SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CHANGING OPERATIONAL PARAMETERS OF A UTILITY METER

• US 20130176141A1
• Filed: 01/05/2012
• Published: 07/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: LaFrance, Ryan Marc, Shill, Scott Michael, Glazebrook, Michael George
• Application Number:
  US13/344,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20130176141A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices

Abstract

A system and method that allow customers to provide acknowledgement to a utility provider for closing a utility meter. One embodiment features an authorization code disposed on the utility meter such that when a customer sends the authorization code to the utility provider as acknowledgement, the utility provider, having received the authorization code, sends a signal to the utility meter that closes the utility meter.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a utility meter configured to measure use of at least one utility distributed to a location having the utility meter, wherein the utility meter is configured to change at least one operational parameter in response to a user input separate from the utility meter.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user input comprises an authorization key.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the authorization key comprises at least one of a text key, or an image key, or a combination thereof.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the authorization key comprises a bar code.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the utility meter is configured to change the at least one operational parameter in response to a communication of the authorization key over a network from a device separate from the utility meter.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the utility meter is configured to provide the authorization key on the utility meter.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the user input comprises data communicated in a text message, a multimedia message, an e-mail, a website, a software interface, or an interactive voice response (IVR) interface, or a combination.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the utility meter comprises a display configured to display a message to prompt a user to provide the user input separate from the utility meter.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the utility meter is configured to change the at least one operational parameter in response to the user input prompted by a message on a device separate from the utility meter.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the utility meter is configured to change the at least one operational parameter in response to the user input on a computer, a phone, or a portable electronic device, or a combination thereof.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein utility meter is configured to measure use of the at least one utility comprising electricity, water, or gas, or a combination thereof.

12. A method, comprising:

changing at least one operational parameter of a utility meter in response to a user input separate from the utility meter, wherein the utility meter is configured to measure use of at least one utility distributed to a location having the utility meter.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising displaying a message on the utility meter to prompt a user to provide the user input separate from the utility meter.

14. The method of claim 12, comprising transmitting a message to a device separate from the utility meter to prompt a user to provide the user input separate from the utility meter.

15. The method of claim 12, comprising receiving a first data with the user input from a user device at a remote computer both separate from the utility meter;

and sending a second data from the remote computer to the utility meter to trigger change of the at least one operational parameter of the utility meter.

16. The method of claim 12, comprising receiving the user input from at least one of a computer, a phone, or a portable electronic device separate from the utility meter.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the user input comprises an authorization key.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the user input comprises data communicated in a text message, a multimedia message, an e-mail, a website, a software interface, or an interactive voice response (IVR) interface, or a combination.

19. A non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium comprising executable code, wherein the executable code comprises instructions for:

changing at least one operational parameter of a utility meter in response to a user input separate from the utility meter, wherein the utility meter is configured to measure use of at least one utility distributed to a location having the utility meter.

20. The non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the user input comprises an authorization key communicated in a text message, a multimedia message, an e-mail, a website, a software interface, or an interactive voice response (IVR) interface, or a combination.