MOBILE UTILITY DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM

• US 20080272933A1
• Filed: 05/01/2008
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Inventors: Cahill-O'Brien, Barry, Cornwall, Mark K., Avdagic, Merita
• Application Number:
  US12/113,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20080272933A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/006 Remote reading of utility meters to a non-fixed location, i.e. mobile location
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/50 using a mobile data collecting device, e.g. walk by or drive by
• 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 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• 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 described herein allow collection of utility system endpoint data (e.g., meter data sent by utility meters configured for automatic meter reading) via a mobile utility data collection system that includes both a remote communication portion (e.g., radio device) and an external computer portion (e.g., handheld computer with meter reading application installed).

Claims

1. A system for automated data collection of utility data from multiple endpoints, wherein the utility data includes an amount consumed of a public utility such as electricity, gas or water, and wherein the endpoints include a utility meter, the system comprising:

a radio device comprising;

a radio receiver or radio transceiver, wherein the radio receives utility data wirelessly transmitted by at least some of the multiple endpoints,

first memory for storing a database of selected endpoints,

a first communications port,

at least a first processor coupled to the radio, first memory, and first communications port,

wherein the first processor is configured to perform initial processing of the received utility data,

wherein the initial processing includes comparing the received utility data to the database of selected endpoints to filter out undesired utility data and to pass certain utility data to the communications port, and

a first housing configured to at least partially hold the radio, first processor, first memory, and first communications port; and

,

a handheld utility reading device comprising;

second memory for storing a meter reading application,

a second communications port coupled to receive from the first communications port the unfiltered utility data,

at least a second processor coupled to the second memory and second communications port, wherein the second processor is configured to execute the meter reading application and to process the certain utility data, and,

a second housing configured to at least partially hold the radio, processor, memory, and second communications port,

wherein the radio device and the handheld utility reading device are configured to be portable as a unit for automated data collection of the utility data from the multiple endpoints.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the utility data includes identification values associated with the multiple endpoints, wherein the database of selected endpoints includes a list of selected identification values, and wherein the initial processing includes determining if a received utility data item corresponds to a duplicate or newer utility data item.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second communications ports are wired ports, wherein the handheld utility reading device further comprises a separate radio receiver or radio transceiver that has operates at lower power or with a narrower bandwidth as compared to the radio receiver or radio transceiver of the radio device, and wherein the handheld utility reading device is configured for independent wireless and automatic utility data collection from at least some of the multiple endpoints.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the received data at the wireless mobile communication device includes discarding the received data if utility consumption data from the at least one of the public utility endpoints has been received less than a predetermined time period earlier.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the received data at the wireless mobile communication device includes discarding the received data if data associated with the at least one of the public utility endpoints is not already stored in the wireless mobile communication device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the received data at the wireless mobile communication device includes discarding the received data if the at least one of the public utility endpoints is not recognized as a valid endpoint.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving an acknowledgement from the external, portable computer when the processed data has been properly transferred to the external, portable computer.

11. The public utility data collection system of claim 7 wherein the wireless mobile communication component discards the received data from the at least one of the public utility endpoints if utility consumption data from the at least one of the public utility endpoints has already been received.

12. The public utility data collection system of claim 7 wherein the wireless mobile communication component discards the received data from the at least one of the public utility endpoints if utility consumption data from the at least one of the public utility endpoints has been received less than a predetermined time period earlier.

13. The public utility data collection system of claim 7 wherein the wireless mobile communication component discards the received data from the at least one of the public utility endpoints if data associated with the at least one of the public utility endpoints is not already stored in the data storage portion.

14. The public utility data collection system of claim 7 wherein the wireless mobile communication component discards the received data from the at least one of the public utility endpoints if the at least one of the public utility endpoints is not recognized as a valid endpoint.

15. The public utility data collection system of claim 7 wherein the external, portable computing component sends an acknowledgement to the wireless mobile communication component when the external, portable computing component successfully receives data from the wireless mobile communication component.

4. A method of gathering data from multiple public utility endpoints, wherein the gathered data includes an amount of a utility consumed, the method comprising:

receiving data from at least one of the public utility endpoints, wherein the data includes indicia identifying the at least one public utility endpoint, wherein the receiving occurs at a public utility data collection device when in radio communication range of the at least one public utility endpoint, and wherein the public utility data collection device includes a wireless mobile communication device and an external, portable computer;

processing the received data at the wireless mobile communication device, wherein the indicia identifying the at least one of the public utility endpoints is compared to data stored in the wireless mobile communication device; and

transferring the received data from the wireless mobile communication device to the external, portable computer if the received data succeeds the comparison.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein processing the received data at the wireless mobile communication device includes discarding the received data if utility consumption data from the at least one of the public utility endpoints has already been received.

10. A public utility data collection system for gathering data from multiple public utility endpoints, wherein the gathered data includes an amount of a utility consumed, the system comprising:

a wireless mobile communication component configured to wirelessly receive data from at least one of the public utility endpoints, the wireless mobile communication component including;

a data processing portion and

a data storage portion,

wherein the data processing portion is capable of comparing data received from the at least one of the public utility endpoints with data stored in the data storage portion; and

an external, portable computing component in local communication with the wireless mobile communication component,

wherein the external, portable computing component includes a data storage component capable of storing received data from the wireless mobile communication component, and

wherein the wireless mobile communication component and the external, portable computing component are configured to be portable as a unit.

16. A mobile data collection system for collecting information from gas, electrical, and/or water utility endpoints, the system comprising:

a remote communication portion configured to wirelessly receive endpoint messages from the endpoints, the remote communication portion including;

a data processing engine having data storage capabilities and data filtering capabilities,

wherein the data filtering capabilities function to discard or cache redundant and/or invalid endpoint messages that are received from the endpoints; and

an external computer portion coupled to the remote communication portion via a communication link,

wherein the external communication portion receives pre-processed endpoint data from the remote communication portion,

wherein the pre-processed endpoint data does not include endpoint messages that have been discarded or cached by the data filtering capabilities of the data processing engine, and

wherein the external communication portion includes a meter reading application that processes the received pre-processed endpoint data.

17. The mobile data collection system of claim 16, wherein the communications link is a wireless link.

18. The mobile data collection system of claim 16, wherein the meter reading application includes processes for maintaining route-related meter reading statistics, providing operating status information, and processing, formatting, and displaying collected data.

19. The mobile data collection system of claim 16, wherein the remote communications portion includes a removable storage device, and wherein the removable storage device includes a database of all utility endpoints within a geographic region.

20. A system for gathering data from multiple public utility endpoints, wherein the gathered data includes an amount of a utility consumed, the system comprising:

means for receiving data from at least one of the public utility endpoints, wherein the data includes indicia identifying the at least one public utility endpoint, wherein the receiving occurs via public utility data collection mean when in radio communication range of the at least one public utility endpoint, and wherein the public utility data collection means includes wireless mobile communication means and portable computer means;

means for processing the received data at the wireless mobile communication means, wherein the indicia identifying the at least one of the public utility endpoints is compared to data stored in the wireless mobile communication means; and

means for transferring the received data from the wireless mobile communication device to the portable computer means if the received data succeeds the comparison.