Demand reporting of electricity consumption by radio in relays to a base station, and demand relays wattmeters so reporting over a wide area

• US 6,078,785 A
• Filed: 10/15/1996
• Issued: 06/20/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bush E. William
• Original Assignee: Bush E. William
• Inventors: Bush, E. William
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, NGUYEN THANH
• Application Number:
  US08/731,299
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• Field of Search: 340/890.02, 340/870.03, 340/825.06, 340/10.1, 370/389, 370/392, 370/393, 455/7, 455/9, 455/13.1, 455/67.1, 455/445, 455/11.1, 455/412, 455/450, 455/446
• US Class Current: 455/7
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/45 Utility meters networked together within a single building
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• 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

A great number (typically over 1 million) radio-communicating monitors of electricity consumption (typically all-electronic computerized wattmeters) distributed over a large geographical area (typically over 4500 square miles) communicate over radio frequency band (typically V.H.F. band at a one of three different frequencies) to multiple (typically over 45) regional central stations. Communication both to and from distant monitors is multi-path multi-link radio through intervening monitors, commonly located each in an associated annular concentric ring centered about a regional central station. Individual monitors from 0 to typically 5.64 miles distance from regional central stations are individually interrogated of typically 25 bytes information in typically up to 5 relays both outgoing and incoming during a time interval of up to typically 9.78 seconds at data transfer rates of typically 6 kbaud/second. Some 1.2 million monitors, called "demand relay meters" can typically be read out in 55 hours. Any individual demand relay meter can be accessed for instantaneous electrical consumption, and well as a demand profile history, for load monitoring and for load-sensitive billing purposes.

Claims

1. A communications method where a great multiplicity of geographically-distributed monitors of the use of electricity report the amounts and times of use of the electricity by radio upon and responsively to successive demands originating from an associated one of a plurality of regional central stations, the communications method comprising:

assigning to each of the great multiplicity of geographically-distributed monitors of the use of electricity a unique identification, to which unique identification each monitor will uniquely respond when addressed by radio of an appropriate frequency;

classifying each of a multiplicity of geographically-distributed monitors out of the great multiplicity of monitors to be within a particular one geographical zone out of a plurality of such zones, each of which zones is geographically adjacent to no more than six other zones and each of which zones has a regional central station, the monitors of each geographical zone responding to radio only of a particular frequency out of a plurality of radio frequencies;

wherein only three different radio frequencies need be used to preclude that the monitors of any one zone will not respond to the radio frequency of any adjacent zone;

addressing from the regional central station of each zone, in sequence and upon successive known times, each of the multiplicity of the geographically-distributed monitors within that zone by sending at a one of the plurality of radio frequencies a demand message string including

a unique address of each of any number of selected geographically intervening monitors as do, in total, provide a outward communications relay path from the regional central station to a terminus monitor within the zone,

a command to each such outward-relay-path monitor so informing it that it is intervening in the outward communications relay path and that, so being, it is not presently the terminus monitor,

a unique address of a one monitor that is presently the terminus monitor,

a command to this monitor informing it that it is presently the terminus monitor,

a unique address of each of any number of selected geographically intervening monitors as do, in total, provide a inward communications relay path from the terminus monitor back to the zone'"'"'s regional central station, and

a command to each such inward-relay-path monitor so informing it that it is intervening in the inward communications relay path and, so being, that it is not presently the terminus monitor,

wherein the time of the transmission of said demand message string, which time is known to the regional central station, is inherent in the act of transmitting said demand message string;

responding, successively in each of the outward-relay-path monitors of each zone upon occasion of being addressed in sequence and upon successive times, to remove its own unique address from the demand message string, and to retransmit at the same frequency as received the demand message string so abbreviated to successive outward-relay-path monitors within the zone until an abbreviated demand message string including relayed commands, an address of the terminus monitor and addresses of inward-relay-path monitors reaches the terminus monitor;

responding in the terminus monitor to remove its own address from the demand message string, and to retransmit at the same frequency as received the relayed abbreviated demand message string, including commands and addresses of inward-relay-path monitors, now in accompaniment to data regarding the amount and time of usage of electricity, which amount and time of usage data is relational to the time of receipt of the demand message string; and

responding, successively in each of the inward-relay-path monitors of each zone upon occasions of being addressed in sequence and upon successive times, to remove its own unique address from the abbreviated demand message string, and to retransmit at the same frequency as received the demand message string so abbreviated and accompanying data to successive inward-relay-path monitors within the zone until the data reaches the regional central station of the zone;

wherein the central station of each zone retrieves the data responsively to its own demand from the addressed terminus monitor of the same zone through a succession of radio relays both outward from the central station through intervening monitors of the zone to the terminus monitor, and also inward from the terminus monitor back through intervening monitors of the zone to the central station;

wherein, by successive interrogations upon successive times, each central station ultimately receives via radio of a particular one of the plurality of frequencies both the amount and time of usage of electricity usage as is monitored by the multiplicity of geographically-distributed monitors within its own zone, and is able to interpret said amount and said time of usage relative to the known time at which it did transmit the demand message string.

2. A communications system for reporting by radio from each of a great multiplicity of geographically-distributed monitors, upon and responsively to successive demands originating from an associated one of a plurality of regional central stations at times controlled by and known to each regional central station, a local amount and time of use of electricity, the communications system comprising:

a great multiplicity of geographically-distributed monitors of the use of electricity each of which has a unique identification, to which unique identification each monitor will uniquely respond when addressed by radio of an appropriate frequency;

each of the great multiplicity of geographically-distributed monitors being classified and identified to be within a particular geographical zone of a plurality of such zones, each of which zones is geographically adjacent to more than six other zones and each of which zones has a regional central station;

a plurality of regional central station, each addressing in sequence and upon successive times that are controlled by and known to itself, each of an associated multiplicity of the geographically distributed monitors by sending by radio of an associated frequency a demand message string including

a unique address of each of any number of selected geographically intervening monitors as do, in total, provide a outward communications radio relay path from the regional central station to a terminus monitor,

a command to each such outward-relay-path monitor so informing it that it is intervening in the outward communications relay path and that, so being, it is not presently the terminus monitor,

a unique address of a one monitor that is presently the terminus monitor,

a command to this monitor informing it that it is presently the terminus monitor,

a unique address of each of any number of selected geographically intervening monitors as do, in total, provide a inward communications relay path from the terminus monitor back to the regional central station, and

a command to each such inward-relay-path monitor so informing it that it is intervening in the inward communications relay path and, so being, that it is not presently the terminus monitor,

wherein each terminus monitor receives a demand message string addressed to itself at a time that is controlled by and known to the regional central station;

logic means in each of the great multiplicity of monitors for responding, successively upon occasion of being addressed by radio of appropriate frequency in sequence and upon successive times, for removing its own unique address from the demand message string, and for retransmitting at the same frequency as received the demand message string so abbreviated to successive outward-relay-path monitors until (1) an abbreviated demand message string including relayed commands, (ii) an address of the terminus monitor and (iii) addresses of inward-relay-path monitors reaches the terminus monitor;

the logic means further functioning in each terminus monitor one of the great multiplicity of monitors responding to (i) remove its own address from the demand message string, and to (ii) retransmit at the same frequency as received the relayed abbreviated demand message string including commands and addresses of inward-relay-path monitors, now in accompaniment to data regarding the amount and time of usage of electricity, which amount and time of usage data is relational to the time of receipt of the demand message string; and

the logic means further functioning successively in each of the inward-relay-path monitors upon being addressed in sequence and upon successive times, to remove its own unique address from the abbreviated demand message string, and to retransmit at the same frequency as received the demand message string so abbreviated and accompanying data to successive inward-relay-path monitors until the data reaches the regional central station;

wherein each central station retrieves the data responsively to its own demand from the addressed terminis monitor through a succession of radio relays both outward from the central station through intervening monitors to the terminus monitor, and also inward from the terminus monitor back through intervening monitors to the central station;

wherein, by successive interrogations upon successive times, each central station ultimately receives via radio the electricity usage and time of usage as is monitored by the associated multiplicity of geographically-distributed monitors, and is able to interpret amounts and times of usage of electricity relative to those known times at which it did transmit the demand message strings and therein correlate the time of usage data with real time.

3. A communications method for reporting by radio from each of a great multiplicity of resource usage monitors a local use and time of use of a distributed resource upon the occasions of, and responsively to, demands originating from a regionally associated one of a plurality of central monitoring stations, the communications method comprising;

transmitting by radio from each one of the plurality of central monitoring stations, at times controlled by and known to itself, and at a radio frequency associated with each transmitting central monitoring station and not in use for transmitting by any next adjacent central monitoring station, and in sequence and upon successive times, a demand message string to each of a multiplicity of geographically-distributed uniquely-identified resource usage monitors that are associated with each central station, the demand message string including

a unique address of each of any number of selected usage monitors as, in total, are intervening in providing a outward communications relay path from the transmitting regional monitoring station to a terminus resource usage monitor,

a command to each such outward-relay-path usage monitor so informing it that it is intervening in the outward communications relay path and that, so being, it is not presently the terminus resource usage monitor;

a unique address of a one resource usage monitor that is presently the terminus resource usage monitor,

a command to this resource usage monitor informing it that it is presently the terminus resource usage monitor,

a unique address of each of any number of selected resource usage monitors as, in total, are intervening in a inward communications relay path from the terminus resource usage monitor back to the regional monitoring station, and

a command to each such inward-relay-path resource usage monitor so informing it that it is intervening in the inward communications relay path and, so being, that it is not presently the terminus resource usage monitor;

responding, successively in each of the outward-relay-path resource usage monitors upon occasion of being addressed in sequence and upon successive times, to remove its own unique address from the demand message string, and to retransmit by radio at the same frequency as received the demand message string so abbreviated to successive outward-relay-path resource usage monitors until (i) an abbreviated demand message string including relayed commands, (ii) an address of the terminus resource usage monitor and (iii) addresses of inward-relay-path resource usage monitors, all reach the terminus monitor;

responding in the uniquely-addressed terminus resource usage monitor to remove its own address from the demand message string, and to retransmit by radio at the same frequency as received the relayed abbreviated demand message string, including commands and addresses of inward-relay-path resource usage monitors, now in accompaniment to data regarding local use and time of use of distributed resource, said time of use being current to time of receipt of the demand message string which time is under control of, and known to, the transmitting central monitoring station; and

responding, successively in each of the inward-relay-path resource usage monitors upon being addressed in sequence and upon successive times, to remove its own unique address from the abbreviated demand message string, and to retransmit by radio at the same frequency as received the demand message string so abbreviated and accompanying data to successive inward-relay-path resource usage monitors until the local use and time of use data from the terminus resource usage monitor reaches the regional central monitoring station;

wherein time of use data, in particular, from each terminus resource monitor is relative to the known times at which the central monitoring station does communicate by radio with each of the multiplicity of resource monitors.

4. An electricity time of use communications system for reporting by radio from each of a great multiplicity of geographically-distributed monitors of the amount and of the time of usage of electricity, the electricity time of use communications system comprising:

a great multiplicity of geographically-distributed monitors of amounts, and of usages per time periods, of electricity, no monitor of necessity knowing of any of the time of day nor the day of week and month and year, each of which monitors has a unique identification, divided into a plurality of geographically-adjoining groups each of which groups contains a multiplicity of monitors, no more than six groups adjoining any one group;

a central monitoring station within each of the plurality of groups which central monitoring station communicates by radio relay at times of day and of week and month and year that are of its own choosing and known to itself, with the multiplicity of monitors within the associated group, the frequency of radio communication within each group being different from the frequency of radio communication of each adjoining group, making that at most three different frequencies need be used for all groups; and

a multiplicity of uniquely-identified monitors within each group which monitors both (i) relay by radio information to and from the central monitoring station of the group, and each which monitors, when individually addressed in accordance with its unique identification, (ii) reports by radio relay to the central monitoring station information regarding the local amount, and time of usage, of electricity;

wherein the central monitoring station, knowing the time of day and day of week and month and year that it did request information from each uniquely-identified monitor, is capable of interpreting received information regarding the local amount, and time of usage, of electricity as information regarding the amount of electricity usage per time of day and week and month and year.

5. A communications system for addressably communicating, at least in part by radio, with each individual one of a great multiplicity of monitors of the usage of electricity per periods, the multiplicity of monitors being distributed over a geographical area, the communications system comprising:

a great multiplicity of uniquely-identified geographically-distributed radio-communicating monitors divided into a multiplicity of geographically-adjoining groups each of which groups contains a multiplicity of monitors, no more than six groups adjoining any one group in a tessellation of the geographical area, the multiplicity of monitors within each group being both (i) individually addressable by radio each in accordance with its unique identification, (ii) to report by radio, at a one or more radio frequencies that are both different from all radio frequencies of each adjoining group and insufficiently strong so as to interfere with radio communications transpiring within non-adjoining groups, making that at most three different frequencies or groups of frequencies need be used for and between all groups;

a central monitoring station within each of the multiplicity of groups, each central monitoring station

sequentially addressing by radio at known times of its sole choice each of the multiplicity of monitors within the associated group,

so as to sequentially receive by radio data regarding the use of electricity per periods from each of the each of the addressed monitors at the times that each said monitor is addressed, and

further communicating received monitor-specific data to a headquarters station; and

a headquarters station, communicating in parallel with each of the central monitoring stations within each of the multiplicity of groups in order

to direct the sequential addressing of monitors within the associated group transpiring concurrently at each of the central monitoring stations, and

to receive the monitor-specific data from the great multiplicity of monitors each via the central monitoring stations of its associated group, the central monitoring stations of the multiplicity of groups communicating with the headquarters station concurrently, and in parallel;

wherein radio communication to, and from, the great multiplicity of monitors is transpiring in parallel within the geographical area, and so is communication between the headquarters station and the multiplicity of central monitoring stations;

wherein the central monitoring stations are capable of interpreting, in consideration of the known times at which communications were made to each monitor, the communicated usages of electricity per periods from each monitor, and from many monitors in parallel, so as to thereby produce composite time of day and of week and month and year information that is supportive of, inter alia, electrical generation planning and load leveling.

6. The communications system according to claim 5

wherein the interrogating by radio of each individual one of the great multiplicity of monitors distributed over a geographical area is by radio relay, each of the great multiplicity of uniquely-identified geographically-distributed radio-communicating monitors serving, as addressing of any one monitor dictates, to radio link communication of both an address of a selected monitor, and any data broadcast by the selected monitor responsive to its being addressed;

wherein radio communication is had by relay with monitors of a group even beyond the radio communication distance of the central relay station of the group;

wherein, because radio communication even by relay is quick relative to a continuous consumption of electricity, the capacity of the central monitoring stations to interpret time of electricity usage at the monitors, and the collective monitors, is not diminished.

7. The communications system according to claim 5

wherein only one radio frequency is used for radio communications, bi-directionally between the central station of a group and all the multiplicity of monitors of the associated group, within each group.

8. The communications system according to claim 5

wherein the central monitoring stations and the headquarters station bi-directionally communicate by radio relay at one or more radio frequencies non-conflicting with the radio frequencies simultaneously in use for communications between the multiplicity of central stations and great multiplicity of monitors.

9. The communications system according to claim 5,

wherein the central monitoring stations and the headquarters station bi-directionally communicate by land line.

10. A method of communicating, in part by radio, with each individual one of a great multiplicity of monitors of the usage, and usage per period, of electricity, that are distributed over a geographical area, the communications method comprising:

dividing the great multiplicity of uniquely-identified geographically-distributed radio-communicating electricity-usage-monitoring and electricity-usage-per-period monitors into a multiplicity of geographically-adjoining groups in a tessellation of the geographical area, each of which groups contains a multiplicity of monitors, and where no more than six groups adjoin any one group;

individually sequentially communicatively addressing by radio from a central monitoring station each of the monitors within each group at times under control of the central monitoring station and in accordance with a unique identification of the monitor, and, responsively to the communicative addressing, sequentially receiving by radio at the central monitoring station data from each addressed monitor;

wherein a radio frequency used in any one group is both (i) different from all radio frequencies of any adjoining groups, and (ii) non-interfering with radio communications transpiring within non-adjoining groups;

wherein at most three different frequencies are mandated to be used for and between all groups; and

further communicating in parallel from a headquarters station (i) with each of the central monitoring stations within each of the multiplicity of groups, so as to (ii) receive monitor-specific data from each of the central monitors;

wherein the communicating between the headquarters station and the multiplicity of monitors as are within the multiplicity of groups, and also the radio communicating between the central station and the multiplicity of monitors of the associated group, is all in parallel so that, by this parallelism, a multiplicity of communications links, at least partially implemented by radio, may be realized per unit time; and

wherein, because it knows when it did communicate with each monitor, the central monitoring stations is able to interpret the time periods of electricity usage at each monitors, and of the monitors collectively, as the electricity usage per time of day and week and month and year.