KR101820912B1 - Smart link device for interworking between standard and non-standard plc networks - Google Patents

Abstract

The smart linking device for standard and nonstandard PLC network interworking according to the present invention is connected to an existing data concentrator (DCU) for collecting meter reading data through a non-standard PLC network, transmits the meter reading data to a higher AMI server, And a smart linking device for collecting, storing, and transmitting the metering data through a standard PLC network separately from the collection and transmission of the metering data.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a smart link device for interworking standard and nonstandard PLC networks, and more particularly, to a SMART LINK DEVICE FOR INTERWORKING BETWEEN STANDARD AND NON-STANDARD PLC NETWORKS,

The present invention relates to a smart linking device for linking standard and non-standard PLC (Power Line Communication) networks, and more particularly, to a smart linking device for collecting meter reading data through a non-standard PLC network, And a smart linking unit for transmitting the inspection data to the upper AMI server and collecting, storing and transmitting the inspection data through a standard PLC network separately from the collection and transmission of the inspection data, And to a smart linkage device for interworking standard AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) networks using non-standard PLC chips and standard non-standard PLC networks.

Currently, KEPCO is building and operating an AMI system for about 2.5 million low-voltage customers. It will operate 500,000 households in 2010 and 2 million households in 2013 and 2.3 million households in 2016. It is expected to push forward.

In order to improve the efficiency of the AMI system, a PLC network using standard non-standard PLC chips and a standard PLC chip were used. A method for interworking PLC networks is needed.

However, since the standard PLC chip and the nonstandard PLC chip have different phase shift keying (PSK) mapping, encryption mode and method, mutual data communication is impossible, so that the data concentrator of the AMI network composed of the non- Collecting meter reading data from an electronic watt-hour meter of a configured AMI network, or vice versa.

In addition, the non-standard PLC chip is attached to the PCB (Printed Circuit Board) surface in the existing Data Concentrator (DCU). In order to replace it with the standard PLC chip, the physical size, pin map, Should be the same.

However, since the characteristics of the standard PLC chip and the nonstandard PLC chip do not match, the entire PCB of the DCU has to be replaced in order to replace the PLC chip, which is not efficient in terms of cost and time.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2011-0032275

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and system for transmitting and receiving meter reading data to a higher AMI server by attaching and linking to an existing data concentrator (DCU) Standard and non-standard PLC network interworking with heterogeneous AMI network using standard PLC chip and non-standard PLC chip by providing smart link device that collects, stores and transmits meter reading data through standard PLC network separately from transmission And to provide a smart linkage device for the mobile terminal.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a smart linking device for interworking between a standard and a non-standard PLC network, the PLC linking device being connected to and connecting to an existing data concentrator (DCU) And a smart linking unit for transmitting the data to the upper AMI server and collecting, storing, and transmitting the meter reading data through a standard PLC network separately from the collection and transmission of the meter reading data.

The present invention has a technical effect that can interoperate with a heterogeneous AMI network using a standard PLC chip and a nonstandard PLC chip.

1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a relationship between a smart linking device and peripheral devices for standard / nonstandard PLC network interworking according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a smart linking device and an existing data concentrator, and the meter reading data (meter reading data A) collected from a non-standard PLC network and the meter reading data (meter reading data B) As shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 shows an example in which the smart linking device according to the present invention is installed in an existing data concentration device.
FIG. 4A shows the outline of the smart interconnection device enclosure installed in FIG.
FIG. 4B shows the state of the module assembled in the installed smart interconnection device enclosure in FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a relationship between a smart linking device and peripheral devices for standard / nonstandard PLC network interworking according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a smart linking apparatus 200 for interworking with a standard / non-standard PLC network according to the present invention includes a backbone network (hereinafter, referred to as " backbone network " , And 10 to an AMI server 300, which is a high-order AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) system, which will be described later in detail with reference to FIG.

The existing data concentrator (DCU) 100 means a data concentrator (DCU) for 500,000 users already installed. The DCU 100 communicates with a non-standard PLC modem having a built-in non-standard PLC chip, At this time, the meter reading information collection method operates in accordance with the KEPCO data concentration device ordering standard announced in 2010.

Here, the meter reading data refers to meter reading information (meter reading data A in FIG. 2) collected from an electronic watt hour meter through a PLC network constituted by a non-standard PLC modem according to the KEPCO data concentration device ordering standard announced in 2010.

In addition, an NMS (Network Management System) agent supporting the non-standard PLC network is also installed in the existing data concentrator.

The smart linking device 200 has a structure that can be embedded in an existing data concentrator (DCU) 100 (see FIG. 3), communicates with a standard PLC modem having a built-in standard PLC chip, and is connected to the standard PLC modem The meter reading data collection method and the PLC NMS (Network Management System) operate in accordance with the KEPCO Data Concentrator ordering specifications announced after 2013.

Here, the meter reading data refers to meter reading information (meter reading data B in FIG. 2) collected from an electronic wattmeter through a PLC network constituted by a standard PLC modem according to the KEPCO data concentrator ordering standard announced in 2013.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a smart linking device and an existing data concentration device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a flow of collecting and transmitting metering data.

2, a smart linking apparatus 200 according to the present invention includes a CPU module 210, a network switch 220, a standard PLC modem 230, a LAN port 240, a first WAN port 251, And a second WAN port 252.

The CPU module 210 collects and stores the meter reading data B from an external electronic watt-hour meter (not shown) through the standard PLC modem 230 and transmits it to the AMI server 300 via the second WAN port 252, It bypasses the meter reading data A transmitted from the data concentrator 100 to the AMI server 300 through the network switch 220 and the first WAN port 251, Such as installing an agent that manages the smart link device 200.

The network switch 220 performs an optional switching function on a network group such as a standard PLC modem 230, a LAN port 240, a first WAN port 251 and a second WAN port 252.

The standard PLC modem 230 constitutes a standard PLC network with standard PLC modems connected to an external electronic watt-hour meter (not shown).

The LAN port 240 is connected to the smart link device 200 and the standard PLC modem 230 corresponding to the local area and is used to monitor or manage the status of the smart link device 200 or the standard PLC network.

The first WAN port 251 receives the meter reading data B collected by the non-standard PLC modem 130 of the existing data concentrator 100 through the WAN port 150, To the AMI server (300) via the Internet (10).

The second WAN port 252 transmits the meter reading data B collected through the standard PLC network to the AMI server 300 through the backbone network 10 in accordance with the command of the CPU module 210.

In this case, the first WAN port 251 and the second WAN port 252 are connected to a WAN (Wide Area Network), which is a backbone network 10, to enable communication with a remote AMI server and have a redundant structure .

On the other hand, the existing data concentrator 100 includes a CPU module 110, a network switch 120, a non-standard PLC modem 130, a LAN port 140 and a WAN port 150, The configuration and function of the image forming apparatus 200 will be described in detail.

The non-standard PLC modem 130 constitutes a nonstandard PLC modem and nonstandard PLC modems connected to an external electronic watt-hour meter (not shown). The meter reading data A collected from the nonstandard PLC modems 130 are used for selective switching of the network switch 120, 110 to the first WAN port 251 of the smart interconnection device 200 through the WAN port 150. [

Hereinafter, main features of the process of collecting and transmitting metering data through the linkage between the smart linking device 200 and the existing data concentrator 100 according to the present invention will be summarized.

The meter reading data A collected by the existing data concentrator 100 from the non-standard PLC network is transmitted to the smart link device (not shown) via the WAN port 150 according to the selective switching of the network switch 120 and the control command of the CPU module 110 200 to the first WAN port 251 of the first WAN port.

Secondly, the first WAN port 251 can directly transmit the meter reading data A collected from the non-standard PLC network, without performing a separate process or the like, according to the selective switching of the network switch 220 and the control command of the CPU module 210 There is a technical feature that a process of bypassing to the AMI server 300 using the backbone network 10 is performed.

The meter reading data B collected by the smart link device 200 from the standard PLC network is transmitted to the backbone network 252 via the second WAN port 252 in accordance with the selective switching of the network switch 220 and the control command of the CPU module 210 10 to the AMI server 300. In this case,

Fourth, the first WAN port 251 and the second WAN port 252 have a redundant structure, and independently of each other, that is, the first WAN port 251 transmits the meter reading data A collected through the non- 2 WAN port 252 has a technical feature in that the meter reading data B collected through the standard PLC network is transmitted to the AMI server 300 using the backbone network 10. [

FIG. 3 shows an example in which the smart link device according to the present invention is installed in an existing data concentration device, FIG. 4A shows the outline of the smart link device installed in FIG. And shows the state of the module assembled inside the device enclosure.

3 to 4B, the smart linking apparatus 200 according to the present invention is physically connected to the existing data concentrator 100, and is installed in a form removably attachable to the existing data concentrator 100.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the three-phase four-wire connecting portion 20a of the smart connecting device 200 is electrically connected to the three-phase four-wire power supplying portion 20b of the existing data concentrator 100, The PLC network and the non-standard PLC network physically coexist on the same power line.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, since the smart coupling device 200 is provided with a box-shaped enclosure in which various modules are assembled, it is easy to carry, detach and attach, and also provides convenience of maintenance .

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit of the invention.

210: CPU module
220: Network switch
230: Standard PLC modem
240: LAN port
251: First WAN port
252: Second WAN port

Claims (5)

And transmits the metering data to the upper AMI server in addition to and associating with the existing data concentrator (DCU) that collects the metering data via the nonstandard PLC network, and transmits the metering data through the standard PLC network separately from the collection and transmission of the metering data And a smart linking device for collecting,
The smart linking device comprises:
A standard PLC modem connected to an external electronic watt-hour meter and a standard PLC modem configuring the standard PLC network;
A first WAN port for receiving metering data collected from the non-standard PLC network by the DCU and transmitting the data to the AMI server;
A second WAN port for transmitting the meter reading data collected through the standard PLC network to the AMI server;
A smart link device and a LAN port connectable to the standard PLC network;
A network switch capable of selectively switching a network in a LAN or a WAN area consisting of the standard PLC modem, the LAN port, the first WAN port or the second WAN port; And
A CPU module that collects, stores, and manages metering data through the standard PLC network, or controls the standard PLC modem, the LAN port, the first WAN port, or the second WAN port through the network switch Smart linkage device for standard and nonstandard PLC network interworking. delete The system of claim 1, wherein the first WAN port comprises:
And the meter reading data collected through the nonstandard PLC network is received through a WAN (Wide Area Network) port of the existing data concentrator (DCU). 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first WAN port comprises:
And transmits the metering data collected through the non-standard PLC network to the AMI server. The smart linkage system according to claim 1,
The three-phase four-wire connection portion of the smart coupling device is electrically connected to the three-phase four-wire power supply portion of the existing data concentrator (DCU) so that the standard PLC network and the nonstandard PLC network physically coexist on the same power line Smart linkage device for standard and nonstandard PLC network interworking.

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