Landis+gyr, Inc.

Siemens Power Transmission & Distribution, Inc.

Electrowatt Technology Innovation Ag

Siemens Transmission & Distribution. LLC

Gordon R Burns

John P Junker

John T Voisine

Byron J Slater

Gregory A Grisham

Javier Adame

Jeff Kotowski

Ronald C Tate

Bruce Everett Randall

Warren Thomas Martin

Richard D Davis

Rongsheng Wang

Kevin Hofinger

A utility meter implementing the ANSI C12.19 standard is able to bypass security processing using Decade4 security tables for a single data access operation. The meter includes a procedure that is executed by a processor in the meter to process requests for security keys. Data internal to the meter is used to generate a security key. The security key is used by the requesting external device and the procedure to generate an access key. The external device sends its access key to the procedure so it may be compared to the internally generated access key. If both access keys are the same, a data access operation performed by the external device is allowed without reference to the Decade4 security tables. Once a timeout or data access operation is performed, subsequent data access operations are subject to processing in accordance with the Decade4 security tables unless another security key is requested for repetition of the process.

System and method for accessing read only ANSI tables in an electricity meter

An arrangement for use in a utility meter includes a non-volatile memory and an RF transceiver. The non-volatile memory has a first and a second port, the first port configured to obtain commodity consumption data. The radio frequency (RF) transceiver is configured to receive an RF signal from an external source and obtain energy from the RF signal and provide the energy to a bias voltage input of the non-volatile memory. The RF transceiver is further operable to perform a data transfer operation responsive to the received RF signal, the data transfer operation including a transfer of meter-related data between the non-volatile memory and the RF transceiver using the second port of the non-volatile memory.

Utility meter with external signal-powered transceiver

A configurable buss element for an electricity meter includes a conductive piece of metal formed into a series of contact connectors and a network of elongate conductors extending between and among the series of contact connectors. Each of the plurality of contact connectors is configured to contact a circuit element of an electricity meter. The network of elongate conductors is operable to provide connectivity between the contact connectors and select portions of the conductive piece of metal in one of a plurality of connectivity configurations, each of the connectivity configurations corresponding to an electricity meter configuration, the select one of the plurality of connectivity configurations defined by a predetermined set of discontinuities introduced in the network of elongate conductors.

Configurable utility meter connection interface

An arrangement for use in a utility meter includes a non-volatile memory and an RF transceiver. The non-volatile memory has a first and a second port, the first port configured to obtain commodity consumption data. The radio frequency (RF) transceiver is configured to receive and RF signal from an external source and obtain energy from the RF signal and provide the energy to a bias voltage input of the non-volatile memory. The RF transceiver is further operable to perform a data transfer operation responsive to the received RF signal, the data transfer operation including a transfer of meter-related data between the non-volatile memory and the RF transceiver using the second port of the non-volatile memory.

An arrangement for generating and storing metering information in a meter for measuring a consumed commodity includes a processing circuit and a non-volatile, rewriteable random access memory. The processing circuit is operable to generate metering information. The non-volatile, rewriteable random access memory stores metering information during normal operation, and is operable to retain the stored metering information in the absence of external electrical power.

Electronic meter having random access memory with passive nonvolatility

An electricity meter performs a self-calibration operation. According to an exemplary embodiment, the meter includes a measurement circuit for generating power information representative of measured power. A controller is operably coupled to the measurement circuit and includes an input for receiving reference standard information. The controller compares the power information generated by the measurement circuit to the reference standard information and generates a compensation signal in dependence upon the comparison. The compensation signal is used to calibrate the measurement circuit. Preferably, the meter is capable of being electrically connected to, and calibrated concurrently with at least one other meter.

Self-calibrating electricity meter

A communication system for a utility meter that has a primary power supply includes a primary communication circuit and a secondary communication circuit. The primary power supply is operable to receive a primary electrical power from a primary power source and generate a primary bias power therefrom. The primary communication circuit is operable to effectuate external communications when the primary electrical power from the primary power source is present. The secondary communication circuit is operable to effectuate external communications when the primary electrical power from the primary power source is interrupted.

Utility meter having primary and secondary communication circuits

An arrangement for adaptive time keeping in a utility meter includes a timing circuit and a controller. The timing circuit is operable to generate timing signals. The controller is operably coupled to the timing circuit to receive timing signals therefrom. Further, the controller is operable to: generate a first real-time value based at least in part on an externally generated first reference time value; derive a subsequent second real-time value, based at least in part on the first real-time value, the timing signals, and a timing circuit calibration value; obtain an externally generated second reference time value; determine a rate adjustment based at least in part on a difference between the second real-time value and the second reference time value; and generate a subsequent real-time value based at least in part on the timing signals, the timing circuit calibration value, and the rate adjustment.

Automatic calibration of time keeping for utility meters

A watt-hour meter employs a power factor compensation technique that inserts a delay into the digitized current or voltage sample stream. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes an electronic watt-hour meter comprising a voltage sensor, a current sensor, a conversion circuit, and a processing circuit: The voltage sensor generates a voltage measurement signal responsive to a voltage provided to a load. Similarly, the current sensor generates a current measurement signal responsive to a current provided to a load. The conversion circuit further comprises: a first converter connected to the voltage sensor for generating sampled voltage data stream based on said voltage measurement signal; a second converter connected to the current sensor for generating a sampled current data stream based on said current measurement signal, and a phase correction circuit. The phase correction circuit is connected to one of the first and second converters and inserts a delay into one of the sampled voltage data stream or the sampled current data stream. The processing circuit is operably connected to the first and second converters, and receives information indicative of the sampled voltage data stream and sampled current data stream subject to any delay inserted by the phase correction circuit. The processing circuit then generates power consumption data from the sampled voltage data and sampled current data.

Watt-hour meter with digital per-phase power factor compensation

An electricity meter contains analog/digital converters to transform input analog voltages and currents into sampled digital values. A first high speed processor derives auxiliary magnitudes from the sampled digital values without intermediate storage. The auxiliary magnitudes, which do not have any direct physical significance, are provided to a lower speed second processor, which utilizes the auxiliary magnitudes to determine various desired parameters and functions of the input voltages and currents.

Electricity meter to measure electrical physical magnitudes which are

An electrical utility meter includes a controller that determines a list of highest demands using event-triggered windows of time to ensure that only one of the entries on the list corresponds to any one high consumption event. The controller generates a demand value corresponding to the quantity of energy consumed within a demand interval, and then determines whether the demand value for the demand interval is greater than a smallest demand value on a list of highest demands in a memory location. If so, the controller opens a demand window, the demand window having a duration exceeding the demand interval. The controller then obtains a plurality of additional demand values for the duration of the demand window, each of the additional demand values corresponding to one of a plurality of additional demand intervals within the demand window. The controller records in the list of highest demands in the memory location a select one of the demand value and plurality of additional demand values. The select demand value may suitably be the largest demand in the window.

Growing community of inventors

West Lafayette, IN, United States of America

Gordon R Burns