Method of tracking power outages

• US 7,551,984 B1
• Filed: 03/06/2006
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Firstenergy Corporation
• Original Assignee: Firstenergy Corporation
• Inventors: Fickey, Karl J., Homsher, David V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Masinick; Michael D
• Application Number:
  US11/368,799
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• Field of Search: 700/286, 700/287, 700/288, 700/289, 700/292, 395/435, 702/58
• US Class Current: 700/291
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A method for analyzing historical outages at the customer level for the purposes of determining root-cause and possible corrective actions is described herein. The present invention enables a utility to identify problem areas and prevent future outages from occurring.

Claims

1. A method for tracking power outages, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving information that at least one power outage has occurred;

relaying the information regarding the at least one power outage to a database;

determining at least one circuit affected by the at least one power outage;

determining a number of customers associated with the at least one circuit; and

,

creating an individual outage record for each associated customer;

creating an indicator based on an expectation scale,

wherein creating an indicator scale further comprises the steps of;

analyzing power outages for each associated customer;

comparing the number of power outages for each associated customer with an expected number of power outages; and

,

creating at least two indicators, wherein one of the at least two indicators indicates that the number of power outages is at or exceeds the number of expected power outages, wherein one of the at least two indicators indicates that the number of power outages is below the expected number of power outages.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises three indicators, wherein a first indicator indicates that the number of power outages exceeds the number of expected power outages, a second indicator indicates that the number of power outages is below the number of expected power outages, and a third indicator indicates that the number of power outages is below the number of expected power outages, but is approaching the number of expected power outages.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each indicator is a different color.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first indicator is red, the second indicator is green, and the third indicator is yellow.

5. A method for tracking power outages, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a signal that at least one power outage has occurred;

relaying information regarding the at least one power outage to a database;

determining at least one circuit affected by the at least one power outage;

determining a number of customers associated with the at least one circuit;

creating an individual outage record for each associated customer, wherein the outage record comprises at least a date of the power outage, a time of the power outage, a date of resumption of power, a time of resumption of power, a reason for the power outage, and a project number;

analyzing the power outages for each associated customer;

comparing the number of power outages for each associated customer with an expected number of power outages; and

,

creating three indicators, wherein a first indicator indicates that the number of power outages exceeds the number of expected power outages, a second indicator indicates that the number of power outages is below the number of expected power outages, and a third indicator indicates that the number of power outages is below the number of expected power outages, but is approaching the number of expected power outages.

6. A method for tracking events, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving information that at least one event has occurred;

relaying the information regarding the at least one event to a database;

determining a number of customers associated with the at least one event;

creating an individual event record for each associated customer;

analyzing the events for each associated customer;

comparing the number of events for each associated customer with an expected number of events; and

,

wherein the method comprises three indicators, wherein a first indicator indicates that the number of events exceeds the number of expected events, a second indicator indicates that the number of events is below the number of expected events, and a third indicator indicates that the number of events is below the number of expected events, but is approaching the number of expected events, wherein the events are defined by an unexpected interruption of service.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein each indicator is a different color.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first indicator is red, the second indicator is green, and the third indicator is yellow.