System, Device and Method For Providing Power Outage and Restoration Notification

• US 20110221603A1
• Filed: 05/24/2011
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Current Technologies LLC (Pattern Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Current Technologies LLC (Pattern Inc.)
• Inventors: Yaney, David S., Deaver, Brian J. SR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,810,421 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/660
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/06 using power transmission lines
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00009 using pulsed signals
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00024 by means of mobile telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5479 using repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5495 having measurements and testing channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/58 Repeater circuits
• 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: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/52 Outage or fault management, e.g. fault detection or location
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/121 using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 using wireless data transmission

Abstract

A system, computer program product and method to provide information related to a power distribution system based on information provided by a plurality of network elements electrically connected to a plurality of power lines of the power distribution system at a plurality of locations is provided. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving a notification from a group of network elements that have detected a voltage signature indicating an imminent power outage, determining location information of the power outage, outputting the location information of the power outage, receiving a live notification from a first network element of the group of network elements indicating a first power restoration at a location of the first network element, determining location information of the first power restoration, and outputting the location information of the first power restoration.

Claims

1. A method of using a computer system to provide information related to a power distribution system based on information provided by a plurality of network elements, comprising:

receiving one or more outage notifications from one or more network elements connected to the power distribution system;

determining location information of the power outage based on the one or more outage notifications;

outputting data of the location information of the power outage;

receiving a first restoration notification from a first network element of the one or more network elements providing the one or more outage notifications;

wherein the restoration notification indicates a first power restoration at a location of the first network element;

determining location information of the first power restoration based, at least in part, on the live notification; and

outputting data of the location information of the first power restoration.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said outputting data of the location information of the power outage comprises displaying the location of the power outage on a map on a display.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said outputting data of the location information of the first power restoration comprises displaying the location of the power restoration on the map on the display.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said outputting data of the location information of the first power restoration comprises displaying the location of the power restoration on a map on a display.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second restoration notification indicating a second power restoration from a second network element of the one or more network elements;

determining location information of the second power restoration; and

outputting data of the location information of the second power restoration.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the outage notifications indicate a power outage of a medium voltage power line, which is detected by the one or more network elements by a reduction in a measurement of a voltage of a low voltage power line below a threshold voltage.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the outage notifications indicate a power outage of a low voltage power line.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first power restoration is not a restoration of the entire power outage, the method further comprising:

displaying on a map one or more areas of the power outage concurrently with one or more areas of the first power restoration.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the one or more outage notifications are received via a communication path that includes a wireless link.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the wireless link comprises a mobile telephone network link.

11. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium encoding a computer program for executing on a computer system to provide a computer process for providing information related to a power distribution system, the computer program product comprising:

a first code segment to receive an outage notification from one or more network elements;

a second code segment to determine location information of the power outage based on a received outage notification;

a third code segment to output location information of the power outage;

a fourth code segment to receive a restoration notification from a first network element of the one or more network elements indicating a first power restoration at a location of the first network element;

a fifth code segment to determine location information of the first power restoration; and

a sixth code segment to output the location information of the first power restoration.

12. The computer program product according to claim 11, wherein said third code segment is configured to display the location of the power outage on a map on a display.

13. The computer program product according to claim 12, wherein said sixth code segment is configured to display the location of the power restoration on the map on the display.

14. The computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the outage notification indicates a power outage of a medium voltage power line which is detected by the one or more network elements by a reduction in a measured voltage of a low voltage power line below a threshold voltage.

15. The computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the outage notification indicates a power outage of a low voltage power line.

16. The computer program product according to claim 11, wherein at least some of the one or more outage notifications to be received are received via a communication path that includes a wireless link.

17. The computer program product according to claim 14, wherein the wireless link comprises a mobile telephone network link.

18. A method of using a computer system to provide information related to a power distribution system, comprising:

receiving a first notification from a first network element that indicates a first power outage on the power distribution system;

determining location information of the first power outage;

outputting data of the location information of the first power outage;

receiving a restoration notification from the first network element indicating a first power restoration;

determining location information of the first power restoration; and

outputting the location information of the first power restoration

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein said first power restoration is not a restoration of an entire power outage, the method further comprising:

displaying on a map one or more areas of first power outage concurrently with one or more areas of the first power restoration.

20. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a restoration notification from a second network element indicating a second power restoration;

determining location information of the second power restoration; and

outputting data of the location information of the second power restoration.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein said outputting the location information of the first power outage comprises outputting addresses of one or more power customers.

22. The method according to claim 18, wherein the first network element determines the first power outage by detecting a reduction in a measurement of a voltage below a threshold voltage.

23. The method according to claim 18, wherein the first network element determines the first power outage from a failure to communicate with at least one automated power meter.

24. The method according to claim 18, wherein the first notification is received via a communication path that includes a wireless link.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the wireless link comprises a mobile telephone network link.