Communication Interface for Wireless Energy Networks

An energy management apparatus comprising:

• a Linux based server housed within a plug computer operable to manage energy use at a site;
• and
• wherein the plug computer includes:
• a Java enabled processor;
• memory configured to store incoming and outgoing wireless energy network messages;
• a Zigbee based communication device capable of accessing a wireless energy network;
• a network communication interface capable of communicating with an information network;
• a communication interface operably coupled to a communication bus and the Zigbee based communication device;
• wherein the processor is configured to:
• convert an incoming message received from the wireless energy network into XML enabled output data;
• format an outgoing message to be output to the wireless energy network using XML enabled input data, wherein the XML enabled input data includes a network device identifier of a network device accessible using the wireless energy network;
• and
• wherein the communication interface is configured to:
• detect the outgoing message formatted by the processor to be output by the communication device using the wireless energy network;
• convert the outgoing message from a message bus format to a communication device format associated with the communication device, wherein the outgoing message includes network device data configured to be output to the wireless energy network;
• detect the incoming message received from the wireless energy network, wherein the incoming message includes incoming network device data;
• and
• convert the incoming message from the communication device format to the message bus format to allow the processor to access the incoming network device data.