ELECTRONIC REVENUE METER WITH AUTOMATIC SERVICE SENSING

• US 20080068004A1
• Filed: 11/20/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1993
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Inventors: Fouquet, Christophe, Briese, Forrest, Schlarb, John, Hyder, Charles, Lowe, Coy
• Granted Patent: US 7,688,060 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/119
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 18/00 Testing or calibrating apparatus or arrangements provided for in groups G01D1/00 - G01D15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 3/08 with provision for safeguarding the apparatus, e.g. against abnormal operation, against breakdown
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/133 by using digital technique
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/1331 Measuring real or reactive component, measuring apparent energy
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/1335 Tariff switching circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/00 Arrangements for measuring time integral of electric power or current, e.g. electricity meters
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/10 using digital techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/04 of instruments for measuring time integral of power or current
• 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

An integral electronic revenue meter system diagnostics package including a microprocessor, storage memory, preselect series of system diagnostic tests, and recording any results which exceed predefined programmable thresholds, and display means for displaying error and/or diagnostic messages identifying selected diagnostic data and/or errors discovered in the meter tests during a predefined period is included as part of an electricity revenue meter of the type used for collecting metering data for a utility which uses such data for billing purposes. The system automatically senses the type of electrical service in which the revenue meter is installed when the revenue meter is installed in a socket at the customer'"'"'s premises.

Claims

1. An apparatus for electronically measuring electrical energy, comprising:

at least one analog-to-digital converter connected to phases of an electrical service, said analog-to-digital converter configured to provide digital representations of said electrical service;

memory, said memory storing electrical service reference information relating to at least one type of electrical service; and

a microprocessor interfaced with said at least one analog-to-digital converter and said memory, said microprocessor configured to determine the type of electrical service from said digital representations and from said electrical service reference information.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1, further including a display, said apparatus configured to display a message representative of said determined electrical service type.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said at least one analog-to-digital converter is selected from the group consisting of (a) a Successive Approximation Converter;

(b) a Dual Slope Integrating Converter;

(c) a Charge Balancing Converter;

(d) a Flash Converter; and

(e) a Sigma-Delta Converter.

4. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said apparatus includes a revenue meter configured to attach into a meter socket.

5. An apparatus as in claim 4, wherein said revenue meter has a meter form selective of 5S, 6S, 9S, 12S, 16S and 26S.

6. An apparatus as in claim 5, wherein said apparatus includes a power supply for supplying power to said microprocessor, said power supply operative over the entire range of standard service voltages for said meter form.

7. An apparatus as in claim 1, said apparatus storing an electrical service type identifier representative of said determined electrical service type.

8. An apparatus as in claim 7, said apparatus further storing a plurality of power consumption formulas.

9. An apparatus as in claim 8, wherein said microprocessor is further configured to use said electrical service type identifier to automatically select at least one of said power consumption formulas and wherein said microprocessor is further configured to use said at least one of said power consumption formulas to calculate power consumption.

10. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said memory is programmable to allow reprogramming of said electrical service reference information.

11. An apparatus as in claim 10, wherein said memory is non-volatile memory.

12. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said microprocessor is configured to automatically determine the type of electrical service upon the occurrence of a predetermined event, wherein said predetermined event is at least one event from a group including:

(a) upon power up of said apparatus, (b) periodically at set intervals, (c) periodically at varying intervals;

(d) upon reconfiguration of said apparatus;

(e) upon manual request; and

(f) upon receiving an command to determine the electrical service type and wherein said command comes from a remote computer in communication with said apparatus.

13. An apparatus as in claim 12, wherein said manual request is one of a local request and a remote request.

14. An apparatus as in claim 1, said at least one analog-to-digital converter configured to provide at least one digital representation of said voltage component and said current component, said apparatus operative for standard electrical service voltages ranging from about 96 Vrms to about 528 Vrms.

15. An apparatus as in claim 14, further including a display, said apparatus configured to display a message representative of said determined electrical service type.

16. An apparatus as in claim 14, wherein said at least one analog-to-digital converter is selected from the group consisting of (a) a Successive Approximation Converter;

(b) a Dual Slope Integrating Converter;

(c) a Charge Balancing Converter;

(d) a Flash Converter; and

(e) a Sigma-Delta Converter.

17. An apparatus as in claim 14, said apparatus storing an electrical service type identifier representative of said determined electrical service type.

18. An apparatus as in claim 17, wherein said apparatus is a revenue meter and wherein said revenue meter has a meter form selective of 5S, 6S, 9S, 12S, 16S, 26S, 5A, 6A, 8A and 10A.

19. An apparatus as in claim 18, said apparatus storing a plurality of power consumption formulas and wherein said microprocessor is further configured to use said electrical service type identifier to automatically select at least one of said power consumption formulas thereby automatically configuring said apparatus to meter power consumption in said electrical service.

20. An apparatus as in claim 19, wherein said memory is reprogrammable to allow reprogramming of said electrical service reference information and said plurality of power consumption formulas.

21. An apparatus as in claim 1,

said analog-to-digital converter connected to selected phases of an electrical service, said converter configured to provide digital samples of the voltage component and the current component of said electrical service,

said microprocessor configured to calculate a phase voltage angle value and a phase voltage magnitude value for the voltage component of at least one phase of said electrical service;

and

wherein said microprocessor is further configured to calculate a phase current angle value and a phase current magnitude value for the current component of at least one phase of said electrical service.

22. An apparatus as in claim 21, wherein said microprocessor is further configured to performed at least one electrical service diagnostic test from the group consisting:

(a) Polarity, Cross Phase and Energy Flow Check;

(b) Phase Voltage Deviation Check;

(c) Current Transformer Check; and

(d) Per-Phase Power Factor Check.

23. An apparatus as in claim 21, wherein said apparatus further comprises a display configured to display at least one from the group consisting of:

(a) said phase voltage angle value;

(b) said phase current angle value;

(c) said phase voltage magnitude value; and

(d) said phase current magnitude value.

24. An apparatus as in claim 23, wherein said display further configured to display at least one from the group consisting of:

(a) a phase voltage rotation value;

(b) a phase power factor value;

(c) error messages; and

(d) electrical service diagnostic test error counter values.

25. An apparatus as in claim 23, wherein said apparatus is configured to perform meter self checks and wherein said display is further configured to display the results of said meter self checks.

26. An apparatus as in claim 21, wherein said apparatus includes a toolbox display.

27. An apparatus as in claim 26, wherein said toolbox display is accessed by actuating a magnetic reed switch using a magnet.

28. An apparatus as in claim 27, wherein said toolbox display remains active until a predefined event occurs and wherein said predefined event is at least one event from the group of events consisting of (a) a predetermined set of time elapses, (b) the toolbox display has scrolled through all toolbox display items, and (c) said magnet is removed from the proximity of the magnetic reed switch.