Supervisory control and data acquisition protocol converter

• US 8,219,214 B1
• Filed: 03/17/2009
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James E. Mimlitz
• Original Assignee: James E. Mimlitz
• Inventors: Mimlitz, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, RAMESH B
• Application Number:
  US12/381,807
• Time in Patent Office: 1,211 Days
• Field of Search: 700/9, 700/12, 700 19- 20, 304/3.1, 304/3.9, 702/1, 702 60- 62, 702187-188, 709/230, 710/11, 710314-315, 340/3.1, 340/3.9
• US Class Current: 700/9
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

A supervisory control and data acquisition protocol converter having encoded meter register input ports which are able to interrogate, read, and retain data stored in viscous fluid or gas meter registers which communicate with the Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) protocols and convert that data upon request to an industrial monitoring and control system protocol such as MODBUS®, DF1, EtherNet/IP™, or ADAM 4000. The present art further provides serial RS-232C and RS-485, and Ethernet ports whereby said data may be transmitted and/or the apparatus may be setup according to user defined specifications. The present art apparatus also provides industrial standard pulse (0-5 volts) and current (4-20 milliamps) inputs. The present art further provides a user configurable display which may display any or only a portion of the aforesaid data along with other user desired data. The apparatus further serves a web page over the Ethernet port with the aforesaid data populating a table.

Claims

1. A supervisory control and data acquisition protocol converter comprising:

a microprocessor interfaced with one or more encoded register ports and one or more industrial monitoring and control system ports; and

said encoded register port having a transmit data portion capable of connection with an automatic meter reading protocol residential or commercial type encoded meter register having a three wire protocol which indicates to said encoded meter register to turn on and begin transmitting a fluid or gas totalization; and

said encoded register port having a receive data portion capable of connection with said encoded meter register and capable of receiving a totalization data from said encoded meter register; and

said microprocessor having a program or firmware capable of receiving said totalization data and formatting said totalization data into one or more formats; and

said industrial monitoring and control system port capable of receiving one or more interrogations from a supervisory control and data acquisition system utilizing at least a portion of one or more industrial protocols as an endpoint; and

said program or firmware capable of interpreting said interrogation and transmitting one or more responses in said industrial protocol through said industrial monitoring and control system port, said responses including one or more of said formats of said totalization data.

2. The supervisory control and data acquisition protocol converter as set forth in claim 1, whereby:

said one or more industrial protocols are selected from one or more of the following, a MODBUS protocol, an ADAM-4000 protocol, a DF1 protocol, or an EtherNet/IP protocol.

3. The supervisory control and data acquisition protocol converter as set forth in claim 2, whereby:

said one or more formats include a flow rate calculated by said program or firmware from said totalization via a difference function represented by

4. The supervisory control and data acquisition protocol converter as set forth in claim 1, whereby:

said transmit data portion of said encoded register port having a transmit data line capable of providing a power on first pulse and a clock signal following said power on first pulse; and

said receive data portion of said encoded register port having a receive data line capable of synchronously receiving a received data from said encoded meter register synchronously with said clock signal.

5. The supervisory control and data acquisition protocol converter as set forth in claim 3, whereby:

said transmit data portion of said encoded register port having a transmit data line capable of providing a power on first pulse and a clock signal following said power on first pulse; and

said receive data portion of said encoded register port having a receive data line capable of synchronously receiving a received data from said encoded meter register synchronously with said clock signal.

6. The supervisory control and data acquisition protocol converter as set forth in claim 2, further comprising:

one or more displays interfaced with said microprocessor and capable of displaying one or more of said formats of said totalization data in a user intelligible form.

7. The supervisory control and data acquisition protocol converter as set forth in claim 1, whereby:

said industrial monitoring and control system ports support and are selected from one or more of the following, an RS-232 port, an RS-485 port, an Ethernet port, or a CAN port.

8. The supervisory control and data acquisition protocol converter as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

one or more analog inputs interfaced with said microprocessor; and

said program or firmware capable of receiving a value of said analog input and formatting said value into one or more of said industrial protocols, and

said program capable of transmitting said analog input value in said industrial protocol pursuant to said interrogation.

9. The supervisory control and data acquisition protocol converter as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

one or more digital inputs or one or more digital outputs separate from said industrial monitoring and control system port interfaced with said microprocessor; and

said program or firmware capable of receiving said digital input and formatting said digital input into one or more of said industrial protocols; and

said program or firmware capable of transmitting said digital input format in said industrial protocol pursuant to said interrogation; and

said program or firmware capable of transmitting said digital output pursuant to a request from said program or firmware or in response to said interrogation.

10. The supervisory control and data acquisition protocol converter as set forth in claim 1, whereby:

said automatic meter reading protocol encoded meter register selected from one or more of the following, a SENSUS encoded meter register or a NEPTUNE encoded meter register.

11. The supervisory control and data acquisition protocol converter as set forth in claim 10, whereby:

said one or more industrial protocols are selected from one or more of the following, a MODBUS protocol, an ADAM-4000 protocol, a DF1 protocol, or an EtherNet/IP protocol.

12. The supervisory control and data acquisition protocol converter as set forth in claim 7, whereby:

said program or firmware via said Ethernet port serves a hypertext transfer protocol web page having one or more of said formats displayed.

13. The supervisory control and data acquisition protocol converter as set forth in claim 7, whereby:

said program or firmware has a setup menu and responds to one or more setup commands; and

said setup commands capable of affecting one or more of said totalization data formats and one or more of said industrial protocols for said industrial monitoring and control system ports.

14. A supervisory control and data acquisition protocol converter comprising:

an endpoint having one or more encoded register ports capable of interfacing with one or more automatic meter reading protocol encoded meter registers of an encoded fluid or gas type meter; and

one or more industrial monitoring and control system ports capable of interfacing with one or more industrial monitoring and control systems; and

said industrial monitoring and control system ports utilizing at least a portion of one or more industrial protocols selected from one or more of the following, a MODBUS protocol, an ADAM-4000 protocol, a DF1 protocol, or EtherNet/IP protocol; and

a program or firmware capable of interrogating said encoded meter register through said encoded register port and receiving a totalization from said encoded meter register; and

one or more registers having a contents of one or more formatted forms of said totalization placed by said program; and

said program or firmware providing one or more of said register contents when said industrial monitoring and control system port is interrogated by the industrial monitoring and control system utilizing one or more of said industrial protocols and said program or firmware receives a request from the industrial monitoring and control system for one or more of said register contents; and

said program or firmware transmitting a message structure that the industrial monitoring and control system will recognize through one or more of said industrial monitoring and control system ports in response to said request.

15. The supervisory control and data acquisition protocol converter as set forth in claim 14, whereby:

said one or more formatted forms include a flow rate calculated by said program from said totalization via a difference function represented by

16. The supervisory control and data acquisition protocol converter as set forth in claim 14 further comprising:

a transmit data portion of said encoded register port having a transmit data line capable of providing a power on first pulse of a value and a duration necessary to power on said encoded meter registers and initiate transmission from said encoded meter register; and

a receive data portion of said encoded register port having a receive data line capable of synchronously or asynchronously receiving a received data from said encoded meter register.

17. The supervisory control and data acquisition protocol converter as set forth in claim 14, further comprising:

one or more displays interfaced with said endpoint and capable of displaying one or more of said formatted forms in a user intelligible format.

18. The supervisory control and data acquisition protocol converter as set forth in claim 14, whereby:

said industrial monitoring and control system ports support and are selected from one or more of the following, an RS-232 port, an RS-485 port, an Ethernet port, or a CAN port.

19. The supervisory control and data acquisition protocol converter as set forth in claim 14, further comprising:

one or more analog inputs; and

said program or firmware capable of receiving a value of said analog input and formatting said value into one or more of said industrial protocols; and

said program or firmware capable of transmitting said analog input value in said industrial protocol pursuant to said interrogation.

20. The supervisory control and data acquisition protocol converter as set forth in claim 14, further comprising:

one or more digital inputs or one or more digital outputs separate from said industrial monitoring and control system port; and

said program or firmware capable of receiving said digital input and formatting said digital input into one or more of said industrial protocols; and

said program or firmware capable of transmitting said digital input in said industrial protocol pursuant to said interrogation; and

said program or firmware capable of transmitting said digital output pursuant to a request from said program or firmware or in response to said request of the industrial monitoring and control system.