by Ann Withanee — August 8, 2011—The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office recently granted Echelon its 100th patent, Echelon has announced. The most recent patent covers an innovative new way to construct a communications transformer that enables Echelon to provide the high reliability required in energy control network applications at significantly lower cost points than previously possible.
The firm’s energy control networking technology has a three-tier architecture: intelligence at the field level within smart devices; intelligence in control nodes at the edge, where control networks connect into data networks and the Internet, and intelligence at the enterprise. The firm’s patent portfolio addresses the key requirements of control networking that enable that hierarchy to deliver reliable, survivable, large-scale and low-cost solutions with open interfaces that support an “ecosystem” of partners.
Energy control networking systems require use of a shared-data model that guarantees reliability, survivability and scalability. Many Echelon patents cover the fundamental technology necessary for the shared-data model. Echelon licenses many of those patents without charge under various standards, and Echelon cites the patents related to the EN-14908 device communication protocol widely used in building automation and building energy management.
Echelon also provides low-cost, reliable communications and control over both existing power lines and common unshielded wires.
