System on a module for smart grid nodes

• US 9,280,505 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2012
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Inventors: Bean, John, Smith, Thomas Benjamin, Barrett, Gregory Shane, Takow, James Ntaribo
• Primary Examiner(s): Golabbakhsh, Ebrahim
• Application Number:
  US13/717,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20140167977A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• 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: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

A system on a module and techniques for use and operation in multiple different smart grid devices and/or nodes are described herein. One example of a system on a module includes a processor, a flash memory device in communication with the processor, and a RAM memory device in communication with the processor. A connector provides an interface to the smart grid device, and includes a plurality of metrology and communications interfaces.

Claims

1. A system, comprising a plurality of smart grid components, including:

a first node, comprising;

a first system-on-a-module, the first system-on-a-module comprising;

a first processor;

a first flash memory device, in communication with the first processor; and

a random access memory (RAM) device, in communication with the first processor; and

first metrology hardware in communication with the first processor; and

a second node comprising;

a second system-on-a-module, the second system-on-a-module comprising;

a second processor; and

a second flash memory device, in communication with the second processor, wherein at least two software layers are defined on the second flash memory device, the at least two software layers comprising;

a first software layer associated with a first network that is used to communicate with the first node; and

a second software layer associated with a second network that is not used to communicate with the first node; and

second metrology hardware in communication with the second processor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first node additionally comprises an interface for use with:

a gateway;

an electrical meter; and

a relay.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first node additionally comprises:

at least three types of communications interfaces; and

a communication module communicatively coupled to the first system-on-a-module;

wherein the first system-on-a-module directs, using commands sent through one of the at least three types of communications interfaces, the communication module to transmit data in a network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first node additionally comprises:

a motherboard controlled by the first system-on-a-module;

a communications module to connect to a network and to communicate metrology information obtained from the first metrology hardware; and

a meter base level printed circuit board (PCB) in communication with the mother board, the meter base level PCB comprising;

a current-carrying elements on the PCB; and

switches to regulate the current on the PCB.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second nodes additionally comprises at least two types of metrology interfaces are selected from among a group consisting of:

a universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART) configured for a one-way messaging (BLURT) protocol;

a watt disc emulator (WDE) configured for general purpose input/output (GPIO); and

a line sync (LSYNC) configured for GPIO.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second node additionally comprises at least three types of communications interfaces, selected from among a group consisting of:

a universal serial bus (USB);

a secure digital input/output (SDIO) interface;

an inter-integrated circuit (I²C) interface;

an analog to digital converter (ADC) channel;

a serial port interface (SPI);

a universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART); and

a general purpose input/output (GPIO).

7. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second node additionally comprises layers of software in respective flash memory devices that comprise:

a presentation layer to include software operable in a first network;

a business layer to include software operable in the first network and a second network; and

a data layer to include software and data structures operable in the first network and the second network;

wherein content in the layers are separately compiled and stored with a file system defined on the flash memory.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second node additionally comprises:

an encryption engine to encrypt and decrypt data in a file system on the flash memory based at least in part on a value unique to the processor.

9. An electric meter, comprising:

a processor;

a flash memory device, in communication with the processor;

a random access memory (RAM) memory device, in communication with the processor;

metrology hardware;

a communications module;

wherein the processor controls operation of;

the metrology hardware within the electric meter to measure consumption data; and

the communications module within the electric meter to transmit the consumption data; and

at least two software layers, defined on the flash memory device, wherein;

a first software layer is configured for use on a first network; and

a second software layer is configured for use on a second network.

10. The electric meter of claim 9, wherein:

the processor, flash memory device and RAM memory device are configured as a system-on-a-module that directs the communication module to transmit and/or receive data.

11. The electric meter of claim 9, additionally comprising:

a universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART) in communication with the processor;

a watt disc emulator (WDE) in communication with the processor; and

a line sync (LSYNC) in communication with the processor.

12. The electric meter of claim 9, wherein the processor, flash memory device and RAM memory device are configured as a system-on-a-module having hardware interfaces for backhaul communications on star networks and on mesh networks and for backhaul communications over a direct cellular connection, radio frequency (RF) and power line communications (PLC).

13. The electric meter of claim 9, wherein:

the processor, flash memory device and RAM memory device are configured as a system-on-a-module having hardware interfaces to communications devices operable on star and mesh networks; and

the processor is configured to provide instructions over at least one of the hardware interfaces to the communications devices.

14. The electric meter of claim 9, additionally comprising an encryption engine to encrypt and decrypt data in a file system on the flash memory device based on an internal value unique to the processor.

15. A system-on-a-module, comprising:

a processor;

a flash memory device, in communication with the processor, the flash memory device comprising at least two software layers that are defined on the flash memory device, wherein;

a first software layer is configured for use on a first network; and

a second software layer is configured for use on a second network;

a RAM memory device, in communication with the processor;

a metrology interface to control metrology hardware and to obtain consumption data, the metrology hardware external to the system-on-a-module; and

a communications interface to control communications hardware and to transmit and receive data, the communications hardware external to the system-on-a-module;

wherein the processor is configured to format the consumption data and to direct the communications hardware to transmit the formatted consumption data.

16. A star network, comprising a plurality of network devices, each comprising the system-on-a-module of claim 15,

wherein the system-on-a-module controls direct cellular connection communications hardware.

17. A mesh network, comprising a plurality of network devices, each comprising the system-on-a-module of claim 15,

wherein the system-on-a-module controls radio frequency (RF) communications hardware to communicate with at least one adjacent node.

18. A smart grid component, comprising:

the system-on-a-module of claim 15;

the communications hardware, in communication with the processor;

wherein the system-on-a-module directs operation of the communication hardware.