SYSTEM AND METHOD TO MANAGE UTILITY METER COMMUNICATIONS
First Claim
1. A method for managing utility meter communications within a network comprising a plurality of utility meters each associated and connected to at least one utility management center through at least one intermediate data concentrator, each utility meter being identified by a utility meter identifier and being adapted to produce and send utility meter messages to a destination data concentrator identified by a data concentrator identifier, each destination data concentrator being adapted to produce and send reports to said management center identified by a management center identifier, said method comprising the steps of:
- sending a utility meter message from a utility meter to said destination data concentrator, said utility meter message including a metering data measurement reported by said utility meter, said utility meter identifier, said destination data concentrator identifier and said management center identifier;
determining a metering counter differential consumption value based on a difference of two metering counter consumption indexes measured by said utility meter within a time period interval;
sending, from the destination data concentrator towards the utility management center to which said utility meter is associated, a report containing at least said metering counter differential consumption value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for managing communications within a network comprising utility meters, each associated and connected to at least one utility management center through at least one intermediate data concentrator. A message is sent by a utility meter to the destination data concentrator. This message includes metering data measurement reported by said utility meter, its utility meter identifier, the destination data concentrator identifier and the management center identifier. Then, on the basis of several metering data measurements, a metering counter differential consumption value is calculated by difference of two metering counter consumption indexes measured by the utility meter within a time period interval. Then, a report containing at least the metering counter differential consumption value is sent from the destination data concentrator towards the utility management center to which said utility meter is associated.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method for managing utility meter communications within a network comprising a plurality of utility meters each associated and connected to at least one utility management center through at least one intermediate data concentrator, each utility meter being identified by a utility meter identifier and being adapted to produce and send utility meter messages to a destination data concentrator identified by a data concentrator identifier, each destination data concentrator being adapted to produce and send reports to said management center identified by a management center identifier, said method comprising the steps of:
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sending a utility meter message from a utility meter to said destination data concentrator, said utility meter message including a metering data measurement reported by said utility meter, said utility meter identifier, said destination data concentrator identifier and said management center identifier; determining a metering counter differential consumption value based on a difference of two metering counter consumption indexes measured by said utility meter within a time period interval; sending, from the destination data concentrator towards the utility management center to which said utility meter is associated, a report containing at least said metering counter differential consumption value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15)
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10. A system for utility meter communications comprising:
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at least one utility management center, the at least one utility management center being identified by a management center identifier; at least one intermediate data concentrator identified by a destination data concentrator identifier, the at least one intermediate data concentrator being connected to the at least one utility management center; a plurality of utility meters, each utility meter being connected to the at least one intermediate data concentrator, each utility meter being identified by a utility meter identifier; wherein each of the utility meters is adapted to determine a metering data measurement by reading a counter consumption index at each utility meter; generate utility meter messages, each of said utility meter messages comprising said metering data measurement, said utility meter identifier, said destination data concentrator identifier and said management center identifier; and transmit said utility meter messages to said destination data concentrator; and wherein the at least one intermediate data concentrator is adapted to determine, for each utility meter, on the basis of at least two metering data measurements measured by said utility meter, a metering counter differential consumption value for said utility meter within a time period interval; and transmit to the at least one utility management center a report containing at least said metering counter differential consumption value. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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16. A system for utility meter communications comprising:
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at least one utility management center, the at least one utility management center being identified by a management center identifier; at least one intermediate data concentrator identified by a destination data concentrator identifier, the at least one intermediate data concentrator being connected to the at least one utility management center; a plurality of utility meters, each utility meter being connected to the at least one intermediate data concentrator, each utility meter being identified by a utility meter identifier; wherein each of the utility meters is adapted to determine metering data measurements by reading a counter consumption index at different times; determine, for each utility meter, on the basis of at least two metering data measurements determined by said utility meter, a metering counter differential consumption value for said utility meter within a time period interval; and generate utility meter messages, each of said utility meter messages comprising said metering counter differential consumption value, said utility meter identifier, said destination data concentrator identifier and said management center identifier; and transmit said utility meter messages to said destination data concentrator; and wherein the at least one intermediate data concentrator is adapted to receive said utility meter messages from the utility meter; and transmit to the at least one utility management center a report containing at least said metering counter differential consumption value.
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Specification