SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FALSE ALERT FILTERING OF EVENT MESSAGES WITHIN A NETWORK

• US 20090135018A1
• Filed: 11/21/2008
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trilliant Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Trilliant Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: House, Kevin, VEILLETTE, Michel
• Granted Patent: US 8,138,934 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/657
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications

Abstract

When a metering coupled to a network loses its primary power source and has a secondary power source, such as a super-capacitor, it recognizes and reports a power outage. In this case, the head end server may verify the power outage report by querying through the downstream nodes coupled to the network about the power outage. When a node loses its primary power source and has no secondary power source, it will fail to make a regularly scheduled report at the appropriate time. Consequently, the head end server verify the power outage by polling downstream nodes coupled to the HAN about the power outage to deduce whether a power outage.

Claims

1. A method of confirming a power outage report comprising:

receiving the power outage report from a first node coupled to a first network;

querying one or more other nodes coupled to the first network about a power outage;

receiving one or more responses from the one or more other nodes coupled to the first network; and

determining whether the power outage report is false based on the one or more responses from the one or more other nodes in the first network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network comprises a home area network (HAN).

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an alarm report if the power outage report is confirmed.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying an alarm message at a utility office if the power outage report is confirmed.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying an alarm message at a display coupled to the first network if the power outage report is confirmed.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising pulling untransmitted data and reports from the first node if the power outage report is confirmed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first node comprises a meter having a secondary power source.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the secondary power source is a super-capacitor.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the secondary power source is a battery.

10. A system for confirming a power outage report comprising:

a first node coupled to a first network, wherein the first node comprises a meter, a register, and a communications module, and further wherein the first node transmits the power outage report through the first network to a microportal;

one or more other nodes coupled to the first network;

the microportal for relaying the power outage report through a second network to a collector;

the collector for relaying the power outage report through a third network to a head end server; and

the head end server for receiving the power outage report and querying the one or more other nodes about a power outage.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first network comprises a home area network (HAN), the second network comprises a neighborhood area network (NAN), and the third network comprises a wide area network (WAN).

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the first node has a secondary power source.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the secondary power source is a super-capacitor.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the secondary power source is a battery.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the head end server further generates an alarm report if the power outage report is confirmed.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the head end server further displays an alarm message at a utility office if the power outage report is confirmed.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the head end server further displays an alarm message at a display coupled to the first network if the power outage report is confirmed.

18. A method of verifying a power outage comprising:

failing to receive a report from a first node coupled to a first network at a prescheduled reporting time window;

polling one or more other nodes coupled to the first network about a power outage; and

determining whether the power outage exists based on responses from the one or more other nodes.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising re-polling one or more non-responsive nodes about the power outage before determining whether the power outage exists.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the first network comprises a home area network (HAN).

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising generating an alarm report if the power outage report is determined to exist.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising displaying an alarm message at a utility office if the power outage report is determined to exist.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising displaying an alarm message at a display coupled to the first network if the power outage report is determined to exist.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the first node does not have a secondary power supply.

25. A system for verifying a power outage report comprising:

a first node coupled to a first network, wherein the first node comprises a meter, a register, and a communications module, and further wherein the first node fails to transmit a report at a prescheduled reporting time window to a head end server; and

the head end server for polling one or more other nodes coupled to the first network about a power outage and determining whether the power outage exists based on responses from the one or more other nodes.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the head end server further re-polls one or more nonresponsive nodes about the power outage before determining whether the power outage exists.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the head end server further generates an alarm report if the power outage report is determined to exist.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the head end server further displays an alarm message at a utility office if the power outage report is determined to exist.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the head end server further displays an alarm message at a display coupled to the first network if the power outage report is determined to exist.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the first node does not have a secondary power supply.

31. A method of recovering untransmitted information stored at a node reporting a power outage, comprising:

receiving a power outage report from the node;

transmitting a request to download all untransmitted information from the node; and

receiving the untransmitted information from the node.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the node is scheduled is for removal.

33. A system of recovering untransmitted information stored at a node reporting a power outage, comprising:

the node receiving for transmitting a power outage report;

a head end server for;

receiving the power outage report;

transmitting a request to download all untransmitted information from the node;

receiving the untransmitted information from the node.

34. A computer program product stored in a computer readable media for execution in a processor and memory coupled to the processor for performing a method of confirming a power outage report comprising:

receiving the power outage report from a first node coupled to a first network;

querying one or more other nodes coupled to the first network about a power outage;

receiving one or more responses from the one or more other nodes coupled to the first network; and

determining whether the power outage report is false based on the one or more responses from the one or more other nodes in the first network.

35. A computer program product stored in a computer readable media for execution in a processor and memory coupled to the processor for performing a method of verifying a power outage comprising:

failing to receive a report from a first node coupled to a first network at a prescheduled reporting time window;

polling one or more other nodes coupled to the first network about a power outage; and

determining whether the power outage exists based on responses from the one or more other nodes.

36. A computer program product stored in a computer readable media for execution in a processor and memory coupled to the processor for performing a method of recovering untransmitted information stored at a node reporting a power outage, comprising:

receiving a power outage report from the node;

transmitting a request to download all untransmitted information from the node; and

receiving the untransmitted information from the node.