Electrical energy meters having real-time power quality measurement and reporting capability
First Claim
1. In an electrical energy meter containing means therein for metering a quantity of electrical energy generated by a supplier and transferred via a power supply line to a load of a customer during an energy measurement time interval, a method of monitoring variations in the metered quantity of electrical energy, comprising the steps of:
- sensing a line voltage transferred via the power supply line to the load during the energy measurement time interval;
detecting an increase in a magnitude of the sensed line voltage from an acceptable voltage level to a level greater than a first surge threshold voltage, upon commencement of a surge time interval during which the magnitude of the sensed line voltage is at all times greater than the acceptable voltage level;
recording a surge event if the magnitude of the sensed line voltage exceeds the acceptable voltage level for a first predetermined amount of time after commencement of the surge time interval; and
thencommunicating the recorded surge event to at least the supplier or customer before termination of the surge time interval.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A revenue accuracy meter and a method are provided for measuring the amount and quality of power received by a power customer across electrical power lines. The revenue accuracy meter preferably has a variation determiner for determining undesired variations in an electrical signal representative of power received by the power customer during a plurality of predetermined time periods. A power usage measurer is coupled in electrical communication with the variation determiner for measuring the power usage of a customer responsive to an electrical signal representative of a customer load. The meter further has a communications interface coupled in electrical communication with the variation determiner and the power usage measurer for communication signals representative of the power variations and the power usage. An energy management controller also preferably is connected to the communications interface for controlling power usage responsive to predetermined electrical command signals received from the power customer through the communications interface.
297 Citations
14 Claims
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1. In an electrical energy meter containing means therein for metering a quantity of electrical energy generated by a supplier and transferred via a power supply line to a load of a customer during an energy measurement time interval, a method of monitoring variations in the metered quantity of electrical energy, comprising the steps of:
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sensing a line voltage transferred via the power supply line to the load during the energy measurement time interval; detecting an increase in a magnitude of the sensed line voltage from an acceptable voltage level to a level greater than a first surge threshold voltage, upon commencement of a surge time interval during which the magnitude of the sensed line voltage is at all times greater than the acceptable voltage level; recording a surge event if the magnitude of the sensed line voltage exceeds the acceptable voltage level for a first predetermined amount of time after commencement of the surge time interval; and
thencommunicating the recorded surge event to at least the supplier or customer before termination of the surge time interval. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. In an electrical energy meter containing means therein for metering a quantity of electrical energy generated by a supplier and transferred via a power supply line to a load of a customer during an energy measurement time interval, a method of monitoring variations in the metered quantity of electrical energy, comprising the steps of:
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sensing a line voltage transferred via the power supply line to the load during the energy measurement time interval; detecting an increase in a magnitude of the sensed line voltage from an acceptable voltage level to a level greater than a first surge threshold voltage, upon commencement of a surge time interval during which the magnitude of the sensed line voltage is at all times greater than the acceptable voltage level; recording a surge event if the magnitude of the sensed line voltage exceeds the acceptable voltage level for a first predetermined amount of time after commencement of the surge time interval; and
thencommunicating the recorded surge event to at least the supplier or customer promptly on a real time basis. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. An electrical energy meter for reporting line voltage variations in real-time, comprising:
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means for sensing a line voltage generated by a supplier and transferred via a power supply line to a load of a customer; means, responsive to said sensing means, for detecting an increase in a magnitude of the sensed line voltage from an acceptable voltage level to a level greater than a first surge threshold voltage, upon commencement of a surge time interval during which the magnitude of the sensed line voltage is at all times greater than the acceptable voltage level; means, responsive to said detecting means, for recording a surge event if the sensed line voltage exceeds the acceptable voltage level for a first predetermined amount of time after commencement of the surge time interval; and means, responsive to said recording means, for communicating the recorded surge event to at least the supplier or customer before termination of the surge time interval. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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Specification