STRESS CONDITION LOGGING IN UTILITY METER

• US 20100036624A1
• Filed: 08/07/2009
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Landis+Gyr AG (Landis+Gyr Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Landis+Gyr Inc. (Landis+Gyr Group AG)
• Inventors: Voisine, John T., Martin, Warren T.
• Application Number:
  US12/537,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20100036624A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/61
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/14 Supports; Fastening devices; Arrangements for mounting thermometers in particular locations
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/065 related to mechanical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/068 Arrangements for indicating or signaling faults
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/10 using digital techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2849 Environmental or reliability testing, e.g. burn-in or validation tests of individual semiconductors G01R31/2642; of printed circuits boards G01R31/2817; of IC's G01R31/2855

Abstract

An arrangement includes a utility meter housing that contains or supports a first sensor, a second sensor, and a processing circuit. The first sensor is configured to measure a first parameter, the first parameter relating to an environmental condition within the meter housing. The second sensor is configured to measure a second parameter. The processing circuit is operably connected to the first sensor and to the second sensor, and is configured to record information relating to one or more events, each event corresponding to a detection of an out of range condition by each of the first sensor and the second sensor.

Claims

1. An arrangement, comprising:

a utility meter housing;

a first sensor disposed within the utility meter housing, the first sensor configured to measure a first parameter, the first parameter relating to an environmental condition within the meter housing;

a second sensor disposed within the utility meter housing, the second sensor configured to measure a second parameter;

a processing circuit disposed within the utility meter housing and operably connected to the first sensor and to the second sensor, the processing circuit configured to record information relating to one or more events, each event corresponding to a detection of an out of range condition by each of the first sensor and the second sensor.

2. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the second sensor is a sensor employed for measuring electricity consumption.

3. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the first sensor is a sensor configured to measure at least one of the group consisting of:

temperature, humidity, DC magnetic field, electric field, electromagnetic waves, ultraviolet radiation, and vibration.

4. The arrangement of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of condition sensors disposed within the utility meter housing, each of the conditioned sensors configured to measure a parameter relating to a condition within the meter housing, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to record information relating events corresponding to a detection of an out of range condition by each of the plurality of condition sensors.

5. The arrangement of claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of condition sensors is configured to measure at least one of the group consisting of:

temperature, humidity, DC magnetic field, electric field, electromagnetic waves, ultraviolet radiation, and vibration.

6. The arrangement of claim 1, further comprising a communication circuit operably coupled to transmit the recorded information relating to one or more events to an external device.

7. The arrangement of claim 6, wherein the second sensor is a sensor employed for measuring electricity consumption.

8. The arrangement of claim 7, further comprising a plurality of condition sensors disposed within the utility meter housing, each of the conditioned sensors configured to measure a parameter relating to a condition within the meter housing, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to record information relating events corresponding to a detection of an out of range condition by each of the plurality of condition sensors.

9. The arrangement of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of condition sensors is configured to measure at least one of the group consisting of:

temperature, humidity, DC magnetic field, electric field, electromagnetic waves, ultraviolet radiation, and vibration.

10. An arrangement, comprising:

a utility meter housing;

at least one voltage sensor disposed within the utility meter housing;

at least one current sensor disposed within the utility meter housing;

a first sensor disposed within the utility meter housing, the first sensor configured to measure a first parameter, the first parameter relating to a first condition within the meter housing;

a second sensor disposed within the utility meter housing, the second sensor configured to measure a second parameter relating to a second condition within the meter housing, wherein the second condition is distinct from the first condition;

a processing circuit disposed within the utility meter housing and operably connected to the first sensor and to the second sensor, the processing circuit configured to record information relating to one or more events, each event corresponding to a detection of an out of range condition by each of the first sensor and the second sensor.

11. The arrangement of claim 10, wherein the processing circuit is operably coupled to obtain voltage measurements from the voltage sensor, and is further configured to

determine if the voltage measurements indicate at least one stress condition;

and

record information relating to the at least one stress condition if the voltage measurements indicate at least one stress condition.

12. The arrangement of claim 11, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine if the voltage measurements indicate at least one stress condition by:

determining if multiple values representative of approximate cyclical peaks in the voltage measurements exceed a threshold.

13. The arrangement of claim 11, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine if the voltage measurements indicate at least one stress condition by:

determining if values in the voltage measurements corresponding to voltage waveform samples exceed expected values.

14. The arrangement of claim 11, wherein the processing circuit is operably coupled to obtain current measurements from the current sensor, and is further configured to

determine if the current measurements indicate at least one stress condition;

and

record information relating to the at least one stress condition if the current measurements indicate at least one stress condition.

15. The arrangement of claim 14, wherein the first sensor is a sensor configured to measure at least one of the group consisting of:

temperature, humidity, DC magnetic field, electric field, electromagnetic waves, ultraviolet radiation, and vibration.

16. The arrangement of claim 15, wherein the first sensor comprises a DC magnetic field sensor including a Hall-effect switch operably coupled to the processing circuit, the Hall-effect switch configured to actuate in the presence of a select magnetic field, and wherein the processor configured to record first information relating to a first event responsive to the actuation of the Hall-effect switch.

17. The arrangement of claim 16, wherein the second sensor comprises an electromagnetic field sensor including an antenna device and a rectifying circuit operably coupled to the processing circuit, the antenna configured to detect radiated electromagnetic fields and the rectifying circuit configured to generate a rectified DC voltage representative of a magnitude of the electromagnetic fields, and wherein the processor configured to record first information relating to a first event responsive to the rectified DC voltage exceeding a threshold.

18. The arrangement of claim 17, wherein the first sensor comprises an accelerometer operably couple to the processing circuit, and wherein the processing circuit is configured to record third information relating to a third event responsive to when the accelerometer output exceeds a predefined threshold.