System and method for performing data transfers in an intelligent electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11635455-B2
Application number	US-202017073663-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2020
Priority date	Apr 3, 2007
Publication date	Apr 25, 2023
Grant date	Apr 25, 2023

Abstract

There is provided an intelligent electronic device for responding to user data and information requests regarding power usage and power quality for any metered point within a power distribution system. The intelligent electronic device includes a first network interface which receives client side information and data requests, which are processed in accordance with a network protocol and forwarded to a network interface via a network socket interface translator which translates management signals to facilitate the eventual data transfer. Protocol routines process the requests by constructing an internal data request in certain cases and forwards the internal data request to a data interface for translation from an internal data request format of the protocol routine format to a native database format. The database receives the translated request, and retrieves the requested data from a measuring unit of the electric power meter, and forwards the data back to the requesting client.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric power meter for responding to user data and information requests regarding power usage and power quality for any metered point within a power distribution system, the electric power meter comprising:
a first network interface configured to
i) receive one of a client side information request, data request or configuration request,
ii) process the request in accordance with one or more network protocols and
iii) forward the request to a second network interface, via a network socket interface translator,

the network socket interface translator coupled to the first network interface and configured to
i) translate management signals between a network interface model of the first network interface and a network interface model of the second network interface to facilitate the transfer of data to/from the electric power meter and a client device, and
ii) forward the requests from the first network interface to the second network interface;

protocol routines coupled to the network socket interface translator via the second network interface, the protocol routines configured to
i) process the client side data requests by identifying the request as one of said information request, data request and configuration request,
ii) construct an internal data request in the case where the request is identified as one of a data request or a configuration request, and
iii) forward the internal data request to a data interface, the data interface coupled to the protocol routines and configured to
i) receive the internal data request,
ii) translate the internal data request from a protocol routine format to a native database format,
iii) request data from a native database according to the request; and

the native database coupled to the data interface and configured to
i) receive the data request from the data interface,
ii) retrieve the requested data from a measuring unit of the electric power meter, and
iii) forward the requested data to a requesting client via the data interface, protocol routines, network socket interface translator and network interface,

wherein at least one protocol routine includes a directory linking data objects defined in at least one protocol to data objects in the native database, the data objects being group into logical nodes by function,
wherein the data interface calls at least one logical node to process the request for data from the native database.

2. The electric power meter according to claim 1 , wherein the first network interface receives said client side requests via an Ethernet physical interface.

3. The electric power meter according to claim 1 , wherein the protocol routines are an IEC 61850 protocol collection of routines.

4. The electric power meter according to claim 1 , wherein the second network interface is further configured to process the client side information requests by sending a reply form the protocol routines via the network socket interface translator and network interface to a requestor.

5. The electric power meter according to claim 1 , wherein the electric power meter further includes a data gathering process coupled to the native database and configured to retrieve data from the measuring unit of the electric power meter and refresh the data contained in the native database at a prescribed refresh rate.

6. The electric power meter according to claim 5 , wherein the prescribed refresh rate is on the order of 1 second.

7. The electric power meter according to claim 5 , wherein the data gathering process is configured to send at a queries to the measuring unit on an interval basis and retrieve said data from the measuring unit in response to said data queries.

8. The electric power meter according to claim 7 , wherein the data queries and responses are transmitted in accordance with a ModBus protocol.

9. The electric power meter according to claim 1 , wherein the client side requests are configured as IEC61850 data packets.

10. The electric power meter according to claim 1 , wherein the network interface model of the first network interface is a native management of the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).

11. The electric power meter according to claim 1 , wherein the network interface model of the second network Interface model is a Berkley System Distribution (BSD) Socket Model.

12. The electric power meter according to claim 1 , wherein the protocol routines includes a process of handling Generic Object Oriented Substation Event (GOOSE) messages.

13. The electric power meter according to claim 12 , wherein handling GOOSE messages includes adding or removing a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) tag upon transmission or reception.

14. An intelligent electronic device (IED) for responding to user data and information requests regarding power usage and power quality for any metered point within a power distribution system, the intelligent electronic devices comprising:
a first network interface configured to
i) receive one of a client side information request, data request or configuration request,
ii) process the request in accordance with one or more network protocols and
iii) forward the request to a second network interface, via a network socket interface translator,

the network socket interface translator coupled to the first network interface and configured to
i) translate management signals between a network interface model of the first network interface and a network interface model of the second network interface to facilitate the transfer of data to/from the IED and a client device, and
ii) forward the requests from the first network interface to the second network interface;

protocol routines coupled to the network socket interface translator via the second network interface, the protocol routines configured to
i) process the client side data requests by identifying the request as one of said information request, data request and configuration request,
ii) construct an internal data request in the case where the request is identified as one of a data request or a configuration request, and
iii) forward the internal data request to a data interface,

the data interface coupled to the protocol routines and configured to
i) receive the internal data request,
ii) translate the internal data request from a protocol routine format to a native database format,
iii) request data from a native database according to the request; and

the native database coupled to the data interface and configured to
i) receive the data request from the data interface,
ii) retrieve the requested data from a measuring unit of the IED, and
iii) forward the requested data to a requesting client via the data interface, protocol routines, network socket interface translator and network interface,

wherein at least one protocol routine includes a directory linking data objects defined in at least one protocol to data objects in the native database, the data objects being group into logical nodes by function,
wherein the data interface calls at least one logical node to process the request for data from the native database.

15. The IED according to claim 14 , wherein the IED is one of a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), a Remote Terminal Unit (RTU), an electric power meter, a revenue meter, a protective relay, a fault recorder, a phase measurement unit, a serial switch and/or a smart input/output device.

16. The IED according to claim 14 , wherein the protocol routines are an IEC 61850 protocol collection of routines.

17. The IED according to c

Assignees

• Electro Industries/Gauge Tech
• El Electronics Llc

Inventors

• Spanier Joseph
• Polar Seminario Jorge A
• Cansancao Dulciane Siqueira

Classifications

• G01D4/004

  Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location · CPC title

• Y02B90/20

  Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector (smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00) · CPC title

• G01R22/063 Primary

  related to remote communication · CPC title

• Y04S20/30

  Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading · CPC title

• G01R21/133 Primary

  by using digital technique · CPC title