Time-of-use and demand metering in conditions of power outage

• US 5,918,380 A
• Filed: 12/09/1997
• Issued: 07/06/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Inventors: Myers, Gregory K., Schleich, Michael G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, ALBERT KANG
• Application Number:
  US08/987,355
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.02, 340/870.03, 340/870.11, 340/870.16, 379/107
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/006 Remote reading of utility meters to a non-fixed location, i.e. mobile location
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/133 by using digital technique
• 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 metering system for metering the consumption of electrical energy to provide time-of-use and demand metering in the presence of at least one power outage event includes an encoder device for transmitting a radio frequency (RF) signal and a interrogate/receiver device for receiving the radio frequency signal transmitted by the encoder device. The encoder device has apparatus for sensing electrical power consumption and for sensing a power outage. Additionally, the encoder device has apparatus for periodically generating an encoded RF signal for transmission by the encoder device. The signal has a plurality of discrete components, each of the components being related to electrical power consumption over a selected interval of time. The signal further has a power outage flag associated with each discrete component, the flag being set for any interval of time during which a power outage is sensed. A meter counter for incrementally increasing a count as a function of time is included. The meter counter is powered by the electrical power being metered. The interrogate/receiver device has a decoder that is communicatively coupled to the encoder device for decoding the encoded RF signal received from the encoder device. A receiver counter for incrementally increasing a count as a function of time is asynchronous with respect to the meter counter.

Claims

1. A metering sensor and communication system for communicating data related to metered consumption of electrical energy to provide support for time-of-use and demand billing in the presence of at least one power outage event, the metering communication system comprising:

a. a meter sensor for sensing power consumption and for sensing power outage events, the sensor generating an output signal related to at least the sensed power consumption and power outage events;

b. an encoder device having;

means for communication with the meter sensor for receiving the output signal therefrom being communicatively coupled to the meter sensor;

means for periodically generating an encoded RF signal for transmission by the encoder device, the signal having a plurality of discrete components, each of said components being related to electrical power consumption over a selected interval of time, said components including consumption parameter data and meter identification data, the signal further having a power outage flag associated with each discrete component, the flag being set for an interval of time during which a power outage is sensed; and

encoder counter means for incrementally increasing a count as a function of time, the encoder counter means being powered by the electrical power being metered; and

c. an interrogate/receiver device having;

decoder means being communicatively coupled to the encoder device for decoding the encoded RF signal received from the encoder device; and

receiver counter means for incrementally increasing a count as a function of time, the receiver counter means being asynchronous with respect to the encoder counter means.

2. The metering system of claim 1 wherein the receiver counter means counts at a rate substantially equal to a real time counter.

3. The metering system of claim 1 wherein the interrogate/receiver device flags the decoded RF signal received from the encoder device prior to transmission to a billing system for each interval in which the consumption of electrical energy is estimated.

4. The metering system of claim 1 wherein the interrogate/receiver device determines the difference between a predicted and an actual encoder counter means count to predict a total power outage duration.

5. The metering system of claim 4 wherein the interrogate/receiver device determines the difference between a predicted and an actual encoder counter means count to predict a total power outage duration of a plurality of power outages.

6. The metering system of claim 1 wherein the encoder device includes a microprocessor for receiving discrete elements of code, the microprocessor having a buffer assigned in a non-volatile memory, a pointer in the microprocessor indicating a position in the buffer corresponding to a N-1 value, the N-1 value being a differentially encoded consumption value which occurred at a most recent consumption interval.