IED;

use the retrieved programmable settings file to calculate a file mapping of each log stored in the storage file system of the IED;

using a second portion of the IED identification information to create a log storage directory in which to store the logs;

retrieve log header files from the IED, the log header files being associated with the logs in a one-to-one relationship and including layout information pertaining to a layout of records in the logs;

retrieve log file records based on information included in the log header files; and

parse the log file records.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the command channel port utilizes a File Transfer Protocol (FTP).

18. The system according to claim 16, wherein the log retrieval system comprises a communicator application, a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) log retrieval application, a log converter application, and a log viewer application.

19. The system according to claim 16, wherein the log retrieval system is further configured to initialize internal data structures allocated to accommodate data fields of the parsed log file records.

20. The system according to claim 16, wherein the IED identification information comprises a customer-assigned IED meter designation and a factory-assigned serial number.

21. The system according to claim 16, further comprising system memory configured to store the parsed log file records in an intermediate data format.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein the intermediate data format comprises at least one of a Comma Separated Value (CSV) file format and a Binary Log Records file format.

23. The system according to claim 21, further comprising a database, wherein the log retrieval system is further configured to analyze, convert, and store the parsed log file records in the intermediate data format in the database.

24. A method comprising the steps of:

polling, by a remote client via a network, an intelligent electronic device (IED) to obtain feedback data concerning the current state of entries in a plurality of logs which are stored in a storage file system of the IED, the IED being configured to measure electrical parameters of electrical energy usage at a customer location;

parsing the feedback data at the remote client to determine whether new entries have been entered in the logs since a previous polling step and, if it is determined that new entries have been entered, then determining a range of records to be retrieved for each of the logs;

retrieving, by the remote client, IED identification information from the IED;

enabling the remote client to utilize a first portion of the IED identification information to determine features that are supported by a version of firmware of the IED;

enabling the remote client to utilize a second portion of the IED identification information to create a log storage directory;

retrieving a programmable settings file from the IED by the remote client;

using the retrieved programmable settings file at the remote client to calculate a file mapping of each log stored in the storage file system of the IED, each file mapping including information regarding which files are stored in which logs and the location of records in each file;

retrieving, by the remote client, header files from the IED, wherein the header files are associated with the logs in a one-to-one relationship, the header files including information pertaining to the layout of records in the logs; and

retrieving log files based on information included in the retrieved header files.

25. The method according to claim 24, further comprising storing the retrieved programmable settings file in a non-volatile memory in the IED.

26. The method according to claim 24, further comprising the step of parsing records, by the remote client, from the retrieved log files.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the step of parsing the records from the retrieved log files further comprises the step of initializing internal data structures allocated to accommodate data fields of the parsed log files.

28. The method according to claim 26, further comprising the step of storing the retrieved log files in an intermediate data format at the remote client subsequent to the step of parsing the records from the retrieved log files.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the intermediate data format comprises at least one of a Comma Separated Value (CSV) file format, a Binary Log Records file format, an eXtensible Markup Language (XML) file format, an American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) file format and a Modbus file format.

30. A system comprising:

an intelligent electronic device (IED) configured to monitor and determine power usage of a load within a power distribution system, the IED comprising;

a plurality of sensors coupled to a plurality of phases of the power distribution system, the plurality of sensors configured to sense electrical parameters of the power distributed by the power distribution system to the load;

a storage file system configured to store logs representing the sensed electrical parameters; and

at least one processor configured to act as a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server, the FTP server provides access to the storage file system via a first communication device;

a client system configured to retrieve and process the logs stored in the storage file system of the IED, the client system comprising a second communication device and a log retrieval system, the log retrieval system configured to;

poll the IED to obtain feedback data concerning the current state of entries in the logs stored in the storage file system of the IED;

retrieve IED identification information from the IED;

utilize a first portion of the IED identification information to determine features that are supported by a version of firmware of the IED;

utilize a second portion of the IED identification information to create a log storage directory in which to store the logs;

retrieve a programmable settings file from the IED; and

use the programmable settings file to calculate a file mapping of each log stored in the storage file system of the IED; and

a network in communication with the first communication device of the IED and second communication device of the client system, the network configured to enable the IED to transfer data via the first communication device to the client system and to enable the client system to transfer data via the second communication device to the IED.

31. The system according to claim 30, wherein the at least one processor of the IED is configured to convert a command from the client system into an FTP command for accessing the storage file system.

32. The system according to claim 30, wherein the at least one processor of the IED is configured to convert a virtual command file from the client system into an FTP command for accessing the storage file system.

33. The system according to claim 30, wherein the storage file system is configured as a FAT32 file system.

34. The system according to claim 30, wherein the storage file system is configured as a flat file system.