UTILITY REMOTE DISCONNECT FROM A METER READING SYSTEM

• US 20110074600A1
• Filed: 09/27/2010
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Inventors: Wykle, Christopher J., Cornwall, Mark K., Kritz, Daniel R.
• Application Number:
  US12/891,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20110074600A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/12 Determination or prediction of behaviour, e.g. likely power consumption or unusual usage patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• 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

Disclosed are apparatus and methodology for providing remote gas disconnection by way of a meter reading system. In accordance with the present subject matter, a gas metering device is provided with a remotely controllable valve, and a handheld or mobile device (normally employed to collect data such as normal meter readings generally associated with utility consumption) is configured to transmit disconnect instructions to a selected gas metering device as a meter reader proceeds along a route. In an alternative embodiment, disconnect instructions may be sent directly to a remotely operable valve equipped metering device by way of a fixed network meter reading system.

Claims

1. An advanced meter reading system for transmitting between user locations and a centralized data collection facility data and commands related to utility usage and utility supply connections, said system comprising:

a plurality of utility metrology means and associated endpoint devices, situated at respective locations of utility consumption, for transmitting utility consumption data associated with a respective location;

at least one disconnect means, associated with at least one of said utility metrology means and its associated endpoint device, for disconnecting a utility supply associated with said at least one utility metrology means at its respective location in response to a disconnect signal transmitted to said disconnect means;

a main communications network for bidirectional communications with said endpoint devices; and

a head end processor for bidirectional communications with said main communications network, such that utility consumption data and disconnect signal commands, respectively, are communicated to and from said head end processor via said main communications network.

2. An advanced meter reading system as in claim 1, further including:

at least one collector, for bidirectional communications with said endpoint devices and said main communications network; and

a plurality of disconnect means, respectively associated with selected of said endpoint devices, for respectively disconnecting a utility supply associated with such endpoint device locations in response to respective disconnect signals transmitted thereto;

wherein said utility consumption comprises one of gas, water, and electricity consumption.

3. An advanced meter reading system as in claim 1, further including:

a plurality of disconnect means, respectively associated with selected of said endpoint devices, for respectively disconnecting a utility supply associated with such endpoint device locations in response to respective disconnect signals transmitted thereto;

wherein said utility consumption comprises gas consumption; and

said utility metrology means comprise respective gas meters.

4. An advanced meter reading system as in claim 3, wherein:

said utility supply comprises a gas line associated with said utility consumption locations; and

said disconnect means respectively comprise disconnect valves inline with such supply gas line and associated with its respective endpoint device.

5. An advanced meter reading system as in claim 4, wherein at least some of said disconnect valves are respectively located inside of associated utility metrology means.

6. An advanced meter reading system as in claim 4, wherein at least some of said disconnect valves are respectively located outside of associated utility metrology means.

7. An advanced meter reading system as in claim 1, further including a mobile device in RF communication with other components of said system, for controllably receiving utility consumption data and sending disconnect signal commands.

8. An advanced meter reading system as in claim 1, wherein:

said utility consumption comprises gas consumption; and

said system further includes a plurality of telemetry devices respectively associated with a plurality of utility consumption locations, each of said telemetry devices monitoring for a preselected condition at its respective location, and transmitting data to said head end processor related to such preselected condition.

9. An advanced meter reading system as in claim 8, wherein said telemetry devices respectively include alarm means for forwarding alarm signaling to said head end processor whenever monitored conditions thereat fall outside set parameters.

10. An advanced meter reading system as in claim 1, wherein:

said head end processor further includes data management functionality, for storing and processing utility consumption data; and

said main communications network comprises one of a WAN, a wireless network, and the internet.

11. An advanced meter reading system as in claim 1, further including:

at least one collector, for bidirectional communications with said endpoint devices and said main communications network;

a plurality of disconnect means, respectively associated with selected of said endpoint devices, for respectively disconnecting a utility supply associated with such endpoint device locations in response to respective disconnect signals transmitted thereto; and

a mobile device in RF communication with other components of said system, for controllably receiving utility consumption data and sending disconnect signal commands;

wherein said utility consumption comprises gas consumption;

said utility metrology means comprise respective gas meters;

said utility supply comprises a gas line associated with said utility consumption locations;

said disconnect means respectively comprise disconnect valves inline with such supply gas line and associated with its respective endpoint device;

said head end processor further includes data management functionality, for storing and processing utility consumption data; and

said main communications network comprises one of a WAN, a wireless network, and the internet.

12. A bidirectional gas AMI network for transmitting commands and gas usage data between user locations and a centralized data collection facility, said network comprising:

a plurality of combined gas metrology/endpoint devices for obtaining and transmitting gas usage data associated with its respective location;

a plurality of disconnect valve means, respectively associated with selected of said endpoint devices, for respectively disconnecting a utility supply associated with such endpoint device locations in response to respective disconnect signals transmitted thereto;

a WAN;

a plurality of data collection devices, for bidirectional communications with selected of said metrology/endpoint devices and said WAN; and

a centralized data collection facility in bidirectional communication with said WAN, for receiving and processing gas usage data, and for selectively transmitting respective disconnect signals to targeted endpoint device locations for terminating utility supply thereat.

13. A network as in claim 12, further including:

a supply gas line associated with said gas metrology/endpoint locations; and

wherein said disconnect valve means respectively comprise disconnect valves inline with such supply gas line and associated with its respective endpoint device.

14. A network as in claim 12, further including a mobile device in RF communication with other components of said network, for controllably receiving gas usage data and sending disconnect signal commands.

15. A network as in claim 12, further including meter data management means associated with said centralized data collection facility, for storing and processing data received via said network.

16. A method for gathering data for monitoring gas consumption associated with a gas pipeline of a gas utility provider, and for selectively disconnecting gas supplies at selected locations, using a single integrated network system, such method comprising:

transmitting gas consumption data from a plurality of endpoint devices associated with respective locations of gas utility usage;

transmitting the gas consumption data to at least one collector;

communicating such data to a head end processor via such collector and a main communications network; and

selectively transmitting disconnect signal commands from such head end processor to disconnect valves at selected locations of gas utility usage, to disconnect such locations from an associated gas supply, whereby gas consumption data are collected and communicated to a central location for processing, and disconnect signal commands are communicated via the same network as such data, to permit efficient monitoring and control of gas utility usage and associated gas supply by a gas utility provider.

17. A method as in claim 16, wherein such disconnect step includes selected activation of controllable valves operatively associated inline with selected sections of a supply gas pipeline, respectively associated with such selected locations.

18. A method as in claim 16, further including using a mobile device in RF communication with other components of such network, for controllably receiving gas consumption data and for sending disconnect signal commands.

19. A method as in claim 16, further including:

conducting data management at the central location, for storing and processing gas consumption data; and

wherein the network at least in part comprises one of a WAN, a wireless network, and the Internet.