Commodity monitoring network

• US 7,868,782 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2008
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Itron Networked Solutions, Inc. (Itron, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Silver Spring Networks, Inc. (Itron, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nap, Kimbel A., Ehrke, Lance A., Dresselhuys, Donn R.
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, ALBERT KANG
• Application Number:
  US12/109,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20080224891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.12, 340/870.02, 370/401, 370/437, 370/346, 375/214
• US Class Current: 340/870.12
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/45 Utility meters networked together within a single building
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/008 Modifications to installed utility meters to enable remote reading
• 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: 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: Y10T 29/49018 with other electrical component

Abstract

An electronic electric meter for use in a networked automatic meter reading environment. The meter includes a meter microcontroller, a measurement microcontroller, a communication microcontroller and spread spectrum processor, and a plurality of other communication interface modules for communicating commodity utilization and power quality data to a utility. The meter measures electricity usage and monitors power quality parameters for transmission to the utility over a spread spectrum local area network (LAN) to a remotely located gateway node. The gateway node transmits this data to the utility over a commercially available fixed wide area network (WAN). The meter also provides direct communication to the utility over a commercially available network interface that plugs into the meter'"'"'s backplane or bus system, bypassing the local area network communication link and gateway node.

Claims

1. A commodity monitoring network comprising:

an RF communication unit that interfaces with a device that measures a utilization characteristic of a commodity provided by a commodity provider, and that is operable to wirelessly transmit utilization data generated by said device; and

a gateway node including;

a transceiver section that wirelessly receives data including the utilization data and a channel selection transmitted from the RF communication unit,

a network interface module that couples the gateway node to a communications network, and

a programmable controller coupled to the transceiver section, to process the channel selection received by the transceiver section, and to set the transceiver section at a transceiver frequency corresponding to the channel selection.

2. The commodity monitoring network of claim 1, comprising a plurality of RF communication units respectively associated with different measuring devices.

3. The commodity monitoring network of claim 2, wherein the controller is responsive to the receipt of data by the network interface module to determine a selected one of said plurality of RF communication units that is indicated in said data, to generate a message based upon said received data, and to transmit said message to said selected one of said plurality of RF communication units via a channel associated with the selected RF communication unit.

4. The commodity monitoring network of claim 2, wherein the controller includes a scheduler operable to access a list in accordance with timing information, to generate a message, and to route said message to individual RF communication units based on the list.

5. The commodity monitoring network of claim 4, wherein said gateway node includes a data store containing a schedule of times when said message is to be generated and routed to said RF communication units.

6. The commodity monitoring network of claim 2, wherein at least one of said RF communication units interfaces with a plurality of different measuring devices.

7. The commodity monitoring network of claim 1, wherein the network interface module couples the gateway node to a common carrier wide area network.

8. The commodity monitoring network of claim 1, wherein the measuring device is a utility meter.

9. A commodity monitoring network comprising:

an RF communication unit operable to wirelessly transmit utilization data generated by a device that measures a utilization characteristic of a commodity provided by a commodity provider; and

a gateway node that receives data, including the utilization data and a channel selection, via a network, processes the received channel selection, and sets a transceiver frequency corresponding to the channel selection.

10. The commodity monitoring network of claim 9, comprising a plurality of RF communication units respectively associated with different measuring devices.

11. The commodity monitoring network of claim 10, wherein the gateway node is responsive to the receipt of data via a network to determine a selected one of said plurality of RF communication units that is indicated in said data, to generate a message based upon said received data, and to transmit said message to said selected one of said plurality of RF communication units via a channel associated with the selected RF communication unit.

12. The commodity monitoring network of claim 10, wherein the gateway node includes a scheduler operable to access a list in accordance with timing information, to generate a message, and to route said message to individual RF communication units based on the list.

13. The commodity monitoring network of claim 12, wherein said gateway node includes a data store containing a schedule of times when said message is to be generated and routed to said RF communication units.

14. The commodity monitoring network of claim 9, wherein gateway node is coupled to a common carrier wide area network.

15. The commodity monitoring network of claim 10, wherein the gateway node includes a transceiver for wirelessly transmitting and receiving data to and from said RF communication units.

16. The commodity monitoring network of claim 9, wherein the measuring device is a utility meter.

17. The commodity monitoring network of claim 9, wherein said channel selection is transmitted to the gateway node from the RF communication unit.