System and Method for Establishing Communications with an Electronic Meter
First Claim
1. A method of using a power line communication device that is connected to a low voltage power line to establish communications with one or more electronic utility meters, comprising:
- setting an encryption key parameter to a first encryption key used by the one or more electronic utility meters;
establishing communications via one or more low voltage power lines with the one or more utility meters using the first encryption key;
assessing a quality of communications with the one or more utility meters;
transmitting communications quality data to a remote computer system;
receiving information of assigned meters; and
storing information of the assigned meters in memory.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system, device, and method of using a power line communication device that is communicatively connected to a low voltage power line to establish communications with one or more electronic utility meters is provided. In one embodiment the method includes setting an encryption key parameter to a first encryption key used by the one or more electronic utility meters, establishing communications via one or more low voltage power lines with at least some of the utility meters using the first encryption key, assessing the quality of communications with at least some of the utility meters, transmitting communications quality data to a remote computer system; receiving information of one or more assigned meters from the remote computer system; and storing information of the assigned meters in memory.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. A method of using a power line communication device that is connected to a low voltage power line to establish communications with one or more electronic utility meters, comprising:
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setting an encryption key parameter to a first encryption key used by the one or more electronic utility meters; establishing communications via one or more low voltage power lines with the one or more utility meters using the first encryption key; assessing a quality of communications with the one or more utility meters; transmitting communications quality data to a remote computer system; receiving information of assigned meters; and storing information of the assigned meters in memory. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of using a power line communication device that is connected to a low voltage power line to establish communications with one or more electronic utility meters, comprising:
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establishing communications via one or more low voltage power lines with the one or more utility meters; assessing a quality of communications with the one or more utility meters; transmitting data of the assessed quality of communications to a remote computer system; receiving information of assigned meters; and storing information of the assigned meters in a memory. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of establishing communications between a plurality of power line communication devices, each electrically connected to a different low voltage power line, and one or more electronic utility meters connected to a plurality of low voltage power lines, comprising.
at each of the plurality of electronic utility meters, attempting to communicate using a first encryption key; at each of the plurality of PLCDs, setting an encryption key parameter to the first encryption key; responding to communication attempts of one or more of the utility meters; assessing a quality of a communication link with each of the one or more utility meters; transmitting link quality data to a remote computer system; receiving information of an assignment of at least some of the one or more utility meters; and storing information of the assignment in memory. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of establishing communications between a plurality of power line communication devices, each electrically connected to a different low voltage power line, and a plurality of electronic utility meters connected to a plurality of low voltage power lines, comprising:
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storing meter information for each of the plurality of meters in a memory; storing a customer address associated with each of the plurality of meters in a memory; storing location information for the plurality of power line communication devices (PLCDs); for each utility meter; transmitting control data to one or more PLCDs, wherein the control data includes a command to communicate with the utility meter; receiving information of communications of the meter from at least one of the one or more PLCDs; and assigning one of the one or more PLCDs to be a communication node for the meter based on the received information. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of determining the power distribution transformer supplying power to a customer premises having an associated utility meter;
- comprising;
storing information identifying the customer premises in a memory; storing information identifying the associated utility meter for the customer premises in a memory; storing information for a plurality of power line communication devices (PLCDs) in a memory; determining one of the plurality of PLCDs with which the associated utility meter communicates; determining a first distribution transformer associated with the one PLCD; and determining that the customer premises is supplied power via the first distribution transformer. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
- comprising;
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30. A method of determining power distribution system configuration information, comprising.
storing meter information for each of a plurality of meters in a memory; -
associating in a memory a distribution transformer with each of a plurality of power line communication devices (PLCDs) connected to different low voltage power lines; determining one of the plurality of PLCDs with which each of the plurality of meters communicates; and for at least one of the plurality of meters;
determining a distribution transformer to which the meter is electrically connected based on the distribution transformer associated with the PLCD with which the meter communicates. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method of determining the power distribution transformer supplying power to a customer premises having an associated power meter;
- comprising;
storing in a memory identification information of the associated power meter for the customer premises; storing in a memory customer identifying information for the customer premises; determining a first PLCD of a plurality of PLCDs with which the associated power meter communicates; determining a first distribution transformer associated with the first PLCD; and determining that the customer premises is supplied power via first distribution transformer. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41)
- comprising;
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42. A method of using a power line communication device that is connected to a low voltage power line to establish communications with one or more electronic utility meters, comprising:
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setting an encryption key parameter to a first encryption key; establishing communications via one or more low voltage power lines with the one or more utility meters; transmitting data of the one or more utility meters with which communications are established to a remote computer system; receiving information of meters assigned to the power line communications device; and storing information of the assigned meters in a memory. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45)
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Specification