UTILITY METER EMULATION MODE SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20150177021A1
• Filed: 12/23/2013
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aclara Meters LLC (Hubbell, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Lavoie, Gregory Paul, Crittenden, Curtis Whitmore, Rouaud, Didier Gilbert, Lafond, Guy P., Subirana, Jason I.
• Granted Patent: US 9,733,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• 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

One embodiment describes a utility metering system that includes metering infrastructure that facilitates data communication within the utility metering system in accordance with an expected metering platform, and a utility meter communicatively coupled to the metering infrastructure. The utility meter operates in a native mode when a native metering platform is compatible with the expected metering platform, in which the utility meter operates in a first manner in accordance with the native metering platform. The utility meter operates in an emulation mode when the native metering platform is not compatible with the expected metering platform and an emulation metering platform is compatible with the expected metering platform, in which the utility meter operates in a second manner in accordance with the emulation metering.

Claims

1. A utility metering system, comprising:

metering infrastructure configured to facilitate transfer of information within the utility metering system in accordance with an expected metering platform; and

a utility meter communicatively coupled to the metering infrastructure, wherein the utility meter in configured to;

operate in a native mode when a native metering platform is compatible with the expected metering platform, wherein the utility meter is configured to operate in a first manner in accordance with the native metering platform; and

operate in an emulation mode when the native metering platform is not compatible with the expected metering platform, wherein the utility meter is configured to operate in a second manner in accordance with an emulation metering platform in conjunction with the emulation mode.

2. The utility metering system of claim 1, wherein the utility meter is configured to emulate functionality, interface, or both of the expected metering platform when the utility meter operates in the emulation mode.

3. The utility metering system of claim 1, wherein the metering infrastructure comprises a billing system, advanced metering infrastructure, a meter program, or any combination thereof.

4. The utility metering system of claim 1, comprising a communication network, wherein the utility meter is configured to determine the expected metering platform based on an indication sent from the metering infrastructure via the communication network.

5. The utility metering system of claim 1, wherein the utility meter is configured to communicate data to the metering infrastructure via native data tables when the utility meter operates in the native mode, and to communicate data to the metering infrastructure via emulated data tables when the utility meter is in the emulation mode.

6. The utility metering system of claim 1, wherein the utility meter is configured to emulate a communication protocol, a display, a user input interface, or any combination thereof of the expected metering protocol when the utility meter is in the emulation mode.

7. The utility metering system of claim 1, wherein the expected metering platform is set in the utility meter during manufacture of the utility meter.

8. A utility meter, comprising:

memory configured to store;

a native metering platform related to operation of the utility meter in a first manner; and

one or more emulation metering platforms related to operation of the utility meter in a second manner; and

a processor configured to selectively switch between implementing the native metering platform and implementing at least one of the one or more emulation metering platforms stored in the memory, wherein the utility meter is configured to emulate functionality, interface, or both of a first non-native metering platform when the processor implements a first emulation metering platform of the one or more emulation metering platforms, wherein the first emulation metering platform corresponds to the first non-native metering platform.

9. The utility meter of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to receive the first emulation metering platform via a communication network and to store the emulation metering platform in the memory.

10. The utility meter of claim 8, comprising a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is configured to emulate a non-native communication interface utilized in the first non-native metering platform when the processor implements the first emulation metering.

11. The utility meter of claim 8, comprising a user input interface, wherein the user input interface is configured to emulate a non-native user input interface utilized in the first non-native metering platform when the processor implements the first emulation metering platform.

12. The utility meter of claim 8, comprising meter inputs and filtering components, wherein the meter inputs and filtering components are configured to collect data collected in the first non-native metering platform when the processor implements the first emulation metering platform.

13. The utility meter of claim 8, comprising a display, wherein the display is configured to emulate a non-native display utilized in the first non-native metering platform when the processor implements the first emulation metering platform.

14. The utility meter of claim 8, comprising a first component and a second component, wherein the first component is configured to emulate a first non-native component utilized in the first non-native metering platform and the second component is configured to emulate a second non-native component utilized in a second non-native metering platform when the processor implements the first emulation metering platform and a second emulation metering platform that corresponds to the second non-native metering platform.

15. A non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions executable by a processor of a utility meter to:

determine via the processor an expected metering platform of metering infrastructure coupled to the utility meter, wherein the metering infrastructure facilitates information transfer with the utility meter in accordance with the expected metering platform;

determine via the processor whether a native metering platform implemented in the utility meter is compatible with the expected metering platform, wherein the native metering platform relates to operation of the utility meter in a first manner;

enter an emulation mode at the utility meter when the native metering platform is not compatible with the expected metering platform; and

implement one or more emulation metering platforms at the utility meter to emulate functionality, interface, or both of the expected metering platform when the utility meter is in emulation mode, wherein the one or more emulation metering platforms relates to operation of the utility meter in a second manner.

16. The medium of claim 15, comprising instructions to initialize the utility meter in a native mode, wherein the utility meter implements the native metering platform.

17. The medium of claim 15, comprising instructions to remain in a native mode when the native metering platform is compatible with the expected metering platform.

18. The medium of claim 15, wherein the instruction to determine whether a native metering platform implemented in the utility meter is compatible with the expected metering platform comprises instructions to:

determine whether the native metering platform is the same as the expected metering platform; and

determine whether the native metering platform is cross-compatible with the expected metering platform.

19. The medium of claim 15, comprising instructions to emulate a communication protocol, a user input interface, a display or any combination thereof utilized in the expected metering platform when the utility meter implements the one or more emulation metering platforms.

20. The medium of claim 15, comprising instructions to communicate data from the utility meter to the metering infrastructure via an emulated data table, wherein the emulated data table is substantially the same as a data table generated by the expected metering platform.