Patent ID: 7505453
Filing Date: 2009-03-17
Classification: G06Q,H02J,H04L,Y04S

Abstract:
1. A networked-based, extensible metering system, comprising: (a) a TCP/IP network; (b) a directory service coupled to the TCP/IP network; (c) a plurality of network-enabled meters coupled to the TCP/IP network, different ones of the network-enabled meters having different communications interface protocols by which they communicate over the TCP/IP network, each of the network-enabled meters uploading its location and its respective communications interface protocol to the directory service; and (d) one or more network servers that execute a plurality of different applications, each application processing data collected from one or more of the network-enabled meters to provide a respective metering service, the applications communicating with the network-enabled meters using their respective communications protocols obtained from the directory service, wherein the one or more network servers permit different meter data users to purchase or lease different combinations of the metering services provided by the applications executing thereon.