Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • 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
  • G01D4/00—Tariff metering apparatus
  • G01D4/002—Remote reading of utility meters
  • G01D4/004—Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01R—MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
  • G01R22/00—Arrangements for measuring time integral of electric power or current, e.g. electricity meters
  • G01R22/06—Arrangements for measuring time integral of electric power or current, e.g. electricity meters by electronic methods
  • G01R22/061—Details of electronic electricity meters
  • G01R22/063—Details of electronic electricity meters related to remote communication
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
  • G06K19/00—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings
  • G06K19/06—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code
  • G06K19/067—Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components
  • G06K19/07—Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components with integrated circuit chips
  • G06K19/0723—Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components with integrated circuit chips the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02B—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
  • Y02B70/00—Technologies for an efficient end-user side electric power management and consumption
  • Y02B70/30—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
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02B—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
  • Y02B90/00—Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
  • Y02B90/20—Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y04—INFORMATION OR COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES HAVING AN IMPACT ON OTHER TECHNOLOGY AREAS
  • 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
  • Y04S20/00—Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof
  • Y04S20/20—End-user application control systems
  • Y04S20/242—Home appliances
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y04—INFORMATION OR COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES HAVING AN IMPACT ON OTHER TECHNOLOGY AREAS
  • 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
  • Y04S20/00—Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof
  • Y04S20/30—Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method, according to the preamble of Claim 1, for the remote reading of an energy meter.
• the invention also relates to an apparatus for the remote reading of an energy meter.
• the method disclosed in the invention combines a large group of kilowatt-hour meters with a collection meter for the collection of meter data over an RFID local-area network.
• Devices and methods of this kind are used in condominiums or shopping centres, when there is a need for the rapid and automatic reading and forwarding of the energy consumption of several units, typically apartments, for billing.
• RFID modules are used to transfer information from an energy meter to a reading device.
• a solution as to how large groups of meters can be read remotely has not been disclosed.
• the invention is intended to eliminate the defects of the state of the art disclosed above and for this purpose create an entirely new type of method and apparatus for the remote reading of energy meters.
• the invention is based on using RFID technology to read electrical appliances, such as energy meters or relays, and improving the efficiency of the data transfer with the aid of a closed conductor arrangement, such as a conductor loop, located in the vicinity of the meters.
• the apparatus according to the invention is, in turn, characterized by what is stated in the characterizing portion of Claim 7.
• the arrangement according to the invention permits a collection meter to easily read the measurement data of all the kilowatt-hour meters at even very frequent intervals, for example, of 1 second.
• Advantages of the system include ease of installation and the cheapness of RFID electronics. Further advantages include the fact that before or after installation the RFID property can be used as a wireless method to read the meter's data, for example, using a mobile telephone equipped with an RFID reader. Because RFID defines an individual address for each meter, the meters can be installed in cabinets in any order whatever and then afterwards a specific RFID address linked to some apartment-block address. Because there is also an RFID interface in the collection meter, the operation of the collection meter can be checked after installation, using a mobile telephone equipped with an RFID reader.
• the only additional work in the installation stage is the construction of a current loop around the meters. In new meter cabinets this can be done already at the factory. If 13.56-MHz technology is used, the meter can also be installed outside the meter room. Of course, this will require the conductor loop to be taken through the wall, or the meter to be installed on the wall, in such a way that there is an induction loop on the other side.
• the method permits meters, which are installed in apartment blocks, to be read using a collection meter, but meters, which are installed in sparsely populated areas to be read wirelessly, using a mobile telephone possessing RFID reading electronics. If GSM technology is retrofitted to these meters, a connection can be made to a meter simply, by utilizing RFID data transfer, without opening the meter. In addition, the existence of the RFID circuit in kilowatt-hour meters will considerably facilitate the logistics, start-up, and maintenance of the meters.
• FIG 1 shows schematically one system according to the invention.
• the applicant's earlier patent application FI20050501 which is confidential at the time of filing of the present application, discloses a method, in which the measurement and quality data of an energy meter can be transferred to the power company using a mobile telephone and an RFID protocol.
• the present invention presents a method, in which, by utilizing the same technology, it is possible to make a local sensor network, with the intention of automatically reading, for example, the meters of apartment blocks.
• An RFID local network of the type in question can, of course, also be used in other applications.
• FIG. 1 shows a typical situation in factories, shopping centres, apartment blocks, etc., where are large group of kilowatt-hour meters 1 are installed in a meter cabinet 6.
• each of the meters measures at least the consumption of electrical energy, but typically information can also be obtained from these meters concerning current, voltage, the phase between them, and power, as both momentary and averaged values.
• the problem is how to bring these meters 1 economically into the sphere of automatic remote reading.
• a GSM data-transfer apparatus is installed in each meter, the system will become extremely expensive and it will not be possible to install the meters in a metallic installation cabinet 6. If the GSM apparatus is installed outside, the meter will have to be connected to it using a wired or wireless data network.
• a wireless network based on radio technology is expensive and the metallic installation cabinet will hinder the propagation of the radio frequencies.
• a wired connection will function, but the system will have to be protectively separated, which will make the wired network difficult.
• An optical network is one solution worth considering.
• the local area network is made utilizing RFED technology.
• each kilowatt-hour meter 1 there is an RFID circuit 2, or electronics simulating it, in the memory of which the measurement data are recorded.
• the circuit 2 contains the memory necessary for recording the measurement values.
• An antenna 3 is connected to each RFDD circuit 2.
• the collection meter 4 located outside the switch cabinet contains not only electronics 2 simulating an RFED circuit, but also the electronics 8 and antenna 3 required for reading the RFED circuits. The reading electronics is thus used to read the measurement results recorded in the RFED circuits of the energy meters 1.
• the collection meter 4 can be only ah RFED unit equipped with an RFED reading circuit 8, in which there is a suitable telecommunications apparatus 10 for forwarding data over a data network 7.
• the telecommunications apparatus 10 can operate both over wires and wirelessly. Suitable forms of data-transfer are, for example, the GPRS, GSM, WLAN, RFED, and wired data-transfer protocols.
• the collection meter 4 is also an energy-consumption meter, which measures the sum of the energies of the meters 1 typically from a conductor, through which the sum current of the meters 1 travels.
• the collection meter 4 can use its reading device 8 to read the measurement data of all the kilowatt-hour meters 1 at even very frequent intervals, for example, of 1 second.
• the RFED circuit according to the invention defines an individual address for each meter 1. This means that the meters 1 can be installed in the cabinet 6 in any order whatever.
• each apartment or other corresponding energy-billing unit can be connected by a program to the RFED address corresponding to the correct meter, which is typically the address of the apartment in the apartment block. Because there is also an RFED interface in the collection meter 4, the operation of the collection meter can also be ensured after installation, for example, using a mobile telephone equipped with an RFED reader.
• a current loop 5 can be made in new meter cabinets already in the manufacturing stage of the cabinet 6. If 13.56-MHz RFED technology is used, the collection meter 4 can also be installed outside the meter room. Of course, this will require the conductor loop 5 to be taken through the wall, or the meter to be installed on the wall, in such a way that the conductor loop 5 is on the other side of the wall.
• the conductor loop 5 is thus a conductor ring, which is implemented, for example, by connecting any conductor whatever gaivanically to form a unified loop, a short- circuited ring.
• the cover of such a conductor is typically insulated.
• the conductor loop 5 is located close to the meters 1 and 4, but is not, however, in galvanic contact with them.
• a suitable distance from the conductor 5 for a sufficient connection to the meter 1 or 4 is 5 - 100 mm. The suitable distance naturally depends on, among other factors, the transmission power used and the type and geometry of the antenna.
• Figure 1 shows the placing of the meters 1 and 4 inside the conductor loop 5 as one preferred alternative of the invention.
• the location of the conductor loop 5 can, of course, be made in other ways relative to the meters 1 and 4, as long as a sufficient connection of the signal to the conductor loop 5 is taken care of by keeping the distance from the meters 1 and 4 to the conductor loop 5 sufficiently small.
• the term electrical appliance refers, for instance, to a power- distribution network's energy meters, power, current, and voltage meters, as well as short and earth-circuit current meters, or electrical relays or switches.
• the term electrical appliance also refers, for example, to a domestic appliance equipped with an RFDD circuit, or to parts of it, which can forward information and receive control information.
• conductor arrangement refers not only to the conductor loop shown in Figure 5, but also, for example, to the cabling of the power network connected to the electricity meters 1 and 4, used in a suitable manner through either an inductive or a capacitive connection, hi that case, a connection is arranged from each meter from its RFID circuit to the cabling of the power network, either capacitively by forming a sufficiently large capacitance between the RFID circuit and the electrical cabling, or inductively by forming a connection like a transformer between the RFED circuit of each meter and the cabling of the power network.
• connection of the power network need not be altered; instead the alterations are made during the connection of each meter, or in the manufacturing stage of the meter, by means of a suitable inductive or capacitive connection component 11.
• the parallel meter fields (for example, in adjacent apartment blocks) will not interfere with each other.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
• Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Power Engineering (AREA)
• Arrangements For Transmission Of Measured Signals (AREA)
• Near-Field Transmission Systems (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Cited By (3)

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Citations (8)

• 2005
  • 2005-12-02 FI FI20051244A patent/FI122463B/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2006
  • 2006-11-28 WO PCT/FI2006/050521 patent/WO2007063181A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2006-11-28 CN CNA2006800450793A patent/CN101322036A/zh active Pending
  • 2006-11-28 EP EP06841807A patent/EP1955082A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2006-11-28 RU RU2008125046/28A patent/RU2008125046A/ru not_active Application Discontinuation

Patent Citations (8)

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