Elster Electricity, LLC

Elster Solutions, LLC

Abb Power Td & Company

Honeywell International Inc.

Robert T Mason

Kenneth C Shuey

Andrew J Borleske

Rodney C Hemminger

Keith D Richeson

Eugene Wilson Hodges, Iv

Brent Brian

Carl J Laplace

Sean Michael Scoggins

Robert S Fuller

Raymond H Kelley

Kathryn J Smith

David V Uy

Kuor Hsin Chang

Charlie E Minton, Iii

Brent R Brian

David G Hart

Garry M Loy

Richard Michael Rogers

Donato Colonna

David Crawford Lawrence

Dileep Rudran

Russell G Christopher

Arnold W Bragg

Ronald D Pate

Robert W Yost

Stephen S Makgill, Jr

Phillip Fonville

Stuart Mills

Ted H York

Daniel R Moore

Eugene W Hodges, Iv

Charlie E Minton

A meter mechanism and method are disclosed for recording relative interval data accumulated when the meter loses real time due to a power failure and synchronizing the relative interval data with real-time intervals in the meter memory. The disclosed meter mechanism and method ensure that all usage is accounted for while the meter is online, the metered usage is closer to the actual interval boundaries in which the usage occurred, accounts for all real time intervals in a day, and is power fail tolerant during both the analysis and synchronization.

Synchronizing interval data despite loss of time

When a poor meter to socket connection occurs, there is the potential for arcing to develop which can result in a hot socket and a fire. Disclosed herein are methods for a meter to detect the occurrence of an arc condition in the socket by analyzing the RF noise on the channels of the communication spectrum used by the meter to communicate within its metering system. For example, by keeping a record of the normal background noise and looking for a broadband increase in the noise on all channels, arc detection can be achieved. Meter quantities such as temperature, current, voltage, and harmonic content may also be used in a standalone manner or in combination with broadband RF noise to detect an arc condition. A disconnect switch within the meter can be opened to remove the arc fault.

Electricity meter hot socket detection

Synchronous FHSS networks operating within mesh networks typically require a certain amount of network traffic to maintain time as well as for executing other functions, such as registration and neighbor discovery. The concepts presented in this disclosure provide a mesh network with enhanced communication capabilities without adding significant hardware or firmware costs to nodes within the network. The disclosed concept of using acquisition channels (frequencies) integrated within FHSS pseudo-random sequences speeds network responses to conditions like outage and restoration. Assignment of unique hop sequences by hop level or at time of manufacture can guarantee minimal network contention while minimizing system network traffic.

Synchronous frequency hopping spread spectrum communications

Methods and systems regarding an electricity meter in a wireless network are disclosed. The network may comprise a collector and a plurality of electricity meters that measure consumption of electricity and that bi-directionally communicate wirelessly with the collector. The electricity meter may have an established association with at least one battery-powered meter that measures consumption of a commodity other than electricity. The electricity meter may receive information about measured consumption of the other commodity from the battery-powered meter and store the received information. The electricity meter may transmit both information about consumption of electricity measured by the electricity meter and the information about consumption of the other commodity received from the associated battery-powered meter to the collector via the wireless network and also to a remotely located display associated with the electricity meter.

Optimized data collection in a wireless fixed network metering system

Synchronous frequency hopping spread spectrum method for mesh networks

A metering device may be configured to communicate with other devices on a plurality of metering communication networks. To enable such communications across various networks, the metering communication device may use an active utility identifier corresponding to the metering network in which it is actively communicating. The active utility identifier may be changed to a valid utility identifier corresponding to another metering network and which may be associated with the metering communication device itself. The metering communication device may use the changed active utility identifier to communicate with other devices on the other metering network having the valid utility identifier. For example, the metering communication device may change the active utility identifier to enable communication a test network from a production network, a production network to a test network, or a first test network to a second test network.

Test mode support for metering accuracy tests

Clock reference data may be recovered or updated in networks that include line-powered devices and other devices susceptible to power outages. For example, for a mobile information collection network, one or more devices with extended clock holdover may be strategically deployed throughout the mobile information collection network to provide reference clock data. As another example, battery-powered devices may be woken up in order to provide clock reference data to other devices. Alternatively or additionally, the battery-powered devices may be configured to periodically broadcast their clock reference data to other devices.

Techniques for clock recovery in a mobile information collection network following a power outage

A metering device may be configured to communicate with other devices on a plurality of metering communication networks, such as an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) network. For example, a metering end device may be programmed or reconfigured via an AMI network. A metering end device may receive, via the AMI network, a program recipe comprising one or more configuration parameters. The program recipe may be specific to the end device and formatted according to a generic program table of the end device. The end device may decrypt and validate the program recipe. The end device may implement the decrypted program recipe to configure the end device with the one or more configuration parameters.

Generic and secure AMI end device configuration

Methods and apparatus are provided for routing Internet Protocol (IP) messages over a network of an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system that employs a different communications protocol.

Internet protocol message routing over a wireless network of metering devices

A method, wireless mesh network and processor-readable storage medium for providing interoperability between devices that are capable of communicating at different data rates are disclosed herein. A start-of-frame delimiter token value in a synchronization header is used to indicate a data rate at which a device is capable of communicating. In certain embodiments, samples are collected around a bit transition and are used to adjust a bit timing of a receiving device to match a bit timing of a transmitting device using a coarse adjustment process and, in some embodiments, a fine adjustment process. In this way, compatibility can be maintained between new devices that can communicate at a relatively fast data rate and legacy devices that communicate at a lower data rate.

Wireless communications providing interoperability between devices capable of communicating at different data rates

A wireless mesh network, method, and processor-readable storage medium for operating a network that has a control node that communicates with a plurality of communication nodes are disclosed. When the control node receives a broadcast message, the control node broadcasts a 'clear' message that causes other communication nodes to clear their copies of the broadcast message from their message queues. By clearing redundant copies of the original broadcast message, the network can conserve bandwidth for other network traffic.

Clearing redundant data in wireless mesh network

Preferred embodiments of housings for an automatic meter reading device permit the automatic meter reading device to be mounted on a meter such as a water meter, or on a wall remote from the meter. A removable portion of the housing can be separated from a body of the housing when the housing is used to mount the automatic meter reading device on the meter.

Housings for automatic meter reading devices

Methods and apparatus are provided for routing DNP (or other) protocol messages over a network of an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system that employs a different communications protocol.

Other protocol message routing over a wireless network of metering devices

A wireless mesh network, method, and processor-readable storage medium for using stand-alone repeaters that are designated as having priority over other communication nodes with respect to their service as repeaters are disclosed herein. According to various embodiments, a control node or collector builds a wireless mesh network by first establishing communication paths with the designated priority communication nodes and then with communication nodes that are not designated priority communication nodes.

Mesh infrastructure utilizing priority repeaters and multiple transceivers

An electricity meter capable of performing a method for limiting an electricity load in communication with the electricity meter is disclosed. The electricity meter includes at least one load control and the electricity meter has one or more predetermined time-of-use tiers. Each of the one or more predetermined time-of-use tiers has a corresponding time-of-use demand threshold. The method comprises determining a present time-of-use tier; determining a present time-of-use demand for the electricity load in the present time-of-use tier; comparing the present time-of-use demand to the time-of-use demand threshold corresponding to the present time-of-use tier; and setting the at least one load control to a de-energize mode when a de-energize condition is satisfied. The de-energize condition may include sub-conditions such as the present time-of-use demand exceeding the time-of-use demand threshold corresponding to the present time-of-use tier.

Growing community of inventors

Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Robert T Mason