System and Method for Synchronized Measurements

• US 20090292485A1
• Filed: 05/23/2008
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Power Measurement Ltd. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Power Measurement Ltd. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Bickel, Jon A., Van Gorp, John C., Cowan, Peter, Lindsay, Hubert
• Application Number:
  US12/126,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20090292485A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/57
• 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

A system and method of synchronizing measurements between a master monitor (130 and/or 132) and a slave monitor (154 and/or 164). A system controller (110) receives master samples representing a signal characteristic from the master monitor (130 and/or 132) and slave samples representing the signal characteristic from the slave monitor (154 and/or 164). The master samples and slave samples are aligned using correlation analysis to obtain the identification of a slave sample that aligns with a predetermined master sample. This identification is transmitted to the slave monitor and used to synchronize a master measurement with a slave measurement.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of master samples representing a signal characteristic from a master monitor;

receiving a first plurality of slave samples representing the signal characteristic from a first slave monitor;

aligning the plurality of master samples with the first plurality of slave samples using correlation analysis, yielding a first identification of one of the first plurality of slave samples that aligns with a predetermined master sample of the plurality of master samples;

transmitting the first identification to the first slave monitor;

synchronizing a measurement by the first slave monitor with a measurement by the master monitor using the first identification.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronizing step comprises triggering a transition between a first power demand interval and a second power demand interval on the first slave monitor.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising calculating a power demand measurement to synchronize with a power demand measurement on the master monitor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a trigger occurs during the predetermined master sample.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a trigger is received by the master monitor and occurs during the predetermined master sample.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal characteristic is one or more of frequency variation, amplitude variation, or both.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of aligning comprises shifting the first plurality of slave samples relative to the plurality of master samples until a correlation is selected.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting an instruction to at least one of the master monitor and first slave monitor to store a plurality of samples.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first identification is transmitted when the alignment between the first plurality of slave samples and plurality of master samples has deviated more than a predetermined amount.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a first master monitor and at least the first slave monitor comprise a measurement synchronization group amongst which the monitors are synchronized.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a second plurality of slave samples from a second slave monitor;

aligning the plurality of master samples and the second plurality of slave samples using correlation analysis, yielding a second identification of one of the second plurality of slave samples that aligns with a predetermined sample of the plurality of master samples;

transmitting the second identification to the second slave monitor;

synchronizing a measurement by the second slave monitor with the measurement by the master monitor using the second identification.

12. A monitoring system comprising:

a system controller that;

receives a plurality of master samples and a first plurality of slave samples;

aligns the plurality of master samples and the first plurality of slave samples using correlation analysis, yielding a first identification of one of the first plurality of slave samples that aligns with a predetermined master sample of the plurality of master samples;

transmits the first identification to a first slave monitor, synchronizing a measurement by the first slave monitor with a measurement by a master monitor;

the master monitor operably coupled with the system controller and adapted to generate the plurality of master samples representing a signal characteristic;

the first slave monitor operably coupled with the system controller and adapted to generate the first plurality of slave samples representing the signal characteristic.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the synchronizing comprises triggering a transition between a first power demand interval and a second power demand interval on the first slave monitor.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising calculating a power demand to synchronize with a power demand measurement on the master monitor.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein a trigger is received by the master monitor and occurs during the predetermined master sample.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein alignment by the system controller comprises shifting the first plurality of slave samples relative to the plurality of master samples until a correlation is selected.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising the system controller transmitting an instruction to at least one of the master monitor and first slave monitor to store a plurality of samples.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the first identification is transmitted when the alignment between the first plurality of slave samples and plurality of master samples has deviated more than a predetermined amount.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the system controller is integrated within the master monitor.

20. A method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first plurality of samples representing a signal characteristic from a first monitor;

receiving a second plurality of samples representing the signal characteristic from a second monitor, wherein the first monitor and at least the second monitor comprise a measurement synchronization group amongst which the monitors are synchronized;

aligning the first plurality of samples with the second plurality of samples using correlation analysis, shifting the second plurality of samples relative to the first plurality of samples until a correlation is selected, yielding a first identification of one of the second plurality of samples that aligns with a predetermined sample of the first plurality of samples, wherein a trigger occurs during the predetermined sample;

transmitting the first identification to the second monitor when the alignment between the second plurality of samples and first plurality of samples has deviated more than a predetermined amount;

synchronizing a measurement by the second monitor with a measurement by the first monitor using the first identification, by triggering a transition between a first power demand interval and a second power demand interval on the second monitor;

transmitting an instruction to at least one of the first monitor and second monitor to store a plurality of samples.