Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120082048 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING SMART GRID COMMUNICATIONS AND MANAGEMENT - A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving phasor measurement unit (PMU) data in a first transmission; converting the first transmission into a multicast transmission; and multicasting the PMU data to a multicast group address, which identifies a plurality of subscribers. In more specific implementations, the converting of the first transmission into the multicast transmission occurs at a first-hop router in relation to a PMU source that sent the first transmission. In some cases, the first transmission is a unicast transmission sent from a network element, which includes a PMU sensor. | 04-05-2012 |
20120082159 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING SMART GRID COMMUNICATIONS AND MANAGEMENT - A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving a request for a service that involves phasor measurement unit (PMU) data; identifying a service device in a network to perform the service; and multicasting one or more results of the service to a group of subscribers identified by a multicast group address. In more particular embodiments, particular PMU data is redirected to the service device via a service insertion architecture (SIA) protocol. In addition, the service can include replicating packets and masking a subset of traffic for forwarding to a first hop router of the network. In certain example instances, metadata is used in order to apply the service to certain traffic propagating in the network. | 04-05-2012 |
20120310423 | DISTRIBUTED INTELLIGENCE ARCHITECTURE WITH DYNAMIC REVERSE/FORWARD CLOUDING - In one embodiment, a grid application function is hosted at a primary grid device in a utility grid, which may determine whether or not to distribute at least a portion of the grid application function to one or more distributed secondary grid devices in the utility grid. In general, the one or more distributed secondary grid devices will be associated with a subset of the utility grid that is associated with the primary grid device (e.g., a sub-grid). Once a determination has been made, the primary grid device may dynamically distribute the grid application function, or a portion thereof, to the distributed secondary devices according to the determination. In addition, in another embodiment, the grid application function may also be withdrawn, such as from a particular secondary grid device or else from the primary grid device to an originating grid device. | 12-06-2012 |
20120310424 | CONTROL FEDERATION FOR UTILITY GRIDS - In one embodiment, a federation device receives one or more grid control-based signals over a computer network, applies one or more utility grid control policies to the one or more grid control-based signals, and federates the one or more signals and/or the one or more utility grid control policies into one or more federated control-based signals. The federation device then propagates the one or more federated control-based signals to one or more grid-related devices. | 12-06-2012 |
20120310434 | VARIABLE TOPOLOGY DISTRIBUTED INTELLIGENCE FOR UTILITY GRID CONTROL OPERATION SERVICES - In one embodiment, a grid service controller receives advertisements from one or more grid service devices that indicate one or more grid control operations for which a corresponding grid service device is capable, and also maintains state and locality of the grid service devices. In response to receiving a request from a grid device for a particular grid control operation, the grid service controller may then direct the grid device to a particular grid service device capable of providing the particular grid control operation for the grid device based on the state and locality of the grid service devices, accordingly. | 12-06-2012 |
20120310435 | CONTROL COMMAND DISAGGREGATION AND DISTRIBUTION WITHIN A UTILITY GRID - In one embodiment, a grid controller device of a given locality within a utility grid receive a grid control command and determines a plurality of sub-localities controlled by the grid controller device and one or more grid characteristics of each of the plurality of sub-localities. The grid controller device then disaggregates the grid control command into a plurality of sub-locality control commands according to the grid characteristics of the corresponding plurality of sub-localities, and distributes the sub-locality control commands to sub-grid controllers. | 12-06-2012 |
20120310558 | LAYERED AND DISTRIBUTED GRID-SPECIFIC NETWORK SERVICES - In one embodiment, a layered/distributed grid-specific network services system comprises grid sensors in the utility grid configured to generate grid data values such as raw grid data values, processed grid data values, and/or any combination thereof, and to communicate the grid data values using a communication network. Distributed grid devices in the utility grid may be configured to receive the grid data values, and one or more of the grid devices may be configured to convert raw grid data values into processed grid data values. Application devices in the utility grid may be configured to access the grid data values from the distributed grid devices, and to further process the grid data values according to a particular grid application operating at the corresponding application device into application data values. | 12-06-2012 |
20120310559 | DISTRIBUTED DATA COLLECTION FOR UTILITY GRIDS - In one embodiment, a system that provides distributed data collection for sensor networks in a utility grid comprises one or more data collection agents, one or more grid data collection service devices, and one or more points of use. The one or more data collection agents may be configured to generate grid data values that comprise raw grid data values, processed grid data values, and/or any combination thereof. The one or more data collection agents may be configured to communicate the grid data values using a communication network in the utility grid to the one or more grid data collection service devices, which may be configured to receive the grid data values in a time-synchronized manner, and to distribute the time-synchronized grid data values in substantially real-time to the one or more points of use. | 12-06-2012 |
20120323381 | Security Measures for the Smart Grid - Security is enabled in an electrical system by examining a configuration file for a substation present in the electrical system, where the substation includes one or more electrical devices and one or more network devices. Based on the examination of the configuration file, information is determined on a characteristic of an electrical device that is selected from a group including a type, allowed role of the electrical device and allowed communication modes for the electrical device. Based on the determined information, a basis for controlling the role and communication modes for the electrical device is identified. A security policy is configured in a network device in the substation to incorporate the identified basis. Based on the configured security policy in the network device, communication patterns for the electrical device are allowed that are associated with the allowed role and allowed communication modes for the electrical device. | 12-20-2012 |
20130024149 | IDENTIFICATION OF ELECTRICAL GRID PHASE INFORMATION FOR END-POINTS IN A GRID NETWORK - In one embodiment, a requesting device (e.g., head-end application) requests a phase-related response from an end-point that does not know its phase in a polyphase power source system. In response, the requesting device receives the phase-related response from the end-point, where the response relays an identification of the end-point and related phase information without indicating an actual phase of the end-point, e.g., on which power-line is a response generated or at which time is a zero-crossing of the power source's waveform. The phase information of the phase-related response may then be correlated to a known phase of a known-phase device, such that the actual phase of the end-point may be identified based on the correlation. | 01-24-2013 |
20130051498 | INSTANTANEOUS PHASOR DETERMINATION FOR POLY-PHASE ELECTRICAL GRIDS - In one embodiment, three substantially simultaneous phase waveforms may be converted into a first quadrature signal and a zero sequence signal. For each phase waveform, a power system digital frequency may be determined through analysis of the first quadrature signal (e.g., and at least one additional prior quadrature signal) while eliminating waveform phase angles from the analysis. Subsequently, demodulation of the first quadrature signal and zero sequence signal based on the power system digital frequency results in a positive sequence phasor, a negative sequence phasor, and a zero sequence phasor. | 02-28-2013 |
20140146816 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING SMART GRID COMMUNICATIONS AND MANAGEMENT - A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving a request for a service that involves phasor measurement unit (PMU) data; identifying a service device in a network to perform the service; and multicasting one or more results of the service to a group of subscribers identified by a multicast group address. In more particular embodiments, particular PMU data is redirected to the service device via a service insertion architecture (SIA) protocol. In addition, the service can include replicating packets and masking a subset of traffic for forwarding to a first hop router of the network. In certain example instances, metadata is used in order to apply the service to certain traffic propagating in the network. | 05-29-2014 |