Energy monitoring system using network management protocols

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for integrating an intelligent electronic device (IED) in a network management system. The IED may be configured to communicate using the network management protocol of the network management system. IED variables may be mapped to associated network management protocol variables to allow the network management system to access the IED variables using the network management protocol.

We claim: 
     
       1. A system for network management communication
 comprising: 
 a communications network; an intelligent electronic device (IED) coupled with the communications network and including a plurality of TED variables, wherein the IED is configured to measure data, the measured data being stored in at least one of the plurality of IED variables, the IED comprising: 
 an agent configured to communicate using a network management protocol, the network management protocol including a plurality of network management protocol variables; and 
 a mapper configured to associate the at least one IED variable with at least one of the plurality of network management protocol variables; 
 a network management station coupled with the communications network and configured to access the at least one network management protocol variable using the network management protocol; and 
 a management information base coupled with the IED and the network management station that describes a set of the plurality of network management protocol variables offered by the IED; 
 wherein at least one of the IED variables is associated with an alarm event generated by the IED and is mapped to at least one of the network management protocol variables with a trap command that notifies the network management station of generation of the alarm event by the IED. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1  wherein the management information base comprises a structured text file that includes the set of the plurality of network management protocol variables offered by the IED. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1  wherein the management information base is generated based on the mapped association between the plurality of IED variables and the plurality of network management protocol variables. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1  wherein the mapped association between the plurality of IED variables and the plurality of network management protocol variables is transferable to other IED's to establish the associations on the other IED's. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1  wherein the IED further comprises a power management application that measures the data. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1  wherein the network management station is configured to automatically discover other IED's coupled with the communications network. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1  wherein the agent comprises an interface between the network management station and the IED. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1  wherein the measured data of the IED includes energy measurement data. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a slave IED coupled with the IED, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of IED variables of the IED include data obtained from the slave IED. 
 
     
     
       10. An intelligent electronic device (IED) comprising: a sensor for measuring data;
 a power management application coupled with the sensor and configured to record the data measured by the sensor, wherein the measured data comprises a plurality of IED variables; a management information base including a plurality of network management protocol variables, wherein the plurality of network management protocol variables are used for communication in a network management system; and a map that associates the plurality of IED variables with the plurality of network management protocol variables 
 wherein at least one of the IED variables is associated with an alarm event generated by the IED and is mapped to at least one of the network management protocol variables with a trap command that notifies the network management station of generation of the alarm event by the IED. 
 
     
     
       11. The IED of  claim 10  further comprising a communication port configured to connect with the network management system and a network management station in the network management system. 
     
     
       12. The IED of  claim 11  further comprising an agent that communicates at least one of the plurality of IED variables to the network management station upon receiving a request for the at least one of the plurality of network management protocol variables that is associated with the at least one of the plurality of IED variables according to the map. 
     
     
       13. The IED of  claim 12  wherein the network management station includes at least one management information base describing a set of the network management protocol variables offered by the IED. 
     
     
       14. A method for integrating an intelligent electronic device (IED) into a network management system, the method comprising:
 providing a plurality of IED variables, wherein each of the plurality IED variables is operative to store measurement data from the IED; communicating with the network management system using a network management protocol which utilizes a plurality of network management protocol variables for the communication; associating each of the plurality of IED variables to a related one of the plurality of network management protocol variables; storing the association of the plurality of IED variables in a map; receiving a request for at least one of the plurality of network management protocol variables; and providing, in response to the request, at least one of the plurality of IED variables that is associated with the requested at least one network management protocol variable according to the map; 
 wherein at least one of the IED variables is associated with an alarm event generated by the IED and is mapped to at least one of the network management protocol variables with a trap command that notifies the network management station of generation of the alarm event by the IED. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14  further comprising:
 editing the map to modify the association for a particular IED variable with a particular network management protocol variable. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 14  wherein the management information base describes the plurality of network management protocol variables offered by the IED. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16  wherein the management information base is accessible by a network management station for communicating with the IED using the network management protocol. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 14  further comprising:
 measuring energy data, wherein the measurement data comprises the measured energy data.