General Electric Company

Virginia H Zinkowski

Warren R Germer

Maurice J Ouellette

Robert E Lee, Jr

Gregory Paul Lavoie

Larry A Schmidt

Richard A Balch

David Dean Elmore

Mark J Plis

Robert E Lee

Marjorie J Mancuso

Mark E Hoffman

Carol Ann Cummiskey

William O Rector

Mark R Arsenault

John J Pazdon, Jr

Melissa J Pazdon

Donald Naik

Kenneth P Lizotte

The present invention, in one embodiment, is a method for operating an electronic electric meter having current and voltage sensors configured to generate measurements of current and voltage, respectively; a microcomputer coupled to the current and voltage sensors and having on-chip masked read only memory (ROM); and a nonvolatile, alterable memory coupled to the microcomputer. The method includes steps of: storing vectors pointing to program portions of the ROM in the non-volatile memory; and using the stored vectors to operate the microcomputer to execute the program portions stored in the ROM to control operation of the meter.

Methods and apparatus for updating firmware in an electronic electricity meter

The present invention, in one embodiment, is a method for input/output (I/O) board addressing and communications in an electronic electric meter having a microcomputer. The method includes steps of providing interchangeable I/O boards of an electronic electric meter with type identifiers; and determining, using a microcomputer of the meter and the type identifier of the I/O board, a type of interchangeable I/O board being utilized in the meter.

Methods and apparatus for meter I/O board addressing and communication

An apparatus and method for creating a secure program history log for a programmable device including a microprocessor, at least one communications port for communicating with the microprocessor and at least one memory device electrically connected to the microprocessor. The memory device includes a program history log, and the method includes communicating program parameters to the microprocessor, creating a log entry utilizing the microprocessor and the program parameters, and writing the log entry into the program history log utilizing the microprocessor.

Methods and apparatus for secure programming of an electricity meter

An electronic electricity meter which, in one embodiment, includes a modem board, or unit, coupled to the meter microcomputer and exchanges information between the meter and a central computer is described. Using signals supplied by the meter microcomputer and the central computer, the modem unit microcomputer can determine whether to exchange information between the meter and the central computer and the proper time at which the information should be exchanged. In an exemplary embodiment, the modem unit detects various conditions within the meter and responds by exchanging information with the central computer at a proper, or pre-defined, time. The modem unit has two different basic modes, or states, of operation. These states of operation are sometimes referred to as the call originate mode and the call answer mode. Call originate refers to the mode of the unit when a condition occurs in meter and information is being transmitted to the central computer from the modem unit utilizing a telephone line. The call is originated upon occurrence, for example of a power outage to the meter. In the call answer mode, the central computer originates a call to the meter. The central computer can then transfer information to the meter, for example a new program can be stored in the modem unit memory.

Electronic electricity meter

The present invention, in one embodiment, is a method for metering energy consumption with an electric meter. The method includes steps of: generating metering quantities for a plurality of phase voltages from a multiphase voltage source, including generating revenue-related data; monitoring voltage changes on at least one of the phase voltages; and performing a predetermined task in response to a voltage change on at least one of the phase voltages while continuing to generate revenue-related data.

Methods and apparatus for metering energy consumption

A method for measuring electricity usage that includes steps of: coupling a sensor to a power source; converting a signal from the sensor to a digital measurement signal; using a microcomputer to determine quantities indicative of electricity consumption from the digital measurement signal; and using a nonvolatile, reprogrammable memory coupled to the microcomputer to control the microcomputer in determining the quantities indicative of electricity consumption.

High function, user configurable electricity meter

Growing community of inventors

E. Kingston, NH, United States of America

Virginia H Zinkowski