Power check meter

• US 6,067,029 A
• Filed: 03/04/1997
• Issued: 05/23/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: H.J. Arnett Industries, LLC
• Original Assignee: H.J. Arnett Industries, LLC
• Inventors: Durston, Tom
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): EDWARDS JR, TIMOTHY
• Application Number:
  US08/810,420
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.01, 340/870.02, 340/870.05, 340/870.07, 340/870.3, 340/586, 340/657, 379/88, 379/106, 379/107, 379/106.1, 379/106.3, 324/76.11
• US Class Current: 340/870.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A power measurement system calculates the power flow within a wire to a customer and transmits an indication of the power flow to a remotely located operator. The measurement system includes both a current transformer that senses current within the wire and generates a first output signal and a voltage input that senses voltage within the wire and generates a second output signal. A measurement device receives both the first and second output signals and in response generates a third signal representative of the power flow within the wire. The measurement device includes both a speech encoding circuit that receives the third signal and in response generates a voice signal, and a transmitter that receives the voice signal and transmits the voice signal to the remotely located operator.

Claims

1. A portable power measurement system for calculating the power flow within at least one wire to a revenue meter of a customer and transmitting an indication of said power flow to a remotely located operator comprising:

(a) a current transformer that senses current within said wire at a location remote from said revenue meter and generates a first output signal;

(b) a voltage input that senses voltage within said wire at a location remote from said revenue meter and generates a second output signal;

(c) a polarity comparator that compares the polarity of said first signal with the polarity of said second signal and generates in response a polarity status signal;

(d) a measurement device that receives said first output signal, said second output signal and said polarity status signal and in response generates a third signal representative of said power flow within said wire;

(e) said measurement device includes a speech encoding circuit that receives said third signal and in response generates a voice signal;

(f) said measurement device includes a cellular telephone transmitter that receives said voice signal and transmits said voice signal through the air, and said voice signal is received by said remotely located operator; and

(g) said current transformer, said voltage input, said polarity comparator and said measurement device being housed in a single portable unit for installation at any one of a plurality of locations along said wire.

2. The measurement system of claim 1 wherein said first output voltage is a rectified analog voltage.

3. The measurement system of claim 1 wherein said second output voltage is a rectified analog voltage.

4. The measurement system of claim 1 wherein said current transformer has a split core.

5. The measurement system of claim 1 further comprising a temperature sensor.

6. The power measurement system of claim 1 wherein said polarity comparator further comprises a zero-volt crossover detector that detects the zero voltage level of at least one of said first and second output signals.

7. The power measurement system of claim 6 wherein said crossover detector includes a voltage comparator producing a binary output.

8. The power measurement system of claim 7 further comprising a phase detector that detects when said first and second output values have the same polarity.

9. The power measurement system of claim 8 wherein said phase detector performs an XOR operation on the binary output of said comparator.

10. A method of monitoring the power flow within a wire interconnecting a power utility to a customer where one end of said wire at said customer has an electric usage revenue meter connected thereto to record the electrical power used from the power utility, comprising the steps of:

(a) sensing current with said wire at a remote location between said power utility and said revenue meter independently of said revenue meter and generating a first output signal;

(b) sensing voltage within said wire and generating a second output signal;

(c) receiving in a measurement device remotely located from said revenue meter and said customer both said first output signa and said second output signal and in response generating a third signal representative of said power flow within said wire;

(d) encoding within said measurement device said third signal as a voice signal;

(e) receiving at a cellular telephone transmitter within said measurement device said voice signal and in response transmitting said voice signal to a remotely located operator; and

(f) calculating said power flow within said wire in response to said voice signal and comparing said power flow within said wire with the electrical power recorded by said revenue meter;

(g) comparing the polarity of said first output signal with the polarity of said second output signal, and in response thereto inverting at least one of said first output signal and said second output signal when the polarities of said signal are different.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said measurement device is located proximate to a utility pole.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said first output voltage is a rectified analog voltage.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein said second output voltage is a rectified analog voltage.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of sensing the temperature and adjusting the measurement device to compensate for changes in said temperature.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of sensing the zero-voltage level of at least one of said first and second output signals and producing a binary output as a result of said sensing said zero-voltage level.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising detecting when said first and second output values have the same polarity based on said binary output.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein polarity is detected by performing an XOR operation on said binary output.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of obtaining multiple sets of said first and second output signals for each cycle of at least one of said current and said voltage within said wire where each of said sets is offset to obtain a combined set of data for a single said cycle with more data points than one of said multiple sets.