Method and System for Providing A Self-Populating Database for the Network Collection of Meter Data

• US 20090216878A1
• Filed: 08/06/2008
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michele R.B. Malinowski, Theresa M. Saadeh
• Original Assignee: Michele R.B. Malinowski, Theresa M. Saadeh
• Inventors: SAADEH, Theresa M., MALINOWSKI, Michele R.B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,930,392 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• 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

The invention provides a method and a system for collection of meter readings from the field and for providing a self-populating database for storing and retrieving the meter data. A network data collection computer operating according to a stored computer program reads in data from the receivers and detects the meter reading devices that are sending data through a respective receiver. If not previously detected, the network data collection computer allocates space in the database for the data and stores the meter data and indexes it by the receiver and meter reading device from which it was received, and by the date and time of reception at the network data collection system. This data can then be retrieved and displayed or printed out by these parameters in database reports.

Claims

1. A method for collection of meter reading data through a wide area network from at least one receiver communicating in a local network with a plurality of meter reading devices in a geographic area, the method comprising:

addressing at least one receiver through a wide area network at a receiver network address;

receiving a data file through the wide area network from the receiver that includes meter data from a plurality of meter reading devices that have previously communicated with the receiver;

reading an identifier for each of the meter reading devices from the data file and organizing the identifier in a database in association with the receiver network address and meter data for each respective meter reading device; and

storing meter data from each of the meter reading devices in the database for retrieval by at least one of;

a receiver address, the meter reading device identifier and a time and date of collection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wide area network is the Internet.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiver network address is an Internet Protocol address.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiver network address is a uniform resource locator (URL).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the meter reading devices include devices for reading condition status data related to a meter or to supply links connected to the meter, and wherein the meter data includes the condition status data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data file received through the wide area network is an HTML-coded web page of data, and wherein the data collector decodes the data file for storage of the meter reading data in the database.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data collector addresses the receiver at scheduled intervals, such as an hour, four times per day or daily, according to a reading schedule;

and wherein the meter data is stored in the database by a time and date of collection.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating a percentage of the meter devices reporting from each receiver over a selected time period and displaying certain location points on a map that are color-coded according the percentage of meter data devices from which data was collected.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier for each meter reading device is a serial number.

10. A meter data collector for use in collection of utility meter data from at least one receiver for communicating in a local network with a plurality of meter reading devices in a geographic area, the meter data collector comprising a computer program for operating on a network meter data collection computer, the meter data collector comprising:

a network reader portion for addressing at least one receiver through a wide area network at a receiver network address,

the network reader portion receiving a data file through the wide area network from the at least one receiver that includes meter reading data from a plurality of meter reading devices that have previously communicated with the receiver;

a database organization portion for detecting an identifier for each of the meter reading devices from the data file and for organizing the identifier for each meter reading device in a database in association with the receiver network address and the meter data for the respective meter reading device; and

a database reports portion for retrieving meter data from each of the meter reading devices according to at least one of;

a receiver network address, a meter reading device identifier and a time and date of collection.

11. The meter data collector of claim 10, wherein the wide area network is the Internet.

12. The meter data collector of claim 10, wherein the receiver network address is an Internet Protocol address.

13. The meter data collector of claim 10, wherein the receiver network address is a uniform resource locator (URL).

14. The meter data collector of claim 10, wherein the meter reading devices include devices for reading condition status data related to a meter or to supply links connected to the meter, and wherein the meter reading data includes the condition status data.

15. The meter data collector of claim 10, wherein the data file received through the wide area network is an HTML-coded web page of data, and wherein the data collector decodes the data file for storage of the meter reading data in the database.

16. The meter data collector of claim 10, wherein the network reader portion addresses the receiver at scheduled intervals, such as an hour, four times per day or daily, according to a reading schedule;

and wherein the meter data is stored in the database by the time and date of collection.

17. The meter data collector of claim 10, further comprising a calculating portion for calculating a percentage of the meter devices reporting from each receiver over a selected time period and a display portion for displaying certain location points on a map that are color-coded according the percentage of meter data devices from which data was collected.

18. The meter data collector of claim 10, wherein the identifier for each meter reading device is a serial number.