Patent ID: 7994934

Claim:
An energy meter comprising: a measurement module for obtaining measurement data indicative of energy consumed or other measurement data; at least one processor or ASIC having at least one internal or external memory for storing application software capable of being executed by the said at least one processor or ASIC; said at least one processor or ASIC functions to include at least one of running diagnostics, obtaining measurement data, and operating a display; and a communication interface configured for receiving the measurement data and for operatively communicating the measurement data, via a single, predetermined data protocol, to at least one of a plurality of detachable, different communication devices disposed in the meter, the at least one communication device being a plug-and-play device including a processor programmed with at least one communication protocol for converting the measurement data in the single, predetermined data protocol to the at least one communication protocol and a communication circuitry being configured for transmitting measurement and other data to a computing device via the at least one communication protocol over a predetermined communication infrastructure, the at least one communication protocol of the at least one communication device being different than a communication protocol of a second communication device in the plurality of detachable, different communication devices.