Communications architecture for intelligent electronic devices

• US 6,944,555 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Issued: 09/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Power Measurement Ltd. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Power Measurement Ltd. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Blackett, Andrew W., Teachman, Michael E., Forth, Bradford J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SUAREZ, FELIX E
• Application Number:
  US09/896,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20040138834A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: 702/57, 702/62, 702/60, 702/65, 702/79, 702/179, 702/182, 702/186, 702/187, 702/188, 700/295, 705/63.42, 707/100, 340/870.02, 340/870.03
• US Class Current: 702/62
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/45 Utility meters networked together within a single building
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• 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 power management architecture for an electrical power distribution system, or portion thereof, is disclosed. The architecture includes multiple intelligent electronic devices (“IED'"'"'s”) distributed throughout the power distribution system to manage the flow and consumption of power from the system using real time communications. Power management application software and/or hardware components operate on the IED'"'"'s and the back-end servers and inter-operate via the network to implement a power management application. The architecture provides a scalable and cost effective framework of hardware and software upon which such power management applications can operate to manage the distribution and consumption of electrical power by one or more utilities/suppliers and/or customers which provide and utilize the power distribution system. Autonomous communication on the network between IED'"'"'s, back-end servers and other entities is facilitated by the use of an instant message protocol and server and associated applications, which offer reliable and determinate message delivery.

Claims

1. An electrical power management architecture comprising:

a network;

at least one electric meter coupled with said network; and

an instant message server coupled with said at least one electric meter and said network, said at least one electric meter operative to autonomously generate a first instant message to said instant message server and receive a second instant message from said instant message server.

2. The electrical power management architecture of claim 1 further comprising a presence server coupled with said network and operative to autonomously indicate a connection of said at least one electric meter with said network, said connection characterized by a presence.

3. The electrical power management architecture of claim 2 further wherein said presence server indicates said presence of said at least one electric meter in substantially real time.

4. The electrical power management architecture of claim 2 further wherein said presence server receives said presence of said at least one electric meter from said at least one electric meter.

5. The electrical power management architecture of claim 2, said presence server further including a security module, said security module operative to encrypt said presence.

6. The electrical power management architecture of claim 2 wherein said presence indicates said at least one electric meter is available.

7. The electrical power management architecture of claim 2 wherein said presence indicates said at least one electric meter is available with restriction.

8. The electrical power management architecture of claim 2 wherein said presence indicates said at least one electric meter is active.

9. The electrical power management architecture of claim 2 wherein said presence indicates said at least one electric meter is unavailable.

10. The electrical power management architecture of claim 2 wherein said presence shows said at least one electric meter is decoupled from said electrical power management architecture.

11. The electrical power management architecture of claim 2 further wherein said presence server polls said presence of said at least one electric meter.

12. The electrical power management architecture of claim 11 further wherein said presence server polls said presence of said at least one electric meter using an electronic mail message.

13. The electrical power management architecture of claim 11 further wherein said presence server polls said presence of said at least one electric meter on a scheduled basis.

14. The electrical power management architecture of claim 1, wherein said instant message server is operative to facilitate communication of data using a third instant message.

15. The electrical power management architecture of claim 14 wherein said third instant message is sent to a plurality of electric meters, each of said plurality of electric meters being coupled with said network.

16. The electrical power management architecture of claim 14, wherein said third instant message comprises power management data.

17. The electrical power management architecture of claim 16 wherein said power management data comprises power quality data.

18. The electrical power management architecture of claim 16 wherein said power management data comprises upgrade data.

19. The electrical power management architecture of claim 16 wherein said power management data comprises at least one power management command.

20. The electrical power management architecture of claim 1, wherein said instant message server is located on said at least one electric meter.

21. The electrical power management architecture of claim 1, wherein said instant message server is centralized.

22. The electrical power management architecture of claim 1, wherein said instant message server is distributed.

23. The electrical power management architecture of claim 1 further comprising a second network and a firewall, said firewall operative to securely couple said network with said second network.

24. The electrical power management architecture of claim 1, wherein said network comprises a publicly accessible communications network.

25. The electrical power management architecture of claim 1, wherein said network comprises a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (“

TCP/IP”

) based network.

26. The electrical power management architecture of claim 25 wherein said network comprises the Internet.

27. The electrical power management architecture of claim 25 wherein said network comprises an intranet.

28. The electrical power management architecture of claim 1 wherein said at least one electric meter is at least one revenue meter.

29. The electrical power management architecture of claim 1 wherein said at least one electric meter is characterized by a presence, said at least one electric meter operative to broadcast said presence.

68. The electrical power management architecture of claim 2, wherein said presence indicates the geographic location of said at least one electric meter.

69. The electrical power management architecture of claim 2, wherein said presence indicates said at least one electric meter is hidden from unauthorized users.

30. An electrical power management architecture comprising:

a network;

a presence server;

at least one electric meter coupled with said network, said at least one electric meter operative to autonomously indicate said connection of said at least one electric meter on said network, said presence server operative to receive said autonomous indication.

31. The electrical power management architecture of claim 30 further wherein said autonomous indication comprises a presence of said at least one electric meter.

32. The electrical power management architecture of claim 30 further comprising an instant message server coupled with said network.

33. The electrical power management architecture of claim 30 further wherein said autonomous indication is transmitted to a plurality of available recipients on said network.

34. The electrical power management architecture of claim 30 wherein said autonomous indication is further characterized by a status.

35. The electrical power management architecture of claim 30 further wherein said presence server polls said autonomous indication of said at least one electric meter.

36. The electrical power management architecture of claim 35 further wherein said presence server polls said autonomous indication of said at least one electric meter using an electronic mail message.

37. The electrical power management architecture of claim 35 further wherein said presence server polls said autonomous indication of said at least one electric meter on a scheduled basis.

38. The electrical power management architecture of claim 30 further wherein said presence server indicates said autonomous indication of said at least one electric meter in substantially real time.

39. The electrical power management architecture of claim 30 further wherein said presence server receives said autonomous indication of said at least one electric meter from said at least one electric meter.

40. The electrical power management architecture of claim 30, said presence server further including a security module, said security module operative to encrypt said presence.

41. The electrical power management architecture of claim 30, wherein said presence server is located on said at least one electric meter.

42. The electrical power management architecture of claim 30, wherein said presence server is centralized.

43. The electrical power management architecture of claim 30 wherein said autonomous indication indicates said at least one electric meter is available with restriction.

44. The electrical power management architecture of claim 30 wherein said autonomous indication indicates said at least one electric meter is active.

45. The electrical power management architecture of claim 30 wherein said autonomous indication indicates said at least one electric meter is unavailable.

46. The electrical power management architecture of claim 45 further wherein said at least one electric meter is available.

47. The electrical power management architecture of claim 30 wherein said autonomous indication indicates said at least one electric meter is available.

48. The electrical power management architecture of claim 30 wherein said autonomous indication further indicates said status of said at least one electric meter.

49. The electrical power management architecture of claim 30 wherein said autonomous indication indicates said at least one electric meter is decoupled from said electrical power management architecture.

50. The electrical power management architecture of claim 30, wherein said network comprises a publicly accessible communications network.

51. The electrical power management architecture of claim 30, wherein said network comprises a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (“

TCP/IP”

) based network.

52. The electrical power management architecture of claim 51 wherein said network comprises an intranet.

53. The electrical power management architecture of claim 30 wherein said autonomous indication is broadcast onto said network.

54. The electrical power management architecture of claim 30 wherein said at least one electric meter is at least one revenue meter.

55. The electrical power management architecture of claim 30 further comprising an instant message server coupled to at least one intelligent electronic device (“

IED”

) and said network.

70. The electrical power management architecture of claim 30, wherein said autonomous indication indicates the geographic location of said at least one electric meter.

71. The electrical power management architecture of claim 30, wherein said autonomous indication indicates said at least one electric meter is hidden from unauthorized users.

56. A method of monitoring presence of at least one intelligent electronic device (“

IED”

) in an electrical power management architecture, said method comprising;

(a) coupling said at least one IED with a network, said at least one IED being characterized by said presence;

(b) transmitting, autonomously, said presence of said at least one IED onto said network;

(c) receiving said presence of said at least one IED at a presence server coupled with said network; and

(d) monitoring said presence of said at least one IED.

57. The method of claim 56, further comprising said monitoring further comprises updating said presence of said at least one IED on said presence server.

58. The method of claim 56, wherein said receiving further comprises displaying said presence of said at least one IED on said presence server.

59. The method of claim 56, wherein said at least one IED further comprises a security module, said method further comprising;

(e) encrypting said presence by said security module.

60. The method of claim 56, wherein said monitoring further comprises monitoring according to a pre-defined schedule maintained by said presence server.

61. The method of claim 56, wherein said monitoring further comprises monitoring according to a pre-defined schedule maintained by said at least one IED.

62. The method of claim 56, wherein said transmitting further comprises transmitting said presence in response to an occurrence of a event monitored on said at least one IED.

63. An electrical power management architecture comprising:

a network;

a presence server coupled with said network;

at least one intelligent electronic device (“

IED”

) coupled with said network, said at least one IED operative to autonomously indicate said connection of said at least one IED on said network, said presence server operative to receive said autonomous indication.

64. The electrical power management architecture of claim 63 wherein said at least one IED is a relay.

65. An electrical power management architecture comprising:

at least one intelligent electronic device (“

IED”

) coupled with a portion of an electrical power system and further coupled with an internal network;

a firewall, said firewall operative to securely couple an external network with said internal network; and

a network interface operative to couple said at least one IED with said internal network and facilitate a communications, initiated by said at least one IED, of first power management data through said firewall from said internal network to said external network.

66. An electrical power management architecture for managing an electrical power distribution system comprising:

a network;

at least one intelligent electronic device (“

IED ”

) coupled with a portion of said electrical power distribution system and further coupled with said network, each of said at least one IED operative to implement a power management function in conjunction with said portion of said electrical power distribution system, said power management function operative to respond to at least one power management command and generate power management data, each of said at least one IED comprising;

a first network interface operative to couple said at least one IED with said network and facilitate autonomous transmission of said power management data and receipt of said at least one power management command over said network; and

a security module coupled with said first network interface and operative to prevent unauthorized access to said power management data;

said architecture further comprising;

a power management application coupled with said network and operative to receive and process said power management data from said at least one IED and generate said at least one power management command to said at least one IED to implement said power management function.

67. The electrical power management architecture of claim 66 wherein said power management data and said at least one power management command is communicated as instant messages.