Intelligent electronic device for providing broadband internet access

• US 9,678,122 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2014
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EI Electronics LLC (Hubbell, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Electro Industries/Gaugetech
• Inventors: Kagan, Erran
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HOAI AN D
• Application Number:
  US14/561,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20150091552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 324142, 324140 R, 324 7611, 324156, 324157, 702 57, 702 60, 702 61, 702 62, 34087001, 34087002
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/133 by using digital technique
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/063 related to remote communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5458 Monitor sensor; Alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5466 using three phases conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/542 the information being in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2843 Mains power line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• 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: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

An intelligent electronic device for monitoring and determining an amount of electrical power usage by a consumer, or end user, and for providing broadband Internet access to the consumer. The intelligent electronic device includes at least one sensor coupled to an electric circuit configured for measuring at least one power parameter of the electrical circuit and generating at least one analog signal indicative of the at least one power parameter; at least one analog to digital converter coupled to the at least one sensor configured for receiving the at least one analog signal and converting the at least one analog signal to at least one digital signal; a processor configured for receiving the at least one digital signal and calculating energy consumption in the electrical circuit; and a gateway configured for receiving data transmissions imposed on the electrical circuit and for demodulating the imposed data transmission for providing data communications.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one intelligent electronic device comprising;

a housing;

at least one sensor coupled to at least one utility power line of an electrical power distribution system and configured for measuring at least one power parameter of the at least one utility power line and generating at least one analog signal indicative of the at least one power parameter;

at least one analog to digital converter coupled to the at least one sensor, configured for receiving the at least one analog signal and converting the at least one analog signal to at least one digital signal;

at least one processor configured for receiving the at least one digital signal and calculating energy consumption in the at least one utility power line; and

a gateway configured for receiving broadband data transmissions, demodulating the broadband data transmission and routing the demodulated data onto a downstream portion of the at least one utility power line, wherein the at least one sensor, the at least analog to digital converter, the at least one processor, and the gateway are disposed in the housing; and

at least one adapter coupled to the downstream portion of the at least one utility power line, the at least one adapter configured for providing the demodulated data to at least one network device.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein the gateway is integrated into the at least one processor.

3. The system as in claim 2, wherein the at least one network device is a computer.

4. The system as in claim 2, wherein the at least one network device is a VoIP-enabled phone.

5. The system as in claim 2, wherein the gateway is further configured for broadcasting the demodulated data wirelessly to at least one second network device.

6. The system as in claim 5, wherein the at least one adapter comprises a wireless transceiver configured for receiving the demodulated data wirelessly and for providing the demodulated data to the at least one network device.

7. The system as in claim 6, wherein the at least one network device is a computer.

8. The system as in claim 6, wherein the at least network device is a VoIP-enabled phone.

9. The system as in claim 2, wherein the gateway is configured for routing the demodulated data via a power line carrier protocol.

10. The system as in claim 2, wherein the gateway is configured for routing the demodulated data in accordance with the HomePlug Powerline Alliance protocol.

11. The system as in claim 2, wherein the gateway is configured for routing the demodulated data in accordance with the Universal Powerline Association protocol.

12. The system as in claim 2, wherein the gateway is configured for routing the demodulated data in accordance with the IEEE P1675 protocol.

13. The system as in claim 2, wherein the gateway of the at least one intelligent electronic device is further configured for receiving data transmissions from the at least one network device located downstream from the at least one intelligent electronic device and routing the received data transmissions to the Internet.

14. The system as in claim 2, further comprising a switch coupled to the at least one utility power line, the switch configured for interrupting power delivery to a load, wherein the switch is activated by a command signal imposed on the at least one utility power line.

15. The system as in claim 14, wherein the command signal is generated by the utility.

16. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one intelligent electronic device is a socket based revenue meter.

17. The system as in claim 16, wherein the at least one intelligent electronic device further comprises a switch coupled to the at least one utility power line, the switch configured for interrupting power delivery to a load, wherein the switch is activated by a command signal transmitted via the at least one processor.

18. The system as in claim 17, wherein the command signal is generated by the utility.

19. The system as in claim 2, wherein the at least one adapter is coupled to the at least one network device via a USB connection.

20. The system as in claim 2, wherein the at least one adapter is coupled to the at least one network device via a Ethernet-based connection.

21. The system as in claim 5, further comprising at least one second adapter including a wireless transceiver configured for receiving the demodulated data wirelessly and for providing the demodulated data to at least one other network device.

22. The system as in claim 5, wherein the at least one second network device includes a wireless transceiver configured for receiving the demodulated data wirelessly.

23. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one adapter is configured to be plugged into an electrical outlet connected to the downstream portion of the at least one utility power line.

24. A system comprising:

at least one intelligent electronic device comprising;

a housing;

at least one sensor coupled to at least one utility power line of an electrical power distribution system and configured for measuring at least one power parameter of the at least one utility power line and generating at least one analog signal indicative of the at least one power parameter;

at least one analog to digital converter coupled to the at least one sensor, configured for receiving the at least one analog signal and converting the at least one analog signal to at least one digital signal;

at least one processor configured for receiving the at least one digital signal and calculating energy consumption in the at least one utility power line; and

a communications device configured for receiving broadband data transmissions and routing the broadband data transmissions to at least one network device, wherein the at least one sensor, the at least analog to digital converter, the at least one processor, and the communications device are disposed in the housing.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the at least one network device is coupled to a downstream portion of the at least one utility power line and receives the routed broadband data transmissions from the downstream portion of the at least one utility power line.

26. The system as in claim 24, wherein the communications device is configured for routing the broadband data transmissions to the at least one network device via a power line carrier protocol on a downstream portion of the at least one utility power line.

27. The system as in claim 24, wherein the communications device is configured for routing the broadband data transmissions to the at least one network device via at least one of the HomePlug Powerline Alliance protocol, the Universal Powerline Association protocol and/or the IEEE P1675 protocol.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the at least one network device receives the routed broadband data transmissions wirelessly from the communications device.

29. The system as in claim 24, wherein the communications device is configured for routing the broadband data transmissions wirelessly to the at least one network device.

30. The system as in claim 26, wherein the communications device is further configured for routing the broadband data transmissions wirelessly to at least one second network device.

31. The system as in claim 24, wherein the communications device of the at least one intelligent electronic device is further configured for receiving data transmissions from the at least one network device and routing the received data transmissions to a remote computing device via the Internet.

32. The system as in claim 30, wherein the communications device of the at least one intelligent electronic device is further configured for receiving data transmissions from the at least one network device and the at least one second network and routing the received data transmissions to a remote computing device via the Internet.

33. The system as in claim 24, wherein the received broadband data transmissions include at least one control signal.

34. The system of claim 24, wherein the at least one network device is coupled to at least one adapter, the at least one adapter configured to be plugged into an electrical outlet connected to the downstream portion of the at least one utility power line.

35. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one network device is configured to be plugged into an electrical outlet connected to the downstream portion of the at least one utility power line.

36. The system of claim 29, wherein the communications device further includes an antenna.

37. The system of claim 24, wherein the communications device is integrated into the at least one processor.