Communications process and system associated with monitoring and controlling resource consumption

Abstract

A method executed by a concentrator connected between a plurality of remote units and a management server, the method including: (i) receiving and storing properties data associated with a remote unit including a microengine and a meter for measuring usage of a resource at a customer's premises, the properties data representing a profile of the remote unit; (ii) receiving message data representing a request associated with the remote unit from the management server; (iii) generating response data representing a response to the request based on the message data and the stored properties data; and (iv) sending the response data to one of the remote unit and the management server, as determined by the request based on the message data.

1 .- 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A method executed by a concentrator connected between a plurality of remote units and a management server, the method including:
 (i) receiving and storing properties data from a remote location and associated with a remote unit including a microengine and a meter for measuring usage of a resource at a customer's premises, the properties data representing a profile of the remote unit and including communications parameters and device parameters, the communications parameters representing selectable communications protocols and associated equipment the microengine supports;   (ii) receiving message data representing a request associated with the remote unit from the management server;   (iii) generating response data representing a response to the request based on the message data and the stored properties data; and   (iv) sending the response data to one of the remote unit and the management server, as determined by the request based on the message data, wherein the properties data representing the communications parameters is used to determine the selectable communications protocols and associated equipment the microengine supports and establish an available communications link among multiple different communications links supported by at least some of the selectable communications protocols the microengine supports by selecting and using the respective communications parameters of the properties data for the determined communication link to send the response data to the remote unit,   wherein the respective communications parameters are for a new interface added to the profile and are transmitted to the microengine when interfaces of the determined communications link do not match.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the properties data includes at least one of:
 (i) measurement data representing measurement of usage of the resource at the customer's premises;   (ii) configuration data representing configuration of the remote unit;   (iii) data representing a meter reading schedule;   (iv) data representing demand side management profile information;   (v) data representing supported communications protocols the microengine can use for the microengine to concentrator, microengine to microengine and microengine to meter links and properties per protocol parameters;   (vi) data representing configuration of meters and microengines with a communications connection to the remote unit;   (vii) data representing carbon footprint information; and tariff data representing a tariff associated with usage of the resource.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising receiving and storing second properties data for a second remote unit connected to the other remote unit, and communicating with the second remote unit based on the second properties data. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the second remote unit includes a microengine and an associated display, and a link is established between the microengines of the remote units. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the second unit includes a smart meter for monitoring usage of a resource at a customer's premises, and a link is established between the smart meter and the microengine of the other remote unit. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the second remote unit includes a second microengine and a second meter for measuring usage of a resource at a customer's premises, and a link is established between the second microengine and the microengine of the other remote unit. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the concentrator establishes links to microengines of a first group of remote units, and instantiates a second concentrator process to establish links with a second group of remote units. 
     
     
         29 . A method as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein the concentrator establishes a concentrator to management server link to serve stored properties data of the remote units on demand to the management server, in response to requests for the management data from the remote computers of resource market participants. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the response data sent to the remote unit represents alert data associated with an event and causes generation of alert information at a location associated with said remote unit. 
     
     
         31 . A communications system for controlling and interrogating a network of distributed remote units, the communications system including:
 one or more processors and a memory;   a network management server for requesting and serving data associated with the remote units;   concentrators for communicating with the network management server and communicating with respective remote units using respective selectable communications protocols based on properties data maintained at the concentrators, the properties data being from a remote location and representing state and communications parameters associated with each remote unit, wherein the concentrators are being executed by processors; and   remote units for serving properties data and message data to a concentrator and receiving data, including application files and service level data, wherein the remote units are being executed by processors,   wherein the properties data of the remote units represents profiles of the remote units and devices installed with or communicating with the remote units, and the profiles each include communications parameters and device parameters, the communications parameters representing the communications protocols and associated equipment the respective remote unit supports,   wherein a concentrator is configured to communicate with a remote unit using an available communications link determined in accordance with the communications protocols and associated equipment the respective remote unit supports and established among multiple different communications links supported by at least some of the selectable communications protocols the respective remote unit supports by selecting and using the respective communications parameters of the properties data for the determined communication link,   wherein the respective communications parameters are for a new interface added to the profile and are transmitted to the respective remote unit when interfaces of the determined communications link do not match.   
     
     
         32 . The communications system of  claim 31 , wherein the remote units are adapted to receive, build, send and execute said application files. 
     
     
         33 . The communications system of  claim 31 , including clusters of said concentrators using a respective communications protocol for connection to the remote units. 
     
     
         34 . The communications system of  claim 31 , wherein at least one of the remote units includes a meter for measuring usage of a resource at a customer's premises and a microengine for maintaining the properties data. 
     
     
         35 . The communications system of  claim 34 , wherein at least one of the remote units includes a microengine for establishing a link with another microengine of another remote unit, and a display unit providing real-time information associated with consumption and control of usage of the resource. 
     
     
         36 . The communications system of  claim 35 , wherein real-time information includes bill presentation based on data obtained from the other remote unit. 
     
     
         37 . The communications system of  claim 34 , wherein at least one of the remote units stores property data for communicating with another remote unit. 
     
     
         38 . The communications system of  claim 31 , wherein the service level data includes tariff data associated with the respective locations of the remote units. 
     
     
         39 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising a computer program code for performing the method of  claim 22 .