External Access To Meter Display

• US 20080079741A1
• Filed: 09/24/2007
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Landis+Gyr AG (Landis+Gyr Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Landisinc
• Inventors: Stenberg, David, Martin, Warren
• Granted Patent: US 9,625,275 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/520
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• 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

A utility meter comprises a measurement circuit configured to measure consumption data, a memory configured to store meter data including the consumption data, and a receiver configured to receive a priority message from a source external to the utility meter. A meter display on the meter comprises a plurality of display segments. The meter display is configured to display the meter data according to a standard meter display routine. The meter display is further configured to display the priority message on at least a first portion of the plurality of display segments such that meter data normally displayed during the standard meter display routine is not displayed on the first portion of the plurality of display segments. A meter controller is configured to determine whether the standard meter display routine should be interrupted or overridden in order to display the remote message.

Claims

1. A method of operating a utility meter including metrology circuitry and a meter display, the method comprising:

a) displaying meter data on the meter display according to a standard meter display routine, the meter data including data from the metrology circuitry;

b) receiving a message at the utility meter from a source external to the metrology circuitry; and

c) displaying the received message on the meter display.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the message is a priority message that is unrelated to consumption or pricing.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of interrupting or overriding the standard meter display routine in order to display the received message on the meter display.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the standard meter display routine comprises a series of display messages and the step of interrupting the standard meter display routine involves displaying the received message in the series of display messages.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of returning to the standard meter display routine after a predetermined time.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of returning to the standard meter display routine if the message is not refreshed within a predetermined time.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein none of the meter data is displayed on the meter display when the received message is displayed on the meter display.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the meter display comprises a plurality of display segments, and the plurality of display segments are all utilized when displaying the received message.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the received message is displayed on the meter display in a marquee fashion.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein at least some of the meter data is displayed on the meter display when the received message is displayed on the meter display.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the meter display comprises a first plurality of display segments and a second plurality of display segments, and wherein the first plurality of display segments are utilized to display the received message and the second plurality of display segments are utilized to display the meter data.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the meter data comprises energy consumption data.

13. A utility meter comprising:

a measurement circuit configured to measure consumption and provide consumption data;

a memory configured to store meter data, the meter data including the consumption data;

a receiver configured to receive a message from a source other than the measurement circuit;

a meter display comprising a plurality of display segments, the meter display configured to display the meter data according to a standard meter display routine, the meter display further configured to display the received message on at least a first portion of the plurality of display segments such that meter data normally displayed during the standard meter display routine is not displayed on the first portion of the plurality of display segments.

14. The utility meter of claim 13 further comprising a controller configured to determine whether the standard meter display routine should be interrupted or overridden in order to display the received message.

15. The utility meter of claim 13 wherein the received message is a priority message received from a source external to the utility meter.

16. The utility meter of claim 13 wherein the meter includes a controller configured to modify the meter display in order to display different meter data, and wherein the meter display is further configured to modify the display such that the received message is displayed in place of the meter data.

17. The utility meter of claim 13 wherein the meter display is configured to display the priority message in a marquee fashion across the plurality of display segments.

18. The utility meter of claim 13 wherein the each of the plurality of display segments comprise a liquid crystal display.

19. The utility meter of claim 13 wherein the utility meter is an electricity meter.

20. A method of operating a utility meter including a meter display, the method comprising:

a) displaying consumption data on the meter display;

b) receiving a priority message at the utility meter from a remote source external to the utility meter; and

c) updating the meter display to display the priority message on the meter display.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein a standard meter display routine is at least partially interrupted or overridden when the meter display is updated to display the priority message.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein a priority message control flag is set when the priority message is received at the utility meter.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein the priority message is received along with control data related to the priority message.