A method and device for remote online control of smart meters

Abstract

This application provides a remote online control method and apparatus for smart meters to solve the problem of limited smart meter deployment. In this method, because the relay terminal is equipped with multiple antennas, and these antennas have different beam patterns (e.g., the first beam direction of the first antenna is different from the second beam direction of the second antenna), the smart meters can be flexibly deployed in various beam directions according to the actual environment. For example, the first meter can be deployed in the first beam direction, and the second meter in the second beam direction, thus avoiding deployment limitations. Furthermore, since smart meters can be deployed in multiple beam directions, the relay terminal can control the state switching of these smart meters in an orderly manner according to the beam direction. For example, when the first meter is awakened, the second meter can be controlled to enter sleep mode to achieve energy saving.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communications, and in particular to a method and apparatus for remote online control of smart meters. Background Technology

[0002] The Internet of Things (IoT) is a key application scenario in 5G (5th generation) mobile communication systems. Operator networks can deploy network devices near multiple IoT terminals, and these network devices connect to these terminals via 5G air interfaces to control them. Taking the power sector as an example, multiple smart meters can connect to a relay terminal via a 5G air interface, enabling these smart meters to operate under the control of the relay terminal, such as collecting power data from related electrical equipment. Furthermore, because 5G uses beamforming technology, the beam propagates over a longer distance, allowing the relay terminal to have a larger control range and control more smart meters, thus improving control efficiency and effectively reducing deployment costs.

[0003] However, beamforming technology makes the beam of the relay terminal directional, so these smart meters can only be deployed in the direction of the beam, which limits their deployment. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a method and apparatus for remote online control of smart meters to solve the problem of limited deployment of smart meters.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] Firstly, a method for remote online control of a smart meter is provided. This method is applied to a relay terminal, which includes a first antenna and a second antenna, wherein the first beam direction of the first antenna is different from the second beam direction of the second antenna. The method includes: the relay terminal receiving a first control signal from a first meter in the first beam direction via the first antenna, the first control signal indicating that the first meter has transitioned from a sleep state to an awake state; and, when the first meter has transitioned from a sleep state to an awake state, the relay terminal sending a second control signal to the second meter in the second beam direction via the second antenna, the second control signal indicating that the second meter needs to transition from an awake state to a sleep state.

[0007] As can be seen from the method described in the first aspect, since the relay terminal is equipped with multiple antennas and the beam patterns of these multiple antennas are different, for example, the first beam direction of the first antenna is different from the second beam direction of the second antenna, the smart meter can be flexibly deployed in each beam direction according to the actual environment, such as the first meter being deployed in the first beam direction and the second meter being deployed in the second beam direction, thus avoiding deployment restrictions.

[0008] Furthermore, since smart meters can be deployed in multiple beam directions, the relay terminal can control the state switching of these smart meters in an orderly manner according to the beam direction. For example, when the first meter is awakened, the second meter can be controlled to go into sleep mode to achieve energy saving.

[0009] In one possible design, when the first electricity meter has been switched from a dormant state to an awake state, the method further includes: the relay terminal sending a first data signal to the first electricity meter in the direction of a first beam via a first antenna; the first data signal instructing the first electricity meter to report power monitoring data; and the relay terminal receiving the first power monitoring data from the first electricity meter in the direction of the first beam via the first antenna; the first power monitoring data is data collected by the first electricity meter from the first power supply equipment. That is, the first electricity meter can report power monitoring data according to the instructions of the relay terminal, thereby achieving on-demand reporting and avoiding the waste of communication resources caused by reporting redundant data.

[0010] Optionally, the first beam points towards a first region, and the first meter is located within the first region; the second beam points towards a second region, and the second meter is located within the second region. The first and second regions are adjacent to each other, and there is no overlap between the first and second regions. This avoids overlapping areas, thereby preventing situations where devices located within overlapping areas are difficult to control.

[0011] Furthermore, after the relay terminal receives the first data signal from the first meter in the first beam direction via the first antenna, the method further includes: if the first power monitoring data is abnormal, and the second meter has been switched from sleep mode to wake-up mode, the relay terminal sends a second data signal to the second meter in the second beam direction via the second antenna. The second data signal is used to instruct the second meter to report power monitoring data. The relay terminal also receives the second power monitoring data from the second meter in the second beam direction via the second antenna. The second power monitoring data is data collected by the second meter from the first power supply equipment. That is, in the event of an abnormality in the first meter, such as a decrease in the accuracy of the first meter's data collection or a malfunction of the first meter, the relay terminal can reuse the second meter to perform the work of the first meter, thereby improving the reliability of the system.

[0012] Optionally, the first beam direction points to the first region, and the second beam direction points to the second region. The first and second regions partially overlap. A first electricity meter is located within the first region but not within the second region, a second electricity meter is located within the second region but not within the first region, and an auxiliary electricity meter is located within the partially overlapping region between the first and second regions. The auxiliary electricity meter is always in an active state. It is understood that the auxiliary electricity meter is a lower power consumption device compared to the first and second electricity meters. For example, the auxiliary electricity meter may only have some of the functions of the first or second electricity meter, such as the ability to collect power data, but cannot perform data calculations or processing like the first or second electricity meter. In this case, even deploying an auxiliary electricity meter that is always in an active state in the overlapping region will not significantly increase the system's power consumption. Furthermore, it can assist in power data collection, thereby improving the stability of system operation.

[0013] Furthermore, in areas where the first and second regions partially overlap, after the relay terminal receives the first data signal from the first meter in the first beam direction via the first antenna, the method further includes: if the first power monitoring data is abnormal, the relay terminal sends a third data signal to the auxiliary meter via the first or second antenna. The third data signal is used to instruct the auxiliary meter to report power monitoring data. The relay terminal receives third power monitoring data from the auxiliary meter via the first or second antenna. The third power monitoring data is data collected by the auxiliary meter from the first power supply equipment. That is, in the event of an abnormality in the first meter, such as a decrease in the accuracy of the first meter's data collection or a malfunction of the first meter, the relay terminal can also use the auxiliary meter to replace the first meter to complete the power data collection work, thereby improving the reliability of the system.

[0014] In one possible design, the first antenna operates in a different frequency band than the second antenna, and their operating periods are the same. This means the first and second antennas can transmit and receive signals simultaneously, improving communication efficiency. Alternatively, the first antenna operates in the same frequency band as the second antenna, but their operating periods differ. This allows the first and second antennas to transmit and receive signals in a time-division multiplexing manner at the same frequency, improving frequency domain resource utilization. The operating frequency band can be a sub-bandwidth, at least one resource block (RB), or at least one resource element (RE), without limitation. The operating period can be a frame, subframe, time slot, micro-time slot, or symbol, without limitation.

[0015] Optionally, if the operating frequency bands of the first antenna and the second antenna are different, their frequency domain positions are adjacent to reduce the frequency domain span, thereby reducing the performance requirements of the equipment; alternatively, the operating frequency bands of the first antenna and the second antenna can be spaced apart by a preset frequency band, without limitation. Alternatively, if the operating time periods of the first antenna and the second antenna are different, their operating time periods are adjacent to each other to reduce the time delay of time-division control and improve communication efficiency; alternatively, the operating time periods of the first antenna and the second antenna can be spaced apart by a preset time period, without limitation.

[0016] Furthermore, when the relay terminal uses the first antenna to transmit signals, the signals are carried on resources with downlink enabled and uplink flexible to improve resource utilization; or, when the relay terminal uses the first antenna to receive signals or data, the signals or data are carried on resources with uplink enabled and downlink flexible to improve resource utilization. Similarly, when the relay terminal uses the second antenna to transmit signals, the signals are carried on resources with downlink enabled and uplink flexible to improve resource utilization; or, when the relay terminal uses the second antenna to receive signals or data, the signals or data are carried on resources with uplink enabled and downlink flexible to improve resource utilization.

[0017] Secondly, a remote online control device for a smart meter is provided. The device includes a first antenna and a second antenna, wherein a first beam direction of the first antenna is different from a second beam direction of the second antenna. The device also includes a processing module and a transceiver module. The processing module controls the transceiver module to receive a first control signal from the first meter in the first beam direction via the first antenna. The first control signal indicates that the first meter has transitioned from a sleep state to an awake state. When the first meter has transitioned from a sleep state to an awake state, the processing module controls the transceiver module to send a second control signal to the second meter in the second beam direction via the second antenna. The second control signal indicates that the second meter needs to transition from an awake state to a sleep state.

[0018] In one possible design, when the first electricity meter has been switched from a dormant state to an awake state, the processing module controls the transceiver module to send a first data signal to the first electricity meter in the direction of the first beam through the first antenna. The first data signal is used to instruct the first electricity meter to report power monitoring data. The processing module also controls the transceiver module to receive the first power monitoring data from the first electricity meter in the direction of the first beam through the first antenna. The first power monitoring data is data collected by the first electricity meter from the first power supply equipment.

[0019] Optionally, the first beam direction points to the first region, the first meter is located in the first region, the second beam direction points to the second region, the second meter is located in the second region, the first region and the second region are adjacent, and the first region and the second region do not overlap.

[0020] Furthermore, after the processing module controls the transceiver module to receive the first data signal from the first meter in the first beam direction via the first antenna, if there is an anomaly in the first power monitoring data, and the second meter has been adjusted from a dormant state to a wake-up state, the processing module controls the transceiver module to send a second data signal to the second meter in the second beam direction via the second antenna. The second data signal is used to instruct the second meter to report power monitoring data. The processing module also controls the transceiver module to receive the second power monitoring data from the second meter in the second beam direction via the second antenna. The second power monitoring data is the data collected by the second meter from the first power supply equipment.

[0021] Optionally, the first beam direction points to the first region, the second beam direction points to the second region, the first region and the second region have a partially overlapping area, the first meter is located in the first region and not in the second region, the second meter is located in the second region and not in the first region, and the auxiliary meter is located in the partially overlapping area between the first region and the second region, and the auxiliary meter is always in an awake state.

[0022] Furthermore, in areas where the first and second regions partially overlap, after the processing module controls the transceiver module to receive the first data signal from the first meter in the first beam direction via the first antenna, if there is an anomaly in the first power monitoring data, the processing module controls the transceiver module to send a third data signal to the auxiliary meter via the first antenna or the second antenna. The third data signal is used to instruct the auxiliary meter to report power monitoring data. The processing module also controls the transceiver module to receive the third power monitoring data from the auxiliary meter via the first antenna or the second antenna. The third power monitoring data is the data collected by the auxiliary meter from the first power supply equipment.

[0023] In one possible design, the first antenna operates in a different frequency band than the second antenna, and the operating hours of the first antenna are the same as those of the second antenna. Alternatively, the first antenna operates in the same frequency band as the second antenna, but the operating hours of the first antenna are different from those of the second antenna.

[0024] Optionally, if the operating frequency bands of the first antenna and the second antenna are different, their frequency domain positions are adjacent; or, the operating frequency bands of the first antenna and the second antenna can be spaced apart by a preset frequency band, without limitation. Alternatively, if the operating time periods of the first antenna and the second antenna are different, their operating time periods are adjacent; or, the operating time periods of the first antenna and the second antenna can be spaced apart by a preset time period, without limitation.

[0025] Furthermore, when the processing module controls the transceiver module to use the first antenna to transmit signals, the signals are carried on resources with downlink enabled and uplink flexible; or, when the processing module controls the transceiver module to use the first antenna to receive signals or data, the signals or data are carried on resources with uplink enabled and downlink flexible. When the processing module controls the transceiver module to use the second antenna to transmit signals, the signals are carried on resources with downlink enabled and uplink flexible; or, when the processing module controls the transceiver module to use the second antenna to receive signals or data, the signals or data are carried on resources with uplink enabled and downlink flexible.

[0026] Optionally, the transceiver module may include a transmitting module and a receiving module. The transmitting module implements the transmitting function of the device described in the second aspect, and the receiving module implements the receiving function of the device described in the second aspect.

[0027] Optionally, the apparatus described in the second aspect may further include a storage module storing programs or instructions. When the processing module executes the program or instructions, the apparatus can perform the method described in the first aspect.

[0028] It should be noted that the device described in the second aspect may be a terminal, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly that can be disposed in the terminal, or a device that includes the terminal. This application does not limit this.

[0029] Furthermore, other technical effects of the device described in the second aspect can be referred to the technical effects of the method described in the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0030] Thirdly, an apparatus is provided, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory being configured to store a computer program, which, when executed by the processor, causes the apparatus to perform the method described in the first aspect.

[0031] In one possible design, the device described in the third aspect may further include a transceiver. This transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the device described in the third aspect and other devices.

[0032] In this application, the device described in the third aspect may be a terminal, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly disposed in the terminal, or a device containing the terminal.

[0033] Furthermore, the technical effects of the device described in the third aspect can be referred to the technical effects of the method described in the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0034] Fourthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, comprising: a computer program or instructions; when the computer program or instructions are executed on a computer, the computer causes the computer to perform the method described in the first aspect.

[0035] Fifthly, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method described in the first aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0037] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating the method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0038] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the device provided in the embodiments of this application Figure 1 ;

[0039] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the device provided in the embodiments of this application Figure 2 . Detailed Implementation

[0040] The technical solutions of this application embodiment can be applied to various communication systems, such as wireless fidelity (WiFi) systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, 4th generation (4G) mobile communication systems, such as long term evolution (LTE) systems, worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication systems, 5th generation (5G) mobile communication systems, such as new radio (NR) systems, and future communication systems, such as 6th generation (6G) mobile communication systems, etc.

[0041] This application will present various aspects, embodiments, or features relating to systems that may include multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that individual systems may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, combinations of these approaches are also possible.

[0042] Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, the words "exemplary," "for example," etc., are used to indicate that they are examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design scheme described as "exemplary" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Specifically, the use of the term "exemplary" is intended to present the concept in a concrete manner.

[0043] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "information," "signal," "message," "channel," and "singaling" may sometimes be used interchangeably. It should be noted that, without emphasizing their distinction, their intended meanings are consistent. Similarly, "of," "corresponding (relevant)," and "corresponding" may sometimes be used interchangeably. It should be noted that, without emphasizing their distinction, their intended meanings are consistent. Furthermore, the " / " mentioned in this application can be used to indicate an "or" relationship.

[0044] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0045] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, let's first take... Figure 1 The communication system illustrated herein is used as an example to illustrate a communication system applicable to embodiments of this application. For example, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system to which the method provided in the embodiments of this application applies.

[0046] like Figure 1 As shown, the communication system mainly includes multiple terminals.

[0047] The terminal can be a terminal with transceiver capabilities, or a chip or chip system that can be installed on the terminal. The terminal can also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station (MS), mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user equipment. The terminals in the embodiments of this application may be mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, tablets, wireless data cards, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless modems, handsets, laptop computers, machine-type communication (MTC) terminals, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, virtual reality (VR) terminals, augmented reality (AR) terminals, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in remote medical care, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, vehicle-mounted terminals, roadside units (RSUs) with terminal functions, etc. The terminal of this application may also be an on-board module, on-board unit, on-board component, on-board chip or on-board unit that is built into a vehicle as one or more components or units.

[0048] In a specific scenario, the multiple terminals in this application embodiment may include smart meters, such as a first meter and a second meter. Furthermore, the multiple terminals may also include a relay terminal, which includes multiple antennas with different beam directions, such as a first antenna and a second antenna, wherein the first beam direction of the first antenna is different from the second beam direction of the second antenna.

[0049] In New Radio (NR) protocols, beamforming can be represented by a spatial domain filter, spatial domain parameter, spatial parameter, spatial domain setting, spatial setting, quasi-colocation (QCL) information, QCL assumption, or QCL indication. Beamforming can be indicated by a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state parameter or a spatial relation parameter. Therefore, in this embodiment, beamforming can be replaced by spatial domain filter, spatial filter, spatial parameter, spatial parameter, spatial setting, spatial setting, QCL information, QCL assumption, QCL indication, TCI-state (e.g., down link (DL) TCI-state or up link (UL) TCI-state), or spatial relation, etc. These terms are also equivalent to each other. The term "beam" can be replaced with other beam terms, and this application does not specifically limit it.

[0050] The beam used to transmit signals can be called the transmission beam (Tx beam), spatial domain transmission filter, spatial transmission filter, spatial domain transmission parameter, spatial transmission parameter, spatial domain transmission setting, or spatial transmission setting. The downlink transmission beam can be indicated by TCI-state.

[0051] The beam used to receive signals can be called a reception beam (Rx beam), a spatial domain reception filter, a spatial reception filter, a spatial domain reception parameter, a spatial reception parameter, a spatial domain reception setting, or a spatial reception setting. The uplink transmit beam can be indicated by spatial relationships, uplink TCI-state, or a sounding reference signal (SRS) resource (indicating the transmit beam using that SRS). Therefore, the uplink beam can also be replaced by an SRS resource.

[0052] A transmit beam can also refer to the distribution of signal strength in different directions in space after a signal is transmitted through an antenna. A receive beam can also refer to the distribution of signal strength in different directions in space of a wireless signal received from an antenna. Furthermore, a beam can be a wide beam, a narrow beam, or other types of beams. The technology used to form the beam can be beamforming technology or other technologies. Specifically, beamforming technology can be digital beamforming technology, analog beamforming technology, or hybrid digital / analog beamforming technology, etc.

[0053] In this configuration, the first antenna operates in a different frequency band than the second antenna, but their operating time periods are the same, meaning both antennas can transmit and receive signals simultaneously to improve communication efficiency. Alternatively, the first antenna operates in the same frequency band as the second antenna, but their operating time periods differ, allowing them to transmit and receive signals in a time-division multiplexing manner at the same frequency to improve frequency domain resource utilization. The operating frequency band can be a sub-bandwidth, at least one resource block (RB), or at least one resource element (RE), without limitation. The operating time period can be a frame, subframe, time slot, micro-time slot, or symbol, without limitation.

[0054] Optionally, if the operating frequency bands of the first antenna and the second antenna are different, their frequency domain positions are adjacent to reduce the frequency domain span, thereby reducing the performance requirements of the equipment; alternatively, the operating frequency bands of the first antenna and the second antenna can be spaced apart by a preset frequency band, without limitation. Alternatively, if the operating time periods of the first antenna and the second antenna are different, their operating time periods are adjacent to each other to reduce the time delay of time-division control and improve communication efficiency; alternatively, the operating time periods of the first antenna and the second antenna can be spaced apart by a preset time period, without limitation.

[0055] Furthermore, when the relay terminal uses the first antenna to transmit signals, the signals are carried on resources with downlink enabled and uplink flexible to improve resource utilization; or, when the relay terminal uses the first antenna to receive signals or data, the signals or data are carried on resources with uplink enabled and downlink flexible to improve resource utilization. Similarly, when the relay terminal uses the second antenna to transmit signals, the signals are carried on resources with downlink enabled and uplink flexible to improve resource utilization; or, when the relay terminal uses the second antenna to receive signals or data, the signals or data are carried on resources with uplink enabled and downlink flexible to improve resource utilization.

[0056] For ease of understanding, the following will combine... Figure 2 This paper details the interaction between smart meters and relay terminals through specific method implementation examples. Figure 2 As shown, the process of this method includes:

[0057] S201, the relay terminal receives the first control signal from the first meter in the first beam direction through the first antenna.

[0058] The first control signal is used to indicate that the first electricity meter has changed from a sleep state to a wake-up state. It can be understood that when the first electricity meter is in a sleep state, it is normally unable to receive signals. Therefore, the first electricity meter can wake up automatically according to a period, that is, it automatically changes from a sleep state to a wake-up state and notifies the relay terminal.

[0059] S202, when the first meter has been switched from sleep mode to wake-up mode, the relay terminal sends a second control signal to the second meter in the direction of the second beam via the second antenna.

[0060] The second control signal is used to indicate that the second meter needs to be switched from the wake-up state to the sleep state.

[0061] Thus, because the relay terminal is equipped with multiple antennas, and these antennas have different beam patterns (for example, the first beam direction of the first antenna is different from the second beam direction of the second antenna), smart meters can be flexibly deployed in various beam directions according to the actual environment. For instance, the first meter can be deployed in the first beam direction, and the second meter in the second beam direction, thus avoiding deployment limitations. Furthermore, since smart meters can be deployed in multiple beam directions, the relay terminal can control the state switching of these smart meters in an orderly manner according to the beam direction. For example, when the first meter is awakened, the second meter can be put into sleep mode to achieve energy saving.

[0062] In one possible design, after the first electricity meter has been switched from sleep mode to wake-up mode, the relay terminal can also send a first data signal to the first electricity meter in the direction of the first beam via the first antenna. This first data signal instructs the first electricity meter to report power monitoring data. The relay terminal also receives the first power monitoring data from the first electricity meter in the direction of the first beam via the first antenna. This first power monitoring data is data collected by the first electricity meter from the first power supply equipment. In other words, the first electricity meter can report power monitoring data according to the relay terminal's instructions, enabling on-demand reporting and avoiding the waste of communication resources caused by reporting redundant data.

[0063] Optionally, the first beam points towards a first region, and the first meter is located within the first region; the second beam points towards a second region, and the second meter is located within the second region. The first and second regions are adjacent to each other, and there is no overlap between the first and second regions. This avoids overlapping areas, thereby preventing situations where devices located within overlapping areas are difficult to control.

[0064] Furthermore, after the relay terminal receives the first data signal from the first meter in the first beam direction via the first antenna, if the first power monitoring data is abnormal, and the second meter has already switched from sleep mode to wake-up mode, the relay terminal sends a second data signal to the second meter in the second beam direction via the second antenna. This second data signal instructs the second meter to report power monitoring data. The relay terminal also receives the second power monitoring data from the second meter in the second beam direction via the second antenna. This second power monitoring data is the data collected by the second meter from the first power supply equipment. In other words, in the event of an anomaly in the first meter, such as reduced data acquisition accuracy or a malfunction, the relay terminal can reuse the second meter to perform the functions of the first meter, thereby improving system reliability.

[0065] Alternatively, the first beam direction points to the first region, the second beam direction points to the second region, and the first and second regions partially overlap. The first meter is located within the first region but not within the second region, the second meter is located within the second region but not within the first region, and an auxiliary meter is located within the partially overlapping region between the first and second regions, and the auxiliary meter is always in an active state. It is understood that the auxiliary meter is a lower power consumption device compared to the first and second meters. For example, the auxiliary meter may only have some of the functions of the first or second meter, such as collecting power data, but cannot perform data calculations or processing like the first or second meter. In this case, even deploying an auxiliary meter that is always in an active state in the overlapping region will not significantly increase the system's power consumption, and it can assist in power data collection, thereby improving the stability of system operation.

[0066] Furthermore, in areas where the first and second regions partially overlap, after the relay terminal receives the first data signal from the first meter in the first beam direction via the first antenna, if the first power monitoring data is abnormal, the relay terminal sends a third data signal to the auxiliary meter via the first or second antenna. This third data signal instructs the auxiliary meter to report power monitoring data. The relay terminal also receives third power monitoring data from the auxiliary meter via the first or second antenna; this third power monitoring data is data collected by the auxiliary meter from the first power supply equipment. In other words, in the event of an anomaly in the first meter, such as reduced accuracy or malfunction, the relay terminal can use the auxiliary meter to replace the first meter and complete the power data collection, thereby improving system reliability.

[0067] The above combination Figure 2 The methods provided in the embodiments of this application are described in detail below. Figure 3 and Figure 4 The apparatus for performing the methods provided in the embodiments of this application is described in detail.

[0068] For example, Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the device provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 1 .like Figure 3 As shown, the device 300 includes a transceiver module 301 and a processing module 302. For ease of explanation, Figure 3 Only the main components of the device are shown.

[0069] The processing module 302 is used to control the transceiver module 301 to receive a first control signal from the first meter in the first beam direction through the first antenna. The first control signal is used to indicate that the first meter has been adjusted from a sleep state to a wake-up state. When the first meter has been adjusted from a sleep state to a wake-up state, the processing module 302 is used to control the transceiver module 301 to send a second control signal to the second meter in the second beam direction through the second antenna. The second control signal is used to indicate that the second meter needs to be adjusted from a wake-up state to a sleep state.

[0070] In one possible design, when the first electricity meter has been switched from a dormant state to an awake state, the processing module 302 is used to control the transceiver module 301 to send a first data signal to the first electricity meter in the direction of the first beam through the first antenna. The first data signal is used to instruct the first electricity meter to report power monitoring data. The processing module 302 is also used to control the transceiver module 301 to receive the first power monitoring data from the first electricity meter in the direction of the first beam through the first antenna. The first power monitoring data is the data collected by the first electricity meter from the first power supply equipment.

[0071] Optionally, the first beam direction points to the first region, the first meter is located in the first region, the second beam direction points to the second region, the second meter is located in the second region, the first region and the second region are adjacent, and the first region and the second region do not overlap.

[0072] Furthermore, after the processing module 302 controls the transceiver module 301 to receive the first data signal from the first meter in the first beam direction via the first antenna, if there is an anomaly in the first power monitoring data, and the second meter has been adjusted from a dormant state to a wake-up state, the processing module 302 controls the transceiver module 301 to send a second data signal to the second meter in the second beam direction via the second antenna. The second data signal is used to instruct the second meter to report power monitoring data. The processing module 302 also controls the transceiver module 301 to receive the second power monitoring data from the second meter in the second beam direction via the second antenna. The second power monitoring data is the data collected by the second meter from the first power supply equipment.

[0073] Optionally, the first beam direction points to the first region, the second beam direction points to the second region, the first region and the second region have a partially overlapping area, the first meter is located in the first region and not in the second region, the second meter is located in the second region and not in the first region, and the auxiliary meter is located in the partially overlapping area between the first region and the second region, and the auxiliary meter is always in an awake state.

[0074] Furthermore, in areas where the first and second regions partially overlap, after the processing module 302 controls the transceiver module 301 to receive the first data signal from the first meter in the first beam direction via the first antenna, if there is an anomaly in the first power monitoring data, the processing module 302 controls the transceiver module 301 to send a third data signal to the auxiliary meter via the first antenna or the second antenna. The third data signal is used to instruct the auxiliary meter to report power monitoring data. The processing module 302 also controls the transceiver module 301 to receive third power monitoring data from the auxiliary meter via the first antenna or the second antenna. The third power monitoring data is data collected by the auxiliary meter from the first power supply equipment.

[0075] In one possible design, the first antenna operates in a different frequency band than the second antenna, and the operating hours of the first antenna are the same as those of the second antenna. Alternatively, the first antenna operates in the same frequency band as the second antenna, but the operating hours of the first antenna are different from those of the second antenna.

[0076] Optionally, if the operating frequency bands of the first antenna and the second antenna are different, their frequency domain positions are adjacent; or, the operating frequency bands of the first antenna and the second antenna can be spaced apart by a preset frequency band, without limitation. Alternatively, if the operating time periods of the first antenna and the second antenna are different, their operating time periods are adjacent; or, the operating time periods of the first antenna and the second antenna can be spaced apart by a preset time period, without limitation.

[0077] Furthermore, when the processing module 302 controls the transceiver module 301 to transmit a signal using the first antenna, the signal is carried on resources with downlink enabled and uplink flexible; or, when the processing module 302 controls the transceiver module 301 to receive a signal or data using the first antenna, the signal or data is carried on resources with uplink enabled and downlink flexible. When the processing module 302 controls the transceiver module 301 to transmit a signal using the second antenna, the signal is carried on resources with downlink enabled and uplink flexible; or, when the processing module 302 controls the transceiver module 301 to receive a signal or data using the second antenna, the signal or data is carried on resources with uplink enabled and downlink flexible.

[0078] Optionally, the transceiver module 301 may include a transmitting module ( Figure 3 (not shown in the image) and receiving module ( Figure 3 (Not shown in the diagram). The transmitting module implements the transmitting function of device 300, and the receiving module implements the receiving function of device 300.

[0079] Optionally, the device 300 may also include a storage module ( Figure 3 (Not shown in the image), the storage module stores programs or instructions. When the processing module 302 executes the program or instructions, the device 300 can perform the methods described above.

[0080] It should be noted that device 300 may be a network device, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly that can be set in a network device, or a device that includes a network device. This application does not limit this.

[0081] In addition, the technical effects of device 300 can be referenced. Figure 2 The technical effects of the method shown will not be elaborated here.

[0082] For example, Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the device provided in the embodiments of this application Figure 2 This device can be a network device, or it can be a chip (system) or other component or part that can be set in a network device. For example... Figure 4 As shown, device 400 may include processor 401. Optionally, device 400 may also include memory 402 and / or transceiver 403. The processor 401 is coupled to memory 402 and transceiver 403, for example, via a communication bus.

[0083] The following is combined Figure 4 A detailed description of each component of device 400 is provided below:

[0084] The processor 401 is the control center of the device 400. It can be a single processor or a collective term for multiple processing elements. For example, the processor 401 can be one or more central processing units (CPUs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the embodiments of this application, such as one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), or one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

[0085] Optionally, the processor 401 can perform various functions of the device 400 by running or executing software programs stored in the memory 402 and calling data stored in the memory 402, such as performing the aforementioned functions. Figure 2 The method shown.

[0086] In a specific implementation, as one example, processor 401 may include one or more CPUs, for example... Figure 4 CPU0 and CPU1 are shown in the diagram.

[0087] In a specific implementation, as one embodiment, the device 1200 may also include multiple processors, for example... Figure 4 The processors 401 and 404 are shown. Each of these processors can be a single-core processor or a multi-core processor. Here, "processor" can refer to one or more devices, circuits, and / or processing cores used to process data (e.g., computer program instructions).

[0088] The memory 402 is used to store the software program that executes the solution of this application, and is controlled by the processor 401 to execute it. The specific implementation method can be referred to the above method embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0089] Optionally, the memory 402 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and instructions, random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and instructions, or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital universal optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer, but not limited thereto. The memory 402 may be integrated with the processor 401 or may exist independently, and may be accessed through the interface circuit of the device 400. Figure 4 (Not shown in the image) is coupled to processor 401, but this embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0090] Transceiver 403 is used for communication with other devices. For example, if device 400 is a terminal, transceiver 403 can be used to communicate with a network device or with another terminal device. As another example, if device 400 is a network device, transceiver 403 can be used to communicate with a terminal or with another network device.

[0091] Alternatively, transceiver 403 may include a receiver and a transmitter. Figure 4(Not shown separately). The receiver is used to implement the receiving function, and the transmitter is used to implement the transmitting function.

[0092] Alternatively, the transceiver 403 can be integrated with the processor 401, or it can exist independently and be connected via the interface circuit of the device 400. Figure 4 (Not shown in the image) is coupled to processor 401, but this embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0093] It should be noted that, Figure 4 The structure of the device 400 shown does not constitute a limitation on the device. The actual device may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0094] Furthermore, the technical effects of the device 400 can be referred to the technical effects of the method described in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0095] It should be understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit (CPU), or it can be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0096] It should also be understood that the memory in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. The volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of random access memory (RAM) are available, such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous DRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous DRAM (ESDRAM), synchronous linked DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0097] The above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, by software, hardware (such as circuits), firmware, or any other combination thereof. When implemented using software, the above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions or computer programs. When the computer instructions or computer programs are loaded or executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more sets of available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium. A semiconductor medium can be a solid-state drive.

[0098] It should be understood that the term "and / or" in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. A and B can be singular or plural. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates an "or" relationship between the preceding and following related objects, but it can also represent an "and / or" relationship. Please refer to the context for a more accurate understanding.

[0099] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of a single item or a plurality of items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be a single item or multiple items.

[0100] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0101] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0102] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0103] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0104] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0105] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0106] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0107] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for remote online control of a smart meter, characterized in that, The method is applied to a relay terminal, the relay terminal including a first antenna and a second antenna, wherein a first beam direction of the first antenna is different from a second beam direction of the second antenna, and the method includes: The relay terminal receives a first control signal from the first meter in the first beam direction through the first antenna. The first control signal is used to indicate that the first meter has been adjusted from a sleep state to a wake-up state. When the first meter has been switched from sleep mode to wake-up mode, the relay terminal sends a second control signal to the second meter in the direction of the second beam through the second antenna. The second control signal is used to indicate that the second meter needs to be switched from wake-up mode to sleep mode. Wherein, the first beam direction points to the first region, the second beam direction points to the second region, the first region and the second region have a partially overlapping area, the first meter is located in the first region and not in the second region, the second meter is located in the second region and not in the first region, and the auxiliary meter is located in the partially overlapping area between the first region and the second region, and the auxiliary meter is always in an awake state, and the auxiliary meter only has the function of collecting power data; Wherein, in an area where the first region and the second region partially overlap, after the relay terminal receives the first data signal from the first meter in the first beam direction via the first antenna, the method further includes: If the first power monitoring data is abnormal, the relay terminal sends a third data signal to the auxiliary meter through the first antenna or the second antenna. The third data signal is used to instruct the auxiliary meter to report the power monitoring data. The relay terminal receives third power monitoring data from the auxiliary meter via the first antenna or the second antenna. The third power monitoring data is data collected by the auxiliary meter from the first power supply equipment.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the first electricity meter has been switched from a dormant state to an awake state, the method further includes: The relay terminal sends a first data signal to the first electricity meter in the direction of the first beam through the first antenna. The first data signal is used to instruct the first electricity meter to report power monitoring data. The relay terminal receives first power monitoring data from the first meter in the first beam direction via the first antenna. The first power monitoring data is data collected by the first meter from the first power supply equipment.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, After the relay terminal receives a first data signal from a first meter in the first beam direction via the first antenna, the method further includes: If the first power monitoring data is abnormal, then when the second meter has been adjusted from sleep state to wake-up state, the relay terminal sends a second data signal to the second meter in the direction of the second beam through the second antenna. The second data signal is used to instruct the second meter to report power monitoring data. The relay terminal receives second power monitoring data from the second meter in the second beam direction via the second antenna. The second power monitoring data is data collected by the second meter from the first power supply equipment.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The first antenna operates in a different frequency band than the second antenna, and the first antenna operates during the same period as the second antenna; or, the first antenna operates in the same frequency band as the second antenna, and the first antenna operates during a different period than the second antenna.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, When the operating frequency band of the first antenna is different from that of the second antenna, the frequency domain positions of the operating frequency bands of the first antenna and the second antenna are adjacent or separated by a preset frequency band; or, when the operating time periods of the first antenna and the second antenna are different, the operating time periods of the first antenna and the second antenna are adjacent or separated by a preset time period. Specifically, when the relay terminal uses the first antenna to transmit a signal, the signal is carried on resources with downlink enabled and uplink flexible; or, when the relay terminal uses the first antenna to receive a signal or data, the signal or data is carried on resources with uplink enabled and downlink flexible; when the relay terminal uses the second antenna to transmit a signal, the signal is carried on resources with downlink enabled and uplink flexible; or, when the relay terminal uses the second antenna to receive a signal or data, the signal or data is carried on resources with uplink enabled and downlink flexible.

6. A remote online control device for a smart meter, characterized in that, The device includes a first antenna and a second antenna, wherein a first beam direction of the first antenna is different from a second beam direction of the second antenna; and the device further includes a processing module and a transceiver module; wherein... The processing module is used to control the transceiver module to receive a first control signal from the first meter in the first beam direction through the first antenna. The first control signal is used to indicate that the first meter has been adjusted from a sleep state to a wake-up state. When the first electricity meter has been adjusted from sleep state to wake state, the processing module is used to control the transceiver module to send a second control signal to the second electricity meter in the direction of the second beam through the second antenna. The second control signal is used to indicate that the second electricity meter needs to be adjusted from wake state to sleep state. Wherein, the first beam direction points to the first region, the second beam direction points to the second region, the first region and the second region have a partially overlapping area, the first meter is located in the first region and not in the second region, the second meter is located in the second region and not in the first region, and the auxiliary meter is located in the partially overlapping area between the first region and the second region, and the auxiliary meter is always in an awake state, and the auxiliary meter only has the function of collecting power data; Wherein, in areas where the first region and the second region partially overlap, if there is an anomaly in the first power monitoring data, the processing module is used to control the transceiver module to send a third data signal to the auxiliary meter through the first antenna or the second antenna. The third data signal is used to instruct the auxiliary meter to report power monitoring data. The processing module is also used to control the transceiver module to receive third power monitoring data from the auxiliary meter through the first antenna or the second antenna. The third power monitoring data is data collected by the auxiliary meter from the first power supply equipment.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, When the first electricity meter has been switched from sleep mode to wake-up mode, the processing module is used to control the transceiver module to send a first data signal to the first electricity meter in the first beam direction through the first antenna. The first data signal is used to instruct the first electricity meter to report power monitoring data. The processing module is used to control the transceiver module to receive first power monitoring data from the first meter in the first beam direction through the first antenna. The first power monitoring data is data collected by the first meter from the first power supply equipment. Wherein, the first beam direction points to the first region, the first meter is located in the first region, the second beam direction points to the second region, the second meter is located in the second region, the first region and the second region are adjacent, and the first region and the second region do not overlap; Alternatively, the first beam direction points to the first region, the second beam direction points to the second region, the first region and the second region have a partially overlapping area, the first meter is located in the first region and not in the second region, the second meter is located in the second region and not in the first region, and the auxiliary meter is located in the partially overlapping area between the first region and the second region, and the auxiliary meter is always in an awake state.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, If the first power monitoring data is abnormal, then when the second meter has been adjusted from sleep state to wake-up state, the processing module is used to control the transceiver module to send a second data signal to the second meter in the direction of the second beam through the second antenna. The second data signal is used to instruct the second meter to report power monitoring data. The processing module is used to control the transceiver module to receive second power monitoring data from the second meter in the second beam direction through the second antenna. The second power monitoring data is data collected by the second meter from the first power supply equipment.

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