Smart meter system communication methods

• US 10,321,209 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2017
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Technological University
• Original Assignee: International Technological University
• Inventors: Wang, Karl L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhao, Wei
• Application Number:
  US15/452,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20170180831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• 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 implemented by a smart meter, comprising:

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

wherein the smart meter calibration command includes at least one of;

a communication type identification field or a first command value field including at least one of;

a first voltage field V_CAL, a first current field I_CAL, or a first energy field T_CAL, and

wherein the smart meter calibration command initiates at least one of;

voltage, current, or energy calibrations in the smart meter; and

sending, by the smart meter, a smart meter calibration response message to the coordinator,

wherein the smart meter calibration response message includes at least one of;

the communication type identification field, an operation status field, or a second command value field, and

wherein the second command value field includes at least one of;

a second voltage field MAG_V, a second current field MAG_I, or 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 smart meter, 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.

7. The data communication method of claim 1, wherein the coordinator receives the smart meter calibration command from a local server.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a smart meter to perform operations comprising:

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

wherein the smart meter calibration command includes at least one of;

a communication type identification field or a first command value field including at least one of;

a first voltage field V_CAL, a first current field I_CAL, or a first energy field T_CAL, and

wherein the smart meter calibration command initiates at least one of;

voltage, current, or energy calibrations in the smart meter; and

sending, by the smart meter, a smart meter calibration response message to the coordinator,

wherein the smart meter calibration response message includes at least one of;

the communication type identification field, an operation status field, or a second command value field, and

wherein the second command value field includes at least one of;

a second voltage field MAG_V, a second current field MAG_I, or a second energy field T_EFF.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein in response to the smart meter calibration command being received by the smart meter, the smart meter calibration response message is generated and sent to the coordinator.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the communication type identification field is set to CALIBRATE in both the smart meter calibration command and the smart meter calibration response message.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the MAG_V is calculated by dividing the V_CAL by a measured average voltage root-mean-square of N-samples.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the MAG_I is calculated by dividing the I_CAL by a measured average current root-mean-square of N-samples.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, 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.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the coordinator receives the smart meter calibration command from a local server.

15. A smart meter, comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing executable instructions that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the smart meter to perform operations comprising;

receiving, by the smart meter, a smart meter calibration command from a coordinator, wherein the smart meter calibration command includes at least one of;

a communication type identification field or a first command value field including at least one of;

a first voltage field V_CAL, a first current field I_CAL, or a first energy field T_CAL, and wherein the smart meter calibration command initiates at least one of;

voltage, current, or energy calibrations in the smart meter; and

sending, by the smart meter, a smart meter calibration response message to the coordinator, wherein the smart meter calibration response message includes at least one of;

the communication type identification field, an operation status field, or a second command value field, and wherein the second command value field includes at least one of;

a second voltage field MAG_V, a second current field MAG_I, or a second energy field T_EFF.

16. The smart meter of claim 15, wherein in response to the smart meter calibration command being received by the smart meter, the smart meter calibration response message is generated and sent to the coordinator.

17. The smart meter of claim 15, wherein the communication type identification field is set to CALIBRATE in both the smart meter calibration command and the smart meter calibration response message.

18. The smart meter of claim 15, wherein the MAG_V is calculated by dividing the V_CAL by a measured average voltage root-mean-square of N-samples.

19. The smart meter of claim 15, wherein the MAG_I is calculated by dividing the I_CAL by a measured average current root-mean-square of N-samples.

20. The smart meter of claim 15, 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.