Revenue meter with fiber connection

• US 20050017874A1
• Filed: 06/02/2004
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Power Measurement Ltd. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Power Measurement Ltd. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Lightbody, Simon H., Hirschbold, Markus F., Cowan, Peter C., Jonker, Rene T., Giles, David W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,158,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.20
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/065 related to mechanical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/30 using a wired architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/826 where the data is sent periodically
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/02 Automatically-operated arrangements

Abstract

A revenue meter includes electronics for measuring the delivery of electrical energy from an energy supplier to a consumer through an electric circuit, a display and a cover. The electronics includes at least transducers, an analog to digital converter and logic. A meter cover encloses the revenue meter. Communications of data to and from the revenue meter may be done via a fiber optic communications link.

Claims

1. A revenue meter operative to measure the delivery of electrical energy from an energy supplier to a consumer through an electric circuit, the revenue meter comprising:

bayonet terminals disposed on said meter mateable with matching jaws of a detachable meter mounting device;

a base coupled with said bayonet terminals;

a cover operative to be coupled with said base and operative to be sealed to said detachable meter mounting device to prevent physical access to said revenue meter, said base and said cover forming an enclosure;

at least one current sensor operative to be coupled with said electric circuit and operative to sense current in said electric circuit and generate a signal indicative thereof;

a microprocessor coupled with said current sensor and operative to receive said signal and generate a data signal therefrom;

a fiber optic communications link coupled with said microprocessor and further extending through said enclosure.

2. The revenue meter according to claim 1 wherein said fiber optic communications link being operative to communicate said data signal.

3. The revenue meter according to claim 1 comprising a graphical display coupled to said microprocessor.

4. The revenue meter according to claim 1 further comprising a keypad coupled to said microprocessor.

5. The revenue meter according to claim 1 wherein said fiber optic communications link is operative to transmit said data signal.

6. The revenue meter according to claim 1 wherein said fiber optic communications link is coupled to an interface box.

7. The revenue meter according to claim 1 wherein said data signal comprises a data value indicative of time.

8. The revenue meter according to claim 1 wherein said data signal comprises a data value indicative of an input/output state.

9. The revenue meter according to claim 1 wherein said data signal comprises a cyclic redundancy check value.

10. A revenue meter for measuring the delivery of electrical energy from an energy supplier to a consumer through an electric circuit, the revenue meter comprising:

bayonet terminals disposed on said revenue meter mateable with matching jaws of a detachable meter mounting device;

a base coupled with said bayonet terminals;

a cover operative to be coupled with said base and operative to be sealed to said detachable meter mounting device to prevent physical access to internal components of said revenue meter, said base and said cover forming an enclosure;

at least one sensor operative to be coupled with said electric circuit and operative to sense at least one of current and voltage in said electric circuit and generate a energy signal indicative thereof;

a microprocessor coupled with said sensor and operative to receive said energy signal and generate a data signal therefrom; and

a fiber optic communications interface having a first end and a second end, said first end disposed internal to said enclosure and said second end disposed external to said enclosure.

11. The revenue meter according to claim 10 wherein said fiber optic communications interface further operative to communicate said data signal.

12. The revenue meter according to claim 10 wherein said second end of said fiber optic communications interface further coupled to a digital network.

13. The revenue meter according to claim 10 comprising a graphical display coupled to said microprocessor.

14. The revenue meter according to claim 10 further comprising a keypad coupled to said microprocessor.

15. The revenue meter according to claim 10 wherein said fiber optic communications interface is operative to transmit said data signal.

16. The revenue meter according to claim 10 wherein said fiber optic communications interface is coupled to an interface box.

17. The revenue meter according to claim 10 wherein said data signal comprises a data value indicative of time.

18. The revenue meter according to claim 10 wherein said data signal comprises a data value indicative of an input/output state.

19. The revenue meter according to claim 10 wherein said data signal comprises a cyclic redundancy check value.

20. A revenue meter for measuring the delivery of electrical energy from an energy supplier to a consumer through an electric circuit, the revenue meter comprising:

a display;

metering logic;

a base, said base comprising terminals for coupling said revenue meter with said electric circuit;

a cover operative to enclose said metering logic and said display, said cover further operative to prevent physical access to said metering logic, further wherein said base and said cover are operative to be sealed to prevent removal of said cover from said base;

at least one current transducer operative to be coupled with said electric circuit and operative to sense current in said electric circuit and generate a energy signal indicative thereof;

at least one voltage transducer operative to be coupled with said electric circuit and operative to sense voltage in said electric circuit and generate a energy signal indicative thereof;

a microprocessor coupled with said current transducer and operative to receive said energy signal and generate a data signal therefrom; and

a fiber optic communications interface coupled with said metering logic.

21. The revenue meter according to claim 20 wherein said fiber optic communications interface is disposed on said base.

22. The revenue meter according to claim 20 wherein said base and said cover form an enclosure, and said fiber optic communications interface is disposed within said enclosure.

23. The revenue meter according to claim 20 wherein said base and said revenue meter cover form an enclosure, said fiber optic communications interface having a first end and a second end, said first end disposed internal to said enclosure and said second end disposed external to said enclosure.

24. The revenue meter according to claim 20, said fiber optic communications interface further operative to be coupled with a digital network.

25. The revenue meter according to claim 20 further comprising a graphical display coupled to said microprocessor.

26. The revenue meter according to claim 20 further comprising a keypad coupled to said microprocessor.

27. The revenue meter according to claim 20 wherein said fiber optic communications interface is operative to transmit said data signal.

28. The revenue meter according to claim 20 wherein said data signal comprises a data value indicative of time.