Method, system and device of multicast functionality in an energy portal

• US 9,240,895 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2011
• Issued: 01/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Ree, Bradley Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Backer, Firmin
• Assistant Examiner(s): MURPHY, JEROLD B
• Application Number:
  US13/273,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20130093601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,559 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• 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

Described herein are embodiments of methods, systems and devices of providing multicast functionality through an energy portal such as a meter, which reduces bandwidth required for communication between the energy portal and a server. In accordance with one aspect, a method is provided of providing multicast functionality through an energy portal, which reduces bandwidth required for communication between the energy portal and a server. In one embodiment, the method includes: receiving, over a first network, a single message, wherein the single message includes at least one device characteristic; determining, using a processor, one or more devices associated with the at least one device characteristic, wherein each of the one or more devices are connected to a second network; and transmitting the single message over the second network to each of the one or more devices associated with the at least one device characteristic, wherein the single message is transmitted individually to each of the one or more devices associated with the at least one device characteristic such that the single message is transmitted as many times as there are devices associated with the at least one device characteristic.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a meter and over a first network, a single message, wherein the single message includes a unique meter identifier associated with the meter, an indicator of a device type, and at least one device characteristic;

detecting, using a processor, the indicator;

identifying, using the processor, the device type using the indicator;

determining, using a processor, one or more devices of the device type, wherein each of the one or more devices of the device type is connected to a second network, wherein the one or more devices of the device type are a subset of all devices connected to the second network, and wherein the determining comprises associating, in a database, the at least one device characteristic and the unique meter identifier with one or more unique device identifiers associated with each of the one or more devices of the device type; and

transmitting the single message over the second network to each of the one or more devices of the device type to control the at least one device characteristic of each of the one or more devices of the device type, wherein the single message is transmitted individually to each of the one or more devices of the device type such that the single message is transmitted as many times as there are devices of the device type, and wherein each of the one or more devices of the device type is configured to detect the indicator.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a participation notice over the HAN from each of the one or more devices of the load type that received the single message.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising transmitting a log of the participation notices as a singular instance over the first network, wherein the log includes an address for each of the one or more devices of the device type that has sent the participation notice.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising compressing the log prior to transmitting the log of the participation notices as a singular instance over the first network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving over the first network, the single message comprises receiving the single message including one or more device characteristics of load control, pricing and messaging.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, over the first network, the single message comprises receiving the single message over an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, using the processor, one or more devices of the load type associated with the at least one device characteristic comprises comparing, using the processor, the at least one device characteristic contained in the single message with respective device characteristics of each of the one or more devices connected to the second network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more devices of the device type comprise one or more of an in-home energy display, a programmable thermostat, a demand response load controller, or a prepayment terminal.

9. A system comprised of:

a first network;

a computing device connected to the first network;

a second network;

one or more devices connected to the second network;

an energy portal, wherein the energy portal comprises a network interface, a memory, and a processor, wherein the network interface connects the energy portal with the first network and the second network, and wherein the processor is configured to;

receive, using the network interface and over the first network, a single message,

wherein the single message includes a unique meter identifier associated with the meter,

an indicator of a device type, and at least one device characteristic;

detect the indicator;

identify the device type based on the indicator included in the single message;

determine one or more devices that are connected to the second network that are of the device type, wherein the one or more devices of the device type are a subset of all devices connected to the second network, and wherein the determining comprises associating, in a database, the at least one device characteristic and the unique meter identifier with one or more unique device identifiers associated with each of the one or more devices of the device type; and

transmit, using the network interface, the single message over the second network to each of the one or more devices of the device type to control the at least one device characteristic of each of the one or more devices of the device type, wherein the single message is transmitted individually to each of the one or more devices of the device type such that the single message is transmitted as many times as there are devices of the device type, and wherein each of the one or more devices of the device type is configured to detect the indicator.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to receive, using the network interface, a participation notice over the second network from each of the one or more devices of the device type that has sent the participation notice.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising storing on the memory a log of the received participation notices and transmitting the log of the participation notices as a singular instance over the first network, wherein the log includes an address for each of the one or more devices of the device type that has sent the participation notice.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the log is compressed prior to transmitting the log of participation notices as a singular instance over the first network.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the device characteristics comprise one or more of load control, pricing, and messaging.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the first network comprises an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) network.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to determine one or more devices of the load type associated with the at least one device characteristic by comparing the at least one device characteristic contained in the single message with respective device characterictics of each of the one or more devices connected to the second network stored in the memory.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more devices of the device type comprise one or more of an in-home energy display, a programmable thermostat, a demand response load controller, or a prepayment terminal.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the energy portal comprises a utility meter.

18. An energy portal comprised of:

a network interface;

a memory; and

a processor, wherein the network interface connects the energy portal with a first network and a second network, and wherein the processor is configured to;

receive, using the network interface and over the first network, a single message,

wherein the single message includes a unique meter identifier associated with the meter,

an indicator of a device type, and at least one device characteristic;

detect the indicator;

identify the device type using the indicator;

determine one or more of the devices that are connected to the second network that are of the device type wherein the one or more devices of the device type are a subset of all devices connected to the second network, and wherein the processor is further configured to associate, in a database, the at least one device characteristic and the unique meter identifier with one or more unique device identifiers associated with each of the one or more devices of the device type; and

transmit, using the network interface, the single message over the second network to each of the one or more devices of the devices type to control the at least one device characteristic of each of the one or more devices of the device type, wherein the single message is transmitted individually to each of the one or more devices of the device type such that the single message is transmitted as many times as there are devices of the devices type, and wherein each of the one or more devices of the device type is configured to detect the indicator.

19. The energy portal of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to receive, using the network interface, a participation notice over the second network from each of the one or more devices of the device type that received the single message.

20. The energy portal of claim 19, further comprising storing on the memory a log of the received participation notices and transmitting the log of the participation notices as a singular instance over the first network, wherein the log includes an address for each of the one or more devices of the device type that has sent the participation notice.

21. The energy portal of claim 20, wherein the log is compressed prior to transmitting the log of the participation notices as a singular instance over the first network.

22. The energy portal of claim 18, wherein the device characteristics comprise one or more of load control, pricing, and messaging.

23. The energy portal of claim 18, wherein the first network comprises an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) network.

24. The energy portal of claim 18, wherein the processor is configured to determine one or more devices of the device type associated with the at least one device characteristic by comparing the at least one device characteristic contained in the single message with respective device characteristics of each of the one or more devices connected to the second network stored in memory.

25. The energy portal of claim 18, wherein the one or more devices of the device type comprise one or more of an in-home energy display, a programmable thermostat, a demand response load controller, or a prepayment terminal.

26. The energy portal of claim 18, wherein the energy portal comprises a meter.