Smart Meter Wireless Data Bypass for Powerline Instability
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Powerline communication networks for smart electricity meters face interference issues such as crosstalk, noise, and instability, leading to data transmission challenges, particularly in software updates and user profile transmissions, due to the unreliability and latency caused by network reconfigurations.
Innovation Solution
A method where smart electricity meters use a wireless local communication network to receive data from a management entity via a residential gateway, bypassing the powerline communication network for more efficient data transfer, especially for bulky data, and determining the best communication path based on predefined thresholds and probability curves to minimize network reconfigurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If data is transmitted via the powerline communication network, then the smart electricity meter can receive data from the management entity, but the transmission suffers from instability, noise, crosstalk, and latency due to network reconfigurations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a wireless communication network as an intermediary transmission path between the smart electricity meter and the management entity. When the powerline network experiences instability or high latency, the system switches to using wireless communication (WiFi, Bluetooth, or cellular networks) to transmit data, thereby maintaining reliable communication without the timing delays caused by powerline network reconfigurations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic selection of communication networks based on real-time conditions. The smart electricity meter continuously monitors the status of the powerline communication network and dynamically switches between powerline and wireless networks depending on which provides better performance, thus adapting to changing network conditions to optimize both reliability and speed
2Device complexity
If the powerline communication network is used for data transfer, then existing infrastructure can be utilized, but network reconfigurations occur frequently leading to transmission failures and disconnections
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless communication network serves as a mediator that takes over data transmission when the powerline network becomes unstable. This allows the system to maintain communication reliability without increasing the complexity of the existing powerline infrastructure, as the wireless network handles the problematic transmission scenarios
3Productivity
If software updates and user profile data are transmitted via the powerline network, then data can be delivered to smart electricity meters, but the process is slow and prone to failures due to network instability
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically selects the optimal communication path for software updates and user profile transmissions. When the powerline network is stable, it is used for data transfer; when instability is detected, the system automatically switches to wireless communication, ensuring that updates are delivered quickly and reliably without failures caused by network reconfigurations
Data Source
AI summary
A method for transmitting data from a management entity in a communication system further comprising at least one data concentrator device to which smart electricity meters are attached via a first powerline communication network, each data concentrator device being connected to the management entity via a second communication network. Said smart electricity meter receives, coming from the management entity, via the first powerline communication network, a message indicating that a transfer of data is pending with the management entity. Said smart electricity meter comprising a wireless communication interface adapted to communicate via a third wireless local communication network with a residential gateway connected to the management entity via a fourth communication network, said smart electricity meter obtains said data from the management entity via the third wireless local communication network.