Ping Server

• US 20120200426A1
• Filed: 02/08/2011
• Published: 08/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avista Corporation (Avistar)
• Original Assignee: Avista Corporation (Avistar)
• Inventors: DiLuciano, Joshua Dominic, Lee, Erik Jon, Cloward, Robert David, Cousins, Allen Glenn
• Granted Patent: US 8,928,489 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.07
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0645 by additionally acting on or stimulating the network after receiving notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/065 involving logical or physical relationship, e.g. grouping and hierarchies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route

Abstract

Techniques and systems are described that assist in predicting, diagnosing, and/or managing an incident in a utility service area. A communication system is provided in the service area to communicate with nodes of the service area. Nodes of the service area may communicate with the communication system using a variety of different communication technologies and/or communication protocols. In some instances, the communication system may detect a communication technology and/or a communication protocol used by a node.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of processing an incident in a utility service area, the method comprising:

under control of one or more processors configured with executable instructions;

detecting the incident in the utility service area;

identifying a plurality of utility devices within the utility service area to which to send an information request, based on the detected incident;

interrogating one or more utility devices of the plurality of utility devices to determine a communication technology and/or a communication protocol used by the one or more utility devices;

sending an information request to the plurality of utility devices using one or more communication technologies and/or one or more communication protocols, based at least in part on the results of the interrogation;

receiving results from the one or more utility devices based on the sending; and

formulating a response to the incident based on the results of the sending.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of utility devices comprise one or more of a utility service meter, a transformer, a breaker, a fuse, a recloser, a capacitor, a relay, or a switch.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the detecting, identifying, interrogating, sending, or formulating is performed on a remote processor

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving information from the plurality of utility devices using one or more communication technologies and/or one or more communication protocols.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising sending the information request to the plurality of devices based at least in part on an adjustable algorithm, the algorithm being adjustable based at least in part on the results of the interrogation;

and

formulating an adjustment to the algorithm based on a bandwidth, a capacity, and/or a signal strength of the one or more communication technologies.

6. A computer-implemented method of processing an incident in a utility service area, the method comprising:

under control of one or more processors configured with executable instructions;

detecting the incident in the utility service area;

identifying a first component of the utility service area to which to send an information request, based on the detected incident;

determining a first communication technology and a first communication protocol used by the first component;

sending an information request to the first component using the first communication technology and the first communication protocol;

selecting, by the one or more processors, one or more subsequent components of the utility service area to which to send an information request, the selecting based at least in part on an algorithm;

discovering one or more subsequent communication technologies and/or one or more subsequent communication protocols used by the one or more subsequent components;

adjusting the algorithm based on the discovering;

sending one or more information requests to the one or more subsequent components using the one or more subsequent communication technologies and the one or more subsequent communication protocols;

receiving results from the one or more subsequent components based on the sending; and

initiating a response to the incident based on the received results.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the detecting comprises polling a database linked to an intelligent map system for a reported incident, and cross referencing the reported incident to the first component.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the first component comprises a utility service meter.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the one or more subsequent components comprise one or more of a utility service meter, a transformer, a breaker, a fuse, a recloser, a capacitor, a relay, or a switch.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the determining and/or the discovering comprises referring to information populated in a look up table prior to referring to the lookup table.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising populating the look up table with information derived from an intelligent map system.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising validating the determining of the first communication technology and/or the first communication protocol with the first component, the validating comprising communication with the first component.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising formulating an adjustment to the algorithm based on a bandwidth, a capacity, and/or a signal strength of the one or more subsequent communication technologies discovered.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising formulating one or more command profiles based on the one or more communication protocols discovered, and storing the one or more command profiles for recurring use.

15. An outage management system comprising:

a plurality of utility service devices of a heterogeneous utility service area, one or more utility service devices of the plurality of utility service devices being configured to communicate using a disparate communication technology and/or a disparate communication protocol than another utility service device of the plurality of utility service devices;

a communication system communicatively coupled to the plurality of utility service devices, the communication system configured to communicate with each utility service device of the plurality of utility service devices using a respective communication technology and/or a respective communication protocol used by the utility service device according to an algorithm, the algorithm being adjustable based at least in part on the disparate communication technology used by the one or more utility service devices of the plurality of utility service devices; and

an outage management server coupled to the communication system and configured to formulate a response to an incident within the heterogeneous utility service area, based on communication between the communication system and at least one of the plurality of utility service devices.

16. The outage management system of claim 15, wherein the communication system and the at least one of the plurality of utility service devices are configured for two-way communication with each other.

17. The outage management system of claim 15, wherein the respective communication technology used by the utility service device comprises one of:

power line carrier technology, local area wired network technology, dial-up modem technology, cellular technology, satellite technology, local area wireless network technology, wide area wireless network technology, or wireless personal area network technology.

18. The outage management system of claim 15, wherein the outage management system is configured to notify a user of a status of the at least one of the plurality of utility service devices.

19. The outage management system of claim 18, wherein the outage management system is configured to notify a user of a status of the incident via email, text message, and/or mobile device application.

20. The outage management system of claim 15, wherein the communication system is configured to interrogate one or more utility service devices of the plurality of utility service devices to determine a communication technology and/or a communication protocol used by the one or more utility service devices.

21. The outage management system of claim 20, wherein the communication system is configured to reconfigure the communication technology and/or the communication protocol at the communication system, based on the interrogation, after communicating with the one or more utility service devices of the plurality of utility service devices and prior to communicating with the other utility service device of the plurality of utility service devices.

22. The outage management system of claim 15, wherein the communication system is configured to automatically initiate communication with the at least one of the plurality of utility service devices to perform one or more of:

an inventory, a status check, a power quality audit, a validation of installation, a maintenance routine, an isolation of the incident, a diagnosis, and a validation of restoration of services.

23. The outage management system of claim 15, wherein at least one of the communication system or the outage management server is physically located remote from the heterogeneous utility service area.

24. The outage management system of claim 15, further comprising a memory having a database stored thereon, the memory coupled to the communication system, the database including communication technology information and/or communication protocol information about at least a portion of the plurality of utility service devices.

25. The outage management system of claim 15, further comprising an intelligent map system communicatively coupled to the communication system, the intelligent map system configured to update based on communication between the communication system and at least one of the plurality of utility service devices.

26. The outage management system of claim 25, wherein the intelligent map system is configured to update a database comprising communication technology information and/or communication protocol information about at least a portion of the plurality of utility service devices.

27. The outage management system of claim 25, wherein the communication system is configured to detect a utility service device added to the heterogeneous utility service area based on information received from the intelligent map system, the received information including location information of the added utility service device.

28. A communication system comprising:

one or more processors;

memory communicatively coupled to the one or more processors;

a detection module stored in the memory and executable at the one or more processors to detect one or more utility service meters of a plurality of utility service meters within a hierarchal utility service area; and

a communication module stored in the memory and executable at the one or more processors to communicate with the one or more utility service meters using one or more disparate communication technologies and one or more disparate communication protocols respectively, the communication module configured to communicate with the one or more utility service meters according to an algorithm, the algorithm being adjustable based at least in part on the one or more communication technologies used by the utility service meters.

29. The communication system of claim 28, wherein the communication module is further configured to communicate with one or more electrical service devices including:

an electrical service meter, a transformer, a breaker, a fuse, a recloser, a capacitor, a relay, or a switch using one or more additional communication technologies and/or one or more additional communication protocols.

30. The communication system of claim 29, wherein the one or more additional communication technologies are disparate from each other and/or the one or more additional communication protocols are disparate from each other.

31. The communication system of claim 29, wherein the detection module is configured to detect the one or more electrical service devices upon initialization of the system.

32. The communication system of claim 29, wherein the detection module is configured to detect the one or more electrical service devices upon addition of the one or more utility service meters to the hierarchal utility service area.

33. The communication system of claim 29, wherein the detection module is configured to detect the one or more electrical service devices according to the algorithm.

34. The communication system of claim 29, wherein the communication module is further configured to remotely disable services at the one or more electrical service devices.

35. The communication system of claim 29, wherein the communication module is configured to automatically initiate communication with the one or more electrical service devices to perform:

an inventory, a status check, a power quality audit, a standards compliance check, a validation of installation, a maintenance routine, an isolation of the incident, a diagnosis, and/or a validation of restoration of services.

36. The communication system of claim 29, wherein the communication module is configured to communicate two-way with the one or more electrical service devices.