Smart meter system communication methods

• US 9,612,133 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2014
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Technological University
• Original Assignee: International Technological University
• Inventors: Wang, Karl L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhao, Wei
• Application Number:
  US14/330,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20160011006A1
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: 370220
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 18/00 Testing or calibrating apparatus or arrangements provided for in groups G01D1/00 - G01D15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/26 Route discovery packet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• 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: 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

An improved data packet design that can be used in a variety of data communication standards used in smart meter systems is disclosed. In an embodiment a smart meter system that comprises of a local server, a coordinator and a plurality of smart meters in the many-to-one data communication system configuration. The smart meter uses a variety of types of radio frequency data packets. The data packets contain the commands, parameters, and data for system control and data transmission. The data packet designs are disclosed for a route discovery command, a get parameter command, a set parameter command, a get data command, a reset command, a relay command, a start command, and a calibration command that are used in the smart meter system.

Claims

1. A data communication method within a smart meter system, the smart meter system including a local server, a coordinator coupled to the local server, and a plurality of smart meters communicatively coupled to the coordinator, the method comprising:

receiving, by the coordinator, a smart meter calibration command from the local server,

wherein the smart meter calibration command includes a communication type identification field and a first command value field, and

wherein the first command value field includes a first voltage field V_CAL, a first current field I_CAL, and a first energy field T_CAL;

sending, by the coordinator, the smart meter calibration command to one or more addressed smart meters of the plurality of smart meters,

wherein the smart meter calibration command initiates voltage, current, and energy calibrations in the one or more addressed smart meters; and

receiving, by the coordinator, a smart meter calibration response message from the one or more addressed smart meters,

wherein the smart meter calibration response message includes the communication type identification field, an operation status field, and a second command value field, and

wherein the second command value field includes a second voltage field MAG_V, a second current field MAG_I, and a second energy field T_EFF.

2. The data communication method of claim 1, wherein in response to the smart meter calibration command being received by the one or more addressed smart meters, the smart meter calibration response message is generated and sent to the coordinator.

3. The data communication method of claim 1, wherein the communication type identification field is set to CALIBRATE in both the smart meter calibration command and the smart meter calibration response message.

4. The data communication method of claim 1, wherein the MAG_V is calculated by dividing the V_CAL by a measured average voltage root-mean-square of N-samples.

5. The data communication method of claim 1, wherein the MAG_I is calculated by dividing the I_CAL by a measured average current root-mean-square of N-samples.

6. The data communication method of claim 1, wherein the T_EFF is calculated by dividing a calibration ENERGY value measured in a time period T_CAL by a measured POWER 47 and a number of cycles in the T_CAL.