UTILITY METER WITH UTILITY-CONFIGURABLE SEALED DATA

• US 20140344796A1
• Filed: 05/20/2013
• Published: 11/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aclara Meters LLC (Hubbell, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Lavoie, Gregory Paul, Perron, Jason Lee
• Application Number:
  US13/898,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20140344796A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/66 of program code stored in read-only memory [ROM]
• 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

A system is provided with a utility meter. The utility meter includes a memory storing a table, wherein the table specifies modifiable data that may be modified when the utility meter is sealed and non-modifiable data that may not be modified when the utility meter is sealed. The utility meter also includes a processing device configured to access the table stored on the memory or another memory to determine whether specific data stored on the memory or another memory may be modified when the utility meter is sealed.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a utility meter, comprising;

a memory storing a table, wherein the table specifies modifiable data that may be modified when the utility meter is sealed and non-modifiable data that may not be modified when the utility meter is sealed; and

a processing device configured to access the table stored on the memory or another memory to determine whether specific data stored on the memory or the another memory may be modified when the utility meter is sealed.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the table cannot be modified when the utility meter is sealed.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to block modification of the non-modifiable data when the utility meter is sealed.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to enable modification of the modifiable data when the utility meter is sealed.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the utility meter comprises an electricity meter, a water meter, a natural gas meter, or a combination thereof.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the specific data comprises metering data, parameters, or a combination thereof.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the specific data comprises meter configuration data, calibration data, measuring quantities, or a combination thereof.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the specific data comprises a component of firmware.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the table is an external table that is not hard-coded into a computer program.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the table is modifiable when the utility meter is unsealed.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer executable code stored thereon, the code comprising instructions for:

accessing an external table stored on a memory of a utility meter or another memory external to the utility meter, wherein the external table specifies modifiable data that may be modified when the utility meter is sealed and non-modifiable data that may not be modified when the utility meter is sealed; and

determining, based on the external table, whether specific data stored on the memory or the another memory may be modified when the utility meter is sealed.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the code comprises instructions for:

blocking modification of the external table when the utility meter is sealed.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the code comprises instructions for:

blocking modification of the non-modifiable data when the utility meter is sealed.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the code comprises instructions for:

enabling modification of the modifiable data when the utility meter is sealed.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the utility meter comprises an electricity meter, a water meter, a natural gas meter, or a combination thereof.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the specific data comprises metering data, parameters, or a combination thereof.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the specific data comprises a component of firmware.

18. A system comprising:

a memory storing a table, wherein the table specifies modifiable data that may be modified when a utility meter is sealed or non-modifiable data that may not be modified when the utility meter is sealed; and

a processing device configured to access the table stored on the memory or another memory to determine whether specific data stored on the memory or the another memory may be modified when the utility meter is sealed.

19. The system of claim 18, comprising the utility meter comprising the memory or the processing device.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the table specifies the modifiable data that may be modified when the utility meter is sealed and the non-modifiable data that may not be modified when the utility meter is sealed.