1. A system, comprising a plurality of smart grid components, including:
a first node, comprising:
a first system-on-a-module, the first system-on-a-module comprising:
a first processor;
a first flash memory device, in communication with the first processor; and
a random access memory (RAM) device, in communication with the first processor; and
first metrology hardware in communication with the first processor; and
a second node comprising:
a second system-on-a-module, the second system-on-a-module comprising:
a second processor; and
a second flash memory device, in communication with the second processor, wherein at least two software layers are defined on the second flash memory device, the at least two software layers comprising:
a first software layer associated with a first network that is used to communicate with the first node; and
a second software layer associated with a second network that is not used to communicate with the first node; and
second metrology hardware in communication with the second processor.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first node additionally comprises an interface for use with:
a gateway;
an electrical meter; and
a relay.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first node additionally comprises:
at least three types of communications interfaces; and
a communication module communicatively coupled to the first system-on-a-module;
wherein the first system-on-a-module directs, using commands sent through one of the at least three types of communications interfaces, the communication module to transmit data in a network.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first node additionally comprises:
a motherboard controlled by the first system-on-a-module;
a communications module to connect to a network and to communicate metrology information obtained from the first metrology hardware; and
a meter base level printed circuit board (PCB) in communication with the mother board, the meter base level PCB comprising:
a current-carrying elements on the PCB; and
switches to regulate the current on the PCB.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second nodes additionally comprises at least two types of metrology interfaces are selected from among a group consisting of:
a universal asynchronous receivertransmitter (UART) configured for a one-way messaging (BLURT) protocol;
a watt disc emulator (WDE) configured for general purpose inputoutput (GPIO); and
a line sync (LSYNC) configured for GPIO.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second node additionally comprises at least three types of communications interfaces, selected from among a group consisting of:
a universal serial bus (USB);
a secure digital inputoutput (SDIO) interface;
an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) interface;
an analog to digital converter (ADC) channel;
a serial port interface (SPI);
a universal asynchronous receivertransmitter (UART); and
a general purpose inputoutput (GPIO).
7. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second node additionally comprises layers of software in respective flash memory devices that comprise:
a presentation layer to include software operable in a first network;
a business layer to include software operable in the first network and a second network; and
a data layer to include software and data structures operable in the first network and the second network;
wherein content in the layers are separately compiled and stored with a file system defined on the flash memory.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second node additionally comprises:
an encryption engine to encrypt and decrypt data in a file system on the flash memory based at least in part on a value unique to the processor.
9. An electric meter, comprising:
a processor;
a flash memory device, in communication with the processor;
a random access memory (RAM) memory device, in communication with the processor;
metrology hardware;
a communications module;
wherein the processor controls operation of:
the metrology hardware within the electric meter to measure consumption data; and
the communications module within the electric meter to transmit the consumption data; and
at least two software layers, defined on the flash memory device, wherein:
a first software layer is configured for use on a first network; and
a second software layer is configured for use on a second network.
10. The electric meter of claim 9, wherein:
the processor, flash memory device and RAM memory device are configured as a system-on-a-module that directs the communication module to transmit andor receive data.
11. The electric meter of claim 9, additionally comprising:
a universal asynchronous receivertransmitter (UART) in communication with the processor;
a watt disc emulator (WDE) in communication with the processor; and
a line sync (LSYNC) in communication with the processor.
12. The electric meter of claim 9, wherein the processor, flash memory device and RAM memory device are configured as a system-on-a-module having hardware interfaces for backhaul communications on star networks and on mesh networks and for backhaul communications over a direct cellular connection, radio frequency (RF) and power line communications (PLC).
13. The electric meter of claim 9, wherein:
the processor, flash memory device and RAM memory device are configured as a system-on-a-module having hardware interfaces to communications devices operable on star and mesh networks; and
the processor is configured to provide instructions over at least one of the hardware interfaces to the communications devices.
14. The electric meter of claim 9, additionally comprising an encryption engine to encrypt and decrypt data in a file system on the flash memory device based on an internal value unique to the processor.
15. A system-on-a-module, comprising:
a processor;
a flash memory device, in communication with the processor, the flash memory device comprising at least two software layers that are defined on the flash memory device, wherein:
a first software layer is configured for use on a first network; and
a second software layer is configured for use on a second network;
a RAM memory device, in communication with the processor;
a metrology interface to control metrology hardware and to obtain consumption data, the metrology hardware external to the system-on-a-module; and
a communications interface to control communications hardware and to transmit and receive data, the communications hardware external to the system-on-a-module;
wherein the processor is configured to format the consumption data and to direct the communications hardware to transmit the formatted consumption data.
16. A star network, comprising a plurality of network devices, each comprising the system-on-a-module of claim 15,
wherein the system-on-a-module controls direct cellular connection communications hardware.
17. A mesh network, comprising a plurality of network devices, each comprising the system-on-a-module of claim 15,
wherein the system-on-a-module controls radio frequency (RF) communications hardware to communicate with at least one adjacent node.
18. A smart grid component, comprising:
the system-on-a-module of claim 15;
the communications hardware, in communication with the processor;
wherein the system-on-a-module directs operation of the communication hardware.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A position calibration information collecting apparatus, comprising:
an observer device that acquires feature information as to a person present in an environment having a doorway, local coordinates of a position where the person is detected in a local coordinate space of the environment, and a time when the person is detected, as observation information;
a first-time detection position estimating unit for estimating a position where the person is detected for a first time within the local coordinate space, based on the feature information as to the person, the local coordinates, and the time each observed by the observer device;
a doorway position estimating unit for estimating local coordinates of a doorway position of the doorway in the local coordinate space, based on the position where the person is detected for the first time within the local coordinate space estimated by the first-time detection position estimating unit; and
a position calibration information calculating unit for outputting position calibration information for calibration of a position of the observer device, based on global coordinates of the doorway position of the doorway in a global space of the environment and the local coordinates of the doorway position estimated by the doorway position estimating unit.
2. The position calibration information collecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a person detection history database that stores therein the feature information as to the person, the local coordinates of the person, and the time when the person is detected, each being the observation information acquired by the observer device; and
a first-time detection position history database that stores therein by the first-time detection position estimating unit, the position where the person is detected for the first time in the local coordinate space as first-time detection position information, with the time when the person is detected, based on the information stored in the person detection history database,
wherein the first-time detection position estimating unit refers to the person detection history database as to each piece of the observation information being acquired by the observer device and being associated with a detection of the person, to determine whether or not any other piece of the observation information that stores feature information identical to the feature information of the observation information is stored in the person detection history database between the time when the person is detected being the observation information and a time a prescribed time before, and when the other observation information storing the identical feature information is not stored in the person detection history database, the first-time detection position estimating unit estimates that the position where the person is detected being the observation information is the position where the person is detected for the first time, and stores the position where the person is detected for the first time in the first-time detection position history database.
3. The position calibration information collecting apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the doorway position estimating unit refers to automatic door identification information as to the doorway, as to around the position where the person is detected for the first time in the local coordinate space, to estimate the position where the person is detected for the first time as the local coordinates of the doorway position in the local coordinate space.
4. The position calibration information collecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
an environment map storing unit for storing therein the global coordinates of the doorway position of the doorway in the global space of the environment,
wherein the position calibration information calculating unit calculates the position calibration information for performing calibration as to the position of the observer device, based on the global coordinates of the doorway position and the local coordinates of the doorway position, using the global coordinates of the doorway position of the doorway in the global space stored in the environment map storing unit.
5. The position calibration information collecting apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the environment map storing unit stores therein automatic door identification information that identifies whether a door at the doorway in the global space automatically opens or the door is manually opened, and
the position calibration information calculating unit calculates the position calibration information, based on the automatic door identification information stored in the environment map storing unit, by associating the door at the doorway in terms of the local coordinates and the door at the doorway in terms of the global coordinates to each other.
6. The position calibration information collecting apparatus according to claim 5,
wherein when there exist a plurality of pairs of local coordinates of the doorway position of the doorway determined to be the doorway where the door at the doorway automatically opens based on the automatic door identification information as the position where the person is detected for the first time, the first-time detection position estimating unit determines that, out of the plurality of positions where the person is detected for the first time, a position located at farthest coordinates from central coordinates of the environment is the local coordinates of the doorway position of the doorway, and
when there exist a plurality of pairs of local coordinates of the doorway position of the doorway determined to be the doorway where the door at the doorway is manually opened based on the automatic door identification information as the position where the person is detected for the first time, the first-time detection position estimating unit determines that a barycenter position of the plurality of positions where the person is detected for the first time is the local coordinates of the doorway position of the doorway.
7. The position calibration information collecting apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:
a person detection history database that stores therein the feature information as to the person, the local coordinates of the person, and the time when the person is detected the observation information, each being the observation information acquired by the observer device; and
a first-time detection position history database that stores therein by the first-time detection position estimating unit, the position where the person is detected for the first time in the local coordinate space as first-time detection position information, with the time when the person is detected, based on the information stored in the person detection history database,
wherein the environment map storing unit further stores therein information as to a position where the person is likely to stay within the global space,
the doorway position estimating unit further estimates a position where the person is likely to stay within the local coordinate space, based on the feature information as to the person, the local coordinates of the person, and the time when the person is detected, each being stored in the person detection history database,
the first-time detection position history database stores therein by the first-time detection position estimating unit the position where the person is likely to stay within the local coordinate space with the time when the person is detected,
the doorway position estimating unit estimates local coordinates of the position where the person is likely to stay in the local coordinate space, based on the position where the person is likely to stay within the local coordinate space stored in the first-time detection position history database, and
the position calibration information calculating unit calculates the position calibration information for performing calibration as to the position of the observer device, based on the global coordinates of the position where the person is likely to stay and the local coordinates of the position where the person is likely to stay estimated by the doorway position estimating unit.
8. The position calibration information collecting apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:
a person detection history database that stores therein the feature information as to the person, the local coordinates of the person, and the time when the person is detected the observation information, each being the observation information acquired by the observer device; and
a first-time detection position history database that stores therein by the first-time detection position estimating unit, the position where the person is detected for the first time in the local coordinate space as first-time detection position information, with the time when the person is detected, based on the information stored in the person detection history database,
wherein the environment map storing unit further stores therein information as to a position where the person is inhibited from intruding,
the doorway position estimating unit further estimates a position where the person is inhibited from intruding within the local coordinate space, based on the feature information as to the person, the local coordinates of the person, and the time when the person is detected, each being stored in the person detection history database,
the first-time detection position history database stores therein, by the first-time detection position estimating unit, the position where the person is inhibited from intruding within the local coordinate space with the time when the person is detected,
the doorway position estimating unit estimates local coordinates of the position where the person is inhibited from intruding in the local coordinate space, based on the position where the person is inhibited from intruding within the local coordinate space stored in the first-time detection position history database, and
the position calibration information calculating unit calculates the position calibration information for performing calibration as to the position of the observer device, based on the global coordinates of the position where the person is likely to stay and the local coordinates of the position where the person is inhibited from intruding estimated by the doorway position estimating unit.
9. A position calibrating apparatus, comprising:
the position calibration information collecting apparatus according to claim 1; and
a calibrating unit for performing calibration as to the position of the observer device based on the position calibration information calculated by the position calibration information calculating unit of the position calibration information collecting apparatus based on the global coordinates of the doorway position of the doorway installed in the global space and the local coordinates of the doorway position.
10. A position calibration information collecting apparatus, comprising:
an observer device that acquires feature information as to a person present in an environment having a doorway, local coordinates of a position where the person is detected in a local coordinate space of the environment, and a time when the person is detected, as observation information;
a last-time detection position estimating unit for estimating a position where the person is detected for a last time within the local coordinate space, based on the feature information as to the person, the local coordinates, and the time each observed by the observer device;
a doorway position estimating unit for estimating local coordinates of a doorway position of the doorway in the local coordinate space, based on the position where the person is detected for the last time within the local coordinate space estimated by the last-time detection position estimating unit; and
a position calibration information calculating unit for outputting position calibration information for calibration of a position of the observer device, based on global coordinates of the doorway position of the doorway in a global space of the environment and the local coordinates of the doorway position estimated by the doorway position estimating unit.
11. A position calibration information collecting method, comprising:
acquiring, by an observer device, feature information as to a person present in an environment having a doorway, local coordinates of a position where the person is detected in a local coordinate space of the environment, and a time when the person is detected, as observation information;
estimating, by a first-time detection position estimating unit, a position where the person is detected for a first time within the local coordinate space, based on the feature information as to the person, the local coordinates, and the time each observed by the observer device;
estimating, by a doorway position estimating unit, local coordinates of a doorway position of the doorway in the local coordinate space, based on the position where the person is detected for the first time within the local coordinate space estimated by the first-time detection position estimating unit; and
outputting, by a position calibration information calculating unit, position calibration information for calibration of a position of the observer device, based on global coordinates of the doorway position of the doorway in a global space of the environment and the local coordinates of the doorway position estimated by the doorway position estimating unit.
12. A position calibration information collecting program for causing a computer to execute functions of:
acquiring, by an observer device, feature information as to a person present in an environment having a doorway, local coordinates of a position where the person is detected in a local coordinate space of the environment, and a time when the person is detected, as observation information;
estimating, by a first-time detection position estimating unit, a position where the person is detected for a first time within the local coordinate space, based on the feature information as to the person, the local coordinates, and the time each observed by the observer device;
estimating, by a doorway position estimating unit, local coordinates of a doorway position of the doorway in the local coordinate space, based on the position where the person is detected for the first time within the local coordinate space estimated by the first-time detection position estimating unit; and
calculating, by a position calibration information calculating unit, position calibration information for performing calibration as to a position of the observer device, based on global coordinates of the doorway position of the doorway in a global space of the environment and the local coordinates of the doorway position estimated by the doorway position estimating unit.