US 7,058,524 B2 · Electrical power metering system

Abstract

A wireless electrical power metering system is provided. A processor having a multichannel power line transceiver, a wireless transceiver, and a power meter attached thereto measures power consumption information on a power line inductively coupled with the power meter. The processor converts the power consumption information into IP-based data, and transmits same over the wireless transceiver. The information can be wirelessly received by a remote monitoring station or transmitted across the Internet for storage, analysis, and billing. The processor generates appliance control signals and generates same across the multichannel power line transceiver to remotely control appliances in response to power consumption trends. The processor provides firewall capabilities, and relays information between a wired or wireless network and a power line network, thereby expanding the size of existing household networks. Further, the processor allows multiple dwellings to be networked using power lines, and households to be connected to the Internet via a power line network.

Claims37

Dependent claims

An electrical power metering system comprising:

a power meter coupled with a power line for measuring power consumption data from the power line, the power meter dividing the power line to form an internal network and an external power line network;
a processor connected to the power meter for converting the power consumption data measured by the power meter into Internet Protocol (IP) data;
a network interface connected between the processor and the internal network for transmitting and receiving IP data between the processor and the internal network;
a transceiver connected between the processor and the external power line network for transmitting and receiving IP data between the processor and the external power line network;
and
means for selectively routing IP data between the external power line network and the internal network, said means selectively operable as a firewall for filtering IP data routed between the external power line network and the internal network;
wherein power consumption information is transmitted autonomously in IP format over the external power line network.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Electrical power metering system

Life of this patent

Electrical power metering system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims37