Systems and methods for providing remote monitoring of electricity consumption for an electric meter

• US 20020019712A1
• Filed: 08/09/2001
• Published: 02/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SIPCO LLC (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Statsignal Systems Incorporated (Statsignal)
• Inventors: Petite, Thomas D., Huff, Richard M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,836,737 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/61
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/00 Arrangements for measuring time integral of electric power or current, e.g. electricity meters
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/40 Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/42 Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/51 Remote controlling of devices based on replies, status thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00022 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• 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: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• 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: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/30 State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 : Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 : Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them

Abstract

A system for providing remote monitoring of electricity consumption is provided. Briefly described, in one embodiment the system may comprise a plurality of electric meters, a plurality of communication devices having a unique address and defining a wireless communication network, and a site controller. Each of the plurality of electric meters may be configured to measure the electricity consumption of a load attached to the electric meter. Each of the plurality of communication devices may be associated with one of the plurality of electric meters and configured to receive data related to the electricity consumption of the electric meter data and generate a transmit message using a predefined communication protocol being implemented by the wireless communication network. The transmit message may comprise the unique identifier and the data related to the electricity consumption of the electric meter. The site controller may be configured for communication with the wireless communication network and configured to receive the transmit message from one of the plurality of communication devices, identify the electric meter associated with the transmit message, and provide information related to the transmit message to a wide area network for delivery to a host computer.

Claims

1. A communication device adapted for use in an automated monitoring system for providing remote monitoring of electricity consumption, the automated monitoring system comprising a site controller in communication with a plurality of electric meters via a wireless communication network and in communication with a host computer via a wide area network, the communication device comprising:

a data interface configured to receive data related to the electricity consumption of an electric meter;

memory comprising a unique identifier corresponding to the electric meter;

logic configured to receive the data related to the electricity consumption of the electric meter, retrieve the unique identifier corresponding to the electric meter, and generate a transmit message using a predefined communication protocol being implemented by the wireless communication network, the transmit message comprising the unique identifier and the data related to the electricity consumption of the electric meter and configured such that the transmit message may be received by the site controller via the wireless communication network and such that the site controller may identify the electric meter and notify the host computer of the transmit message; and

a wireless transceiver configured for communication over the wireless communication network and configured to provide the transmit signal to the wireless communication network and receive messages from the wireless communication network.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the logic is stored in memory and the device further comprises a microcontroller configured to implement the logic.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless transmitter is configured to provide the transmit signal as a radio frequency signal.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless transmitter is configured to provide the transmit signal as a low power radio frequency signal.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the data interface is adapted for use with an electromechanical electric meter which measures the electricity consumption associated with the electric meter via a meter wheel and the received data related to the electricity consumption of the electric meter corresponds to a number of rotations of the meter wheel.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the predefined communication protocol comprises a data packet comprising:

a receiver address identifying the receiver of the data packet;

a sender address identifying the sender of the data packet; and

a command indicator specifying a predefined command code;

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the data packet further comprises a data payload and a checksum field for performing a redundancy check.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the data packet further comprises:

a packet length indicator which indicates a total number of bytes in the current packet;

a total packet indicator which indicates the total number of packets in the current message; and

a current packet indicator which identifies the current packet; and

a message number identifying the current message.

9. A device for measuring electricity consumption, the device adapted for use in an automated monitoring system for providing remote monitoring of electricity consumption, the automated monitoring system comprising a site controller in communication with a plurality of electric meters via a wireless communication network and in communication with a host computer via a wide area network, the communication device comprising:

an electric meter configured for measuring the electricity consumption of a load associated with the electric meter;

a data interface configured to receive data related to the electricity consumption of the electric meter;

memory comprising a unique identifier corresponding to the electric meter;

logic configured to receive the data related to the electricity consumption of the electric meter, retrieve the unique identifier corresponding to the electric meter, and generate a transmit message using a predefined communication protocol being implemented by the wireless communication network, the transmit message comprising the unique identifier and the data related to the electricity consumption of the electric meter and configured such that the transmit message may be received by the site controller via the wireless communication network and such that the site controller may identify the electric meter and notify the host computer of the transmit message; and

a wireless transceiver configured for communication over the wireless communication network and configured to provide the transmit signal to the wireless communication network and receive messages from the wireless communication network.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the logic is stored in memory and the device further comprises a microcontroller configured to implement the logic.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the wireless transmitter is configured to provide the transmit signal as a radio frequency signal.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the wireless transmitter is configured to provide the transmit signal as a low power radio frequency signal.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the electric meter measures the electricity consumption associated with the electric meter via an electromagnetic meter wheel and the received data related to the electricity consumption of the electric meter corresponds to a number of rotations of the meter wheel.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the predefined communication protocol comprises a data packet comprising:

a receiver address identifying the receiver of the data packet;

a sender address identifying the sender of the data packet; and

a command indicator specifying a predefined command code;

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the data packet further comprises a data payload and a checksum field for performing a redundancy check.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the data packet further comprises:

a packet length indicator which indicates a total number of bytes in the current packet;

a total packet indicator which indicates the total number of packets in the current message; and

a current packet indicator which identifies the current packet; and

a message number identifying the current message.

18. The device of claim 17, further comprising a means for receiving command messages from the wireless communication network.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the means for receiving data related to the electricity consumption of the electric meter is adapted for use with an electric meter which measures the electricity consumption via an electromagnetic means.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein the predefined communication protocol comprises a data packet comprising:

a means for identifying the receiver of the data packet;

a means for identifying the sender of the data packet; and

a command means for specifying a predefined command code;

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the data packet further comprises:

a means for indicating a total number of bytes in the current packet;

a mean for indicating the total number of packets in the current message; and

a means for identifying the current packet; and

a means for identifying the current message.

17. A communication device adapted for use in an automated monitoring system for providing remote monitoring of electricity consumption, the automated monitoring system comprising a site controller in communication with a plurality of electric meters via a wireless communication network and in communication with a host computer via a wide area network, the communication device comprising:

a means for receiving data related to the electricity consumption of an electric meter;

a means for storing a unique identifier corresponding to the electric meter;

a means for receiving the data related to the electricity consumption of the electric meter, retrieving the unique identifier corresponding to the electric meter, and generating a transmit message using a predefined communication protocol being implemented by the wireless communication network, the transmit message comprising the unique identifier and the data related to the electricity consumption of the electric meter and configured such that the transmit message may be received by the site controller via the wireless communication network and such that the site controller may identify the electric meter and notify the host computer of the transmit message; and

a means for transmitting the transmit signal to the wireless communication network.

22. A device for measuring the electricity consumption corresponding to a load associated with the electric meter, the electric meter adapted for use in an automated monitoring system for providing remote monitoring of electricity consumption, the automated monitoring system comprising a site controller in communication with a plurality of electric meters via a wireless communication network and in communication with a host computer via a wide area network, the communication device comprising:

a means for measuring the electricity consumption of a load;

a means for receiving data related to the electricity consumption of the electric meter;

a means for storing a unique identifier corresponding to the means for measuring the electricity consumption of the load;

a means for receiving the data related to the electricity consumption of the electric meter, retrieving the unique identifier corresponding to the electric meter, and generating a transmit message using a predefined communication protocol being implemented by the wireless communication network, the transmit message comprising the unique identifier and the data related to the electricity consumption of the electric meter and configured such that the transmit message may be received by the site controller via the wireless communication network and such that the site controller may identify the electric meter and notify the host computer of the transmit message; and

a wireless transceiver configured for communication over the wireless communication network and configured to provide the transmit signal to the wireless communication network and receive messages from the wireless communication network.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the means for measuring the electricity consumption of the load is an electromechanical means.

24. The device of claim 22, wherein the predefined communication protocol comprises a data packet comprising:

a means for identifying the receiver of the data packet;

a means for identifying the sender of the data packet; and

a command means for specifying a predefined command code;

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the data packet further comprises:

a means for indicating a total number of bytes in the current packet;

a means for indicating the total number of packets in the current message; and

a means for identifying the current packet; and

a means for identifying the current message.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the site controller is further configured to provide a command message to one of the plurality of communication devices and, in response, the one of the plurality of communication devices provides the transmit message corresponding to the command message.

28. The system of claim 26, further comprising the host computer.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the command message is provided to the site controller by the host computer.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein the host computer is configured to enable a user associated with one of the plurality of electric meters to initiate the command message via the wide area network.

31. The device of claim 26, wherein the predefined communication protocol comprises a data packet comprising:

a receiver address identifying the receiver of the data packet;

a sender address identifying the sender of the data packet; and

a command indicator specifying a predefined command code;

32. The device of claim 31, wherein the data packet further comprises a data payload and a checksum field for performing a redundancy check.

33. The device of claim 32, wherein the data packet further comprises:

a packet length indicator which indicates a total number of bytes in the current packet;

a total packet indicator which indicates the total number of packets in the current message; and

a current packet indicator which identifies the current packet; and

a message number identifying the current message.

26. A system for providing remote monitoring of electricity consumption, the system comprising:

a plurality of electric meters, each of the plurality of electric meters configured to measure the electricity consumption of a load attached to the electric meter;

a plurality of communication devices having a unique address and defining a wireless communication network, each of the plurality of communication devices associated with one of the plurality of electric meters and configured to receive data related to the electricity consumption of the electric meter data and generate a transmit message using a predefined communication protocol being implemented by the wireless communication network the transmit message comprising the unique identifier and the data related to the electricity consumption of the electric meter; and

a site controller configured for communication with the wireless communication network and configured to receive the transmit message from one of the plurality of communication devices, identify the electric meter associated with the transmit message, and provide information related to the transmit message to a wide area network for delivery to a host computer.

34. A system for providing remote monitoring of electricity consumption, the system comprising:

a plurality of means for measuring the electricity consumption of an attached load;

a plurality of communication means having a unique address and defining a wireless communication network, each of the plurality of communication means associated with one of the plurality of means for measuring the electricity consumption comprising a means for receiving data related to the electricity consumption of the electric meter data and a means for generating a transmit message using a predefined communication protocol being implemented by the wireless communication network, the transmit message comprising the unique identifier and the data related to the electricity consumption of the electric meter; and

a means for receiving the transmit message from one of the plurality of communication devices, identifying the electric meter associated with the transmit message, and providing information related to the transmit message to a wide area network for delivery to a host computer.