Elster Electricity, LLC

Honeywell International Inc.

Abb Automation Gmbh

Elster Solutions, LLC

Sean Michael Scoggins

Raymond H Kelley

Dileep Rudran

Russell G Christopher

Robert T Mason

Andrew J Borleske

Sasan Ardalan

Kathryn J Smith

Richard Christopher Carpenter

Alexei Garianov

Prasad Samudrala

Scott T Holdsclaw

Murali Krishna Bezawada

Richard Michael Rogers

Eugene Wilson Hodges, Iv

Donato Colonna

David Crawford Lawrence

Edward John Beroset

Thomas Owen McBride

Michael Anthony Murphy

David V Uy

Vlad Pambucol

Christof Hermann Esselmann

Sergei V Udin

Susane K Nemecz

John Chalmers Sutton, Iii

Mark Alan Ranta

Kevin J Timko

Stuart Mills

Navaneet Kumar

Markus Boelter

Lakshmi Viswanathan Krishnan

Gerald John Paprocki

One embodiment is a device, which comprises a meter portion having one or more blades, the blades configured to reside within both a premises-side opening and a utility-side opening within a socket, a supply unit connected to the meter portion, a metering unit connected to the supply unit and configured to measure an amount of electricity that passes through the meter portion, and a sensor connected to the meter portion, wherein when the meter portion is placed in the socket, the sensor collects data associated with the placing of the meter portion in the socket.

Socket-jaw protection module for a meter

An implementation is for a two-phase shutoff of a device having a sensor coupled to an integral shutoff system. One example includes a metering system with a sensor coupled to an integral shutoff system, wherein the sensor is used to perform a measurement which indicates that a first threshold has been met, a first response system configured to perform at least one action with respect to receiving the indication that the first threshold was met, the at least one action occurring while the integral shutoff system remains inactivated, a second response system configured to receive an indication from the metering system, wherein the sensor is used to perform a second measurement which indicates that a second threshold has been met, and a second response system configured to perform at least one additional action.

Two-phase device shutoff for a device with a sensor coupled to an integral shutoff system

Methods and system for detecting tampering of a meter. A continuous stream of raw sensor values can be received from one or more meters among a group of meters. In response to receiving the continuous stream of raw sensor values from the meter(s), a model of normal sensor values can be automatically constructed for each meter among the group of meters based on the raw sensor values obtained from the meter(s) and based on data obtained through an ongoing development of the meter(s) or through automated machine learning by the meter(s). The model of normal sensor values can be used to detect abnormal conditions with respect to the meter(s). The abnormal conditions detected with respect to the meter(s) are potentially indicative of a removal of the meter(s) or of an attempt to physically tamper with the meter(s).

System and method for improved accuracy of detecting meter removal or physical tampering

A utility meter includes a consumption measurement unit for generating consumption data, a meter processor, and a RTC for time stamping the consumption data to provide interval meter data during interval meter operation. A memory stores the interval meter data. The meter processor implements/initiates responsive to a power loss that suspends RTC operation, switching from interval to relative time operation where consumption data is stored as relative consumption data together with a relative time as relative meter data. Responsive power restoration and receiving a current time, the meter switches from relative time to interval meter operation. The restoration time is calculated using the current and an elapsed time since the restoration. The time of restoration and current time is used to generate calculated times. The consumption data from relative time operation is time stamped with the calculated times to provide time-corrected relative meter data that is stored to the memory.

Interval data for a utility meter during a power outage without a battery

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 systems of managing node migration in a wireless network where nodes may spontaneously migrate from a first communication path to a second communication path. The system includes a first collector disposed within the first communication path and a second collector disposed within the second communication path, a network management server that determines a network state and maintains a database of the network state. When the network management server detects that a node has migrated from the first communication path to the second communication path, information associated with the node is retrieved from the first collector and downloaded to the second collector to ensure the proper operation of the node in the network.

System for automated management of spontaneous node migration in a distributed fixed wireless network

A number of meters to be configured according to a particular billing rate. Multiple billing rates may be defined, named, and stored for use. Each such billing rate may include time of use (TOU) configuration parameters and/or demand configuration parameters. Alternatively, a billing rate may include strictly consumption based parameters. Each billing rate is 'meter independent', meaning that it is not specific to any particular meter configuration format. The billing rate is defined in a format that is convenient for the operator and then translated into a format that is specific to each meter on which it is implemented. Thus, to configure a number of different parameters on a number of differently formatted meters, only a single billing rate need be defined and propagated to the meters.

System and method for automated configuration of meters

To allow meter data users to have access to needed information and at the same time address the rapidly shifting requirements of the deregulated marketplace, a new business model employs a common metering device that measures raw data and a system composed of independent services or applications that collect and process raw metered data and then make that data available to interested parties. This new model removes the dependence upon an automatic meter reading (AMR) system provider, as the sole provider, by creating a system to enable a competitive environment where services (applications, information, networking, etc.) rather than systems are selected and paid for on a leased or pay-per-use basis.

Network-enabled, extensible metering system

A geographic view rendering tool receives geographic location data for nodes in a wireless network and renders a geographic view displaying the nodes at their corresponding geographic locations. The geographic view may be displayed overlaying a digital map. The geographic view may also display network information such as, for example, node connections data, communication success rates for the nodes, and occurrences of communications events at the nodes. The nodes may be displayed in a manner representative of corresponding network information using, for example, a variety colors and icons.

System and method of providing a geographic view of nodes in a wireless network

Methods and systems of enforcing a season change demand reset in a meter that communicates via a wireless network. When billing data is received by a server, it is accompanied by a season change demand reset counter. The counter is compared to a counter stored on the server. If the received counter is different that an expected value based on the server counter, it is determined that the meter missed a season change demand reset. The server then instructs the meter to perform a billing read and to perform a season change demand reset to ensure that accurate demand data is received by the server.

Ensuring automatic season change demand resets in a mesh type network of telemetry devices

Meters are configured using either a program update method or a meter update method. In the program update method, meters associated with a specified configuration program are identified and configured with updated parameters. In the meter update method, a specified set of meters is configured with a specified set of updated configuration parameters. The meter update method enables both time of use and other configuration parameters to be updated. Both methods enable various actions to be performed in conjunction with a meter configuration. Such actions may include, for example, recording a snapshot of current billing data, resetting billing data, and resetting demand data.

System and method for efficient configuration in a fixed network automated meter reading system

A system and method provide Time-of-Use (TOU) rate schedules that are bound by windows of time, i.e., a type of fuzzy switch time, which is bounded on both sides, rather than instantaneous switch times. The fuzzy TOU schedule defines the time of a tier switch as the end time of the first completed interval recorded after the start of some window of time. A monitoring system may be included that implements configurable usage filters that allow for the classification of usage in terms of interval data. Usage filters can be defined so that they are applied against individual interval readings, various aggregations of interval readings, and/or the statistical products of interval readings, etc. A filtering algorithm allows for the comparison of incoming and/or historical interval data against defined usage and schedule filters to determine if usage is abnormal and should be investigated further.

Fuzzy time-of-use metering and consumption monitoring using load profile data from relative time transmit-only devices

Methods and systems of enforcing a demand reset in a meter that communicates via a wireless network. When billing data is received by a server, it is accompanied by a demand reset counter. The counter is compared to a counter stored on the server. If they received counter is less than the server counter, it is determined that the meter missed a demand reset. The server then instructs the meter to perform a billing read and to perform a demand reset to ensure that accurate demand data is received by the server.

System for automatically enforcing a demand reset in a fixed network of electricity meters

A system for visually detailing the layout of a wireless network and for providing performance statistics regarding the network. Graphical diagrams are generated in accordance with a request wherein the diagrams illustrate nodes and data collectors in the wireless network. The nodes record data related to a commodity usage and transmit the data to the collectors, which in turn transmit aggregated data from a plurality of nodes to a central data collection server.

System and method of visualizing network layout and performance characteristics in a wireless network

To allow meter data users to have access to needed information and at the same time address the rapidly shifting requirements of the deregulated marketplace, a new business model, apparatus and system are provided. A common metering device measures raw data and a system composed of independent services or applications collect and process raw metered data and then make that data available to interested parties. This new model removes the dependence upon an automatic meter reading (AMR) system provider, as the sole provider, by creating a system to enable a competitive environment where services (applications, information, networking, etc.) rather than systems are selected and paid for on a leased or pay-per-use basis. One example of such a networked-based, extensible metering system comprises a network server, a wide area network coupled to the network server, and a plurality of network-enabled meters coupled to the network. The meters collect data and the network server provides at least one metering application to the meters. In addition, the meters may be programmed to communicate via a predefined protocol and to deliver a protocol interface to a storage medium on the network, which enables the network to provide the protocol interface to users or applications requiring information from the meters and the users/applications to communicate with the meters to access the required information.

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Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Sean Michael Scoggins