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

• US 20070073866A1
• Filed: 09/28/2005
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elster Electricity LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Elster Electricity LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Rudran, Dileep, Christopher, Russell, Scoggins, Sean
• Granted Patent: US 7,308,369 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. A system for enforcing a season change in a meter operating within a wireless metering network, comprising:

a network configuration server that maintains a network state; and

a data collection server that receives a counter from said meter,

wherein when said data collection server receives said counter and performs a comparison of said counter to an expected value, and wherein said network configuration server requests said meter to download a season change snapshot and perform a season change demand reset as a result of said comparison.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a first collector associated with a first communication path from said meter to said system, and wherein said network configuration server instructs said first collector to contact said meter, download said season change snapshot and perform said season change demand reset.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a second collector associated with a second communication path from said meter to said system, wherein it is determined said meter has migrated from said second communication path to said first communication path prior to instructing said first collector to contact said meter.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said meter is configured as an auto-read meter and is instructed to perform said season change demand reset at a time in advance of reading said season change snapshot.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said meter and said system increment said counter and said expected value for each season change demand reset by said meter.

6. A method for enforcing a season change demand reset in a meter operating within a wireless metering network, comprising:

receiving a counter from a meter at a data collection server;

comparing said counter to a second counter; and

requesting said meter to download a season change snapshot and perform a season change demand reset as a result of said comparing.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

communicating said season change snapshot to a first collector associated with a first communication path; and

instructing said first collector to contact said meter to perform a billing read and said season change demand reset.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

determining that said meter has migrated from a second communication path having a second collector; and

instructing said first collector to contact said meter after determining said meter has migrated from said second path.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

configuring said meter as an auto-read meter; and

instructing said meter to perform said season change demand reset at a time in advance of reading said season change snapshot.

10. The method of claim 9, said instructing said meter in accordance with a Time of Use (TOU) schedule.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising incrementing said counter and said second counter for each season change demand reset performed by said meter.

12. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for instructing a computing device to perform the steps of enforcing a season change demand reset in a meter operating within a wireless metering network, said steps comprising:

receiving a counter from a meter at a data collection server;

comparing said counter to a second counter; and

requesting said meter to download a season change snapshot and perform a season change demand reset as a result of said comparing.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions for performing the steps of:

communicating said season change snapshot to a first collector associated with a first communication path; and

instructing said first collector to contact said meter to perform a billing read and said season change demand reset.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions for performing the steps of:

determining that said meter has migrated from a second communication path having a second collector; and

instructing said first collector to contact said meter after determining said meter has migrated from said second path.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions for performing the steps of:

configuring said meter as an auto-read meter; and

instructing said meter to perform said season change demand reset at a time in advance of reading said season change snapshot.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, said instructing said meter in accordance with a Time of Use (TOU) schedule.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions for performing the step of incrementing said counter and said second counter for each season change demand reset by said meter.