# US 10,771,869 B2 · Radio and advanced metering device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,771,869 B2 - Document ID: US10771869B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/545,066 - Filed: 2019-08-20 - Published: 2019-12-05 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-10-24 - Assignees: Landis+Gyr Innovations, Inc. - Applicants: Landis+Gyr Innovations, Inc. - Inventors: Keith Torpy; Justin Clifford Matthews; Paul Collins; Chris Calvert; Matt Karlgaard - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10771869B2 ## CPC - 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 - G01D 4/008: {Modifications to installed utility meters to enable remote reading} - H04Q 2209/40: using a wireless architecture - H04Q 2209/60: for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter - Y04S 20/30: Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading - H04Q: SELECTING (switches, relays, selectors H01H; wireless communication networks H04W) - G01D: MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS ## Abstract A radio and advanced metering system. In an example, a multi-device module includes a host device interface configured to connect to a host device. The host device interface includes a communications interface that can send communications to and receive communications from the host device. The multi-device module includes a radio that can to connect to a wireless network and a microcontroller configurable to perform different functions. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A multi-device module comprising: a host device interface within the multi-device module, the host device interface configured to connect the multi-device module to a host meter device, wherein the host device interface includes: a communications interface configured to send communications to and receive communications from the host meter device; a power interface configured to receive power from the host meter device; and an antenna interface configured to connect a radio on the multi-device module with an antenna on the host meter device, the radio configured to transmit radio frequency signals to a wireless network via the antenna interface and to receive radio frequency signals from the wireless network via the antenna interface; and a computing device within the multi-device module and communicatively coupled to the communications interface and to the radio, wherein: the host device interface is disposed on a first side of a printed circuit board, the first side comprising a plurality of contacts that connect to the host device interface, and the computing device and the radio are disposed on a second side of the printed circuit board, wherein the second side comprises a shield that covers the computing device and the radio. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The multi-device module of claim 1, further comprising a power supply configured to: receive power from the host meter device via the power interface; generate a regulated voltage from the power; and provide the regulated voltage to the computing device and the radio. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The multi-device module of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to: receive an indication of an event detected by the host meter device from the communications interface, wherein the event identifies one or more of: (i) a power outage or (ii) an identification of a consumption level that is over a threshold; process the indication of the event; store information about the event in memory on the multi-device module; generating an event message; and cause the radio to send the event message via the wireless network to a central system. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The multi-device module of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to: receive a command from a remote device via the wireless network and the radio; and process the command to determine a response to the command. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The multi-device module of claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to execute a smart metering application that is configured to calculate one of (i) current energy use, (ii) historical energy use, or (iii) environmental impact. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The multi-device module of claim 1, wherein the plurality of contacts are integrated into a land grid array and the host device interface connects to the plurality of contacts. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The multi-device module of claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to perform one or more of: (i) filtering, (ii) mixing, or (iii) amplification of a signal that is either (i) received from the radio or (ii) sent to the radio. ### Claim 8 A multi-device module comprising: a host device interface within the multi-device module, the host device interface configured to connect the multi-device module to a host meter device, wherein the host device interface includes: a communications interface configured to send communications to and receive communications from the host meter device; a power interface configured to receive power from the host meter device; and an antenna interface configured to connect a radio on the multi-device module with an antenna on the host meter device, the radio configured to transmit radio frequency signals to a wireless network via the antenna interface and to receive radio frequency signals from the wireless network via the antenna interface; and a computing device within the multi-device module and communicatively coupled to the communications interface and to the radio, wherein the computing device is configured to process data received from the host meter device via the communications interface, wherein the data comprises consumption data or event data, and wherein: the host device interface is disposed on a first side of a printed circuit board, the first side comprising a plurality of contacts that connect to the host device interface, and the computing device and the radio are disposed on a second side of the printed circuit board, wherein the second side comprises a shield that covers the computing device and the radio. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The multi-device module of claim 8, further comprising a power supply configured to: receive power from the host meter device via the power interface; generate a regulated voltage from the power; and provide the regulated voltage to the computing device and the radio. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The multi-device module of claim 8, wherein the event data comprises an event that identifies one or more of: (i) a power outage or (ii) an identification of a consumption level that is over a threshold, and wherein the computing device is further configured log events by: receiving an indication of the event detected by the host meter device from the communications interface; processing the indication of the event; storing information about the event in memory on the multi-device module; generating an event message; and causing the radio to send the event message via the wireless network to a central system. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The multi-device module of claim 8, wherein the computing device is further configured to: receive a command from a remote device via the wireless network and the radio; and process the command to determine a response to the command. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The multi-device module of claim 8, wherein the computing device is configured to execute a smart metering application that is configured to calculate one of (i) current energy use, (ii) historical energy use, or (iii) environmental impact. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The multi-device module of claim 8, wherein the computing device is configured to perform one or more of: (i) filtering, (ii) mixing, or (iii) amplification of a signal that is either (i) received from the radio or (ii) sent to the radio. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The multi-device module of claim 8, wherein the computing device is configured to: receive resource consumption information from a metering device on the host meter device via the communications interface; and cause the radio to send an interval data message via the antenna interface and the wireless network to a central system. ### Claim 15 A multi-device module comprising: a host device interface within the multi-device module, the host device interface configured to connect the multi-device module to a host meter device, wherein the host device interface includes: a communications interface configured to send communications to and receive communications from the host meter device; a power interface configured to receive power from the host meter device; and an antenna interface configured to connect a radio on the multi-device module with an antenna on the host meter device, the radio configured to transmit radio frequency signals to a wireless network via the antenna interface and to receive radio frequency signals from the wireless network via the antenna interface; and a computing device within the multi-device module and communicatively coupled to the communications interface and to the radio, wherein the computing device is configured to provide event monitoring by: receiving an indication of an event detected by the host meter device from the communications interface, wherein the event identifies one or more of: (i) a power outage or (ii) an identification of a consumption level that is over a threshold; processing the indication of the event; storing information about the event in memory on the multi-device module; generating an event message; and causing the radio to send the event message via the wireless network to an external device, and wherein: the host device interface is disposed on a first side of a printed circuit board, the first side comprising a plurality of contacts that connect to the host device interface, and the computing device and the radio are disposed on a second side of the printed circuit board, wherein the second side comprises a shield that covers the computing device and the radio. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The multi-device module of claim 15, further comprising a power supply configured to: receive power from the host meter device via the power interface; generate a regulated voltage from the power; and provide the regulated voltage to the computing device and the radio. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The multi-device module of claim 15, wherein the computing device is further configured to receive resource consumption information from a metering device on the host meter device via the communications interface; and cause the radio to send an interval data message via the antenna interface and the wireless network to a central system. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The multi-device module of claim 15, wherein the multi-device module further comprises a memory and wherein the computing device is further configured to: receive a command from a remote device via the wireless network and the radio; and process the command to determine a response to the command. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The multi-device module of claim 15, wherein the computing device is configured to execute a smart metering application that is configured to calculate one of (i) current energy use, (ii) historical energy use, or (iii) environmental impact. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The multi-device module of claim 15, wherein the computing device is configured to perform one or more of: (i) filtering, (ii) mixing, or (iii) amplification of a signal that is either (i) received from the radio or (ii) sent to the radio.