Utility network interface device configured to detect and report abnormal operating condition
First Claim
1. A utility network interface device comprising:
- a detector configured to produce a state signal upon occurrence of a prescribed state that interferes with the ability of a utility meter, with which the utility network interface device is associated, to at least one of measure consumption of a commodity and report consumption of the commodity;
a control unit configured to detect a tampering with the utility meter in accordance with the state signal produced by the detector; and
a notification unit configured to output, external to the utility meter, notification of the tampering detected by the control unit, wherein;
the control unit is configured to automatically control the notification unit to output the external notification of the tampering in response to the detection of the tampering;
the notification unit includes a transceiver;
the control unit is configured to cause the transceiver to transmit a notification signal containing data representative of the tampering notification and an identification of the utility network interface device wirelessly to a node in a network of which the utility network interface device is a member; and
the node in the network is another utility network interface device with which the utility network interface device is authorized to communicate.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A utility network interface device is provided for operation with a utility network. The utility network interface device includes a detector configured to produce a state signal upon occurrence of a prescribed state that interferes with the ability of a utility meter, with which the utility network interface device is associated, to measure consumption of a commodity and/or report consumption of the commodity. The utility network interface device also includes a control unit configured to detect a tampering with the utility meter in accordance with the state signal produced by the detector. The control unit automatically controls a notification unit to output, external to the utility meter, notification of the tampering detected by the control unit, in response to the detection of the tampering. Also provided are a utility network including the utility network interface device, a method of operating a utility network interface device, and a computer-readable recording medium having a computer program recorded thereon for operating a utility network interface device.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. A utility network interface device comprising:
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a detector configured to produce a state signal upon occurrence of a prescribed state that interferes with the ability of a utility meter, with which the utility network interface device is associated, to at least one of measure consumption of a commodity and report consumption of the commodity; a control unit configured to detect a tampering with the utility meter in accordance with the state signal produced by the detector; and a notification unit configured to output, external to the utility meter, notification of the tampering detected by the control unit, wherein; the control unit is configured to automatically control the notification unit to output the external notification of the tampering in response to the detection of the tampering; the notification unit includes a transceiver; the control unit is configured to cause the transceiver to transmit a notification signal containing data representative of the tampering notification and an identification of the utility network interface device wirelessly to a node in a network of which the utility network interface device is a member; and the node in the network is another utility network interface device with which the utility network interface device is authorized to communicate. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A utility network interface device comprising:
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a detector configured to produce a state signal upon occurrence of a prescribed state that interferes with the ability of a utility meter, with which the utility network interface device is associated, to at least one of measure consumption of a commodity and report consumption of the commodity; a control unit configured to detect a tampering with the utility meter in accordance with the state signal produced by the detector; and a notification unit configured to output, external to the utility meter, notification of the tampering detected by the control unit, wherein; the control unit is configured to automatically control the notification unit to output the external notification of the tampering in response to the detection of the tampering; the detector comprises a reed switch configured to detect an intensity of a magnetic field of a magnet in proximity to the utility meter with which the utility network interface device is associated; and the detector is configured to produce the state signal when detecting that the intensity of the magnetic field is below a threshold value. - View Dependent Claims (4)
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5. A utility network interface device comprising:
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a detector configured to produce a state signal upon occurrence of a prescribed state that interferes with the ability of a utility meter, with which the utility network interface device is associated, to at least one of measure consumption of a commodity and report consumption of the commodity; a control unit configured to detect a tampering with the utility meter in accordance with the state signal produced by the detector; and a notification unit configured to output, external to the utility meter, notification of the tampering detected by the control unit, wherein; the control unit is configured to automatically control the notification unit to output the external notification of the tampering in response to the detection of the tampering; the detector comprises a reed switch configured to detect a presence of a magnetic field having an intensity sufficient to interfere with the ability of the utility meter to at least one of measure consumption of the commodity and report consumption of the commodity; and the detector is configured to detect the presence of the magnetic field when detecting that the intensity of the magnetic field exceeds a threshold value, and produce the state signal in response to detecting the presence of the magnetic field. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. A utility network interface device comprising:
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a detector configured to produce a state signal upon occurrence of a prescribed state that interferes with the ability of a utility meter, with which the utility network interface device is associated, to at least one of measure consumption of a commodity and report consumption of the commodity; a control unit configured to detect a tampering with the utility meter in accordance with the state signal produced by the detector; and a notification unit configured to output, external to the utility meter, notification of the tampering detected by the control unit, wherein; the control unit is configured to automatically control the notification unit to output the external notification of the tampering in response to the detection of the tampering; the utility network interface device comprises at least one measurement counter configured to measure consumption of the commodity; the detector comprises a reed switch configured to detect a presence of a magnetic field having an intensity sufficient to interfere with the at least one measurement counter, by detecting whether the intensity of the magnetic field of exceeds a threshold value; and the detector is configured to transmit the state signal to the control unit in response to detecting that the intensity of the magnetic field is above the threshold value. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A utility network interface device comprising:
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a detector configured to produce a state signal upon occurrence of a prescribed state that interferes with the ability of a utility meter, with which the utility network interface device is associated, to at least one of measure consumption of a commodity and report consumption of the commodity; a control unit configured to detect a tampering with the utility meter in accordance with the state signal produced by the detector; a notification unit configured to output, external to the utility meter, notification of the tampering detected by the control unit; and a memory unit configured to record therein data respectively representing each instance of tampering detected by the control unit, wherein; the control unit is configured to automatically control the notification unit to output the external notification of the tampering in response to the detection of the tampering; and the control unit is configured to control the memory unit to record each instance of tampering together with a timestamp indicating when the tampering first occurred, and a duration of the tampering, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A utility network interface device comprising:
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a detector configured to produce a state signal upon occurrence of a prescribed state that interferes with the ability of a utility meter, with which the utility network interface device is associated, to at least one of measure consumption of a commodity and report consumption of the commodity; a control unit configured to detect a tampering with the utility meter in accordance with the state signal produced by the detector; and a notification unit configured to output, external to the utility meter, notification of the tampering detected by the control unit, wherein; the control unit is configured to automatically control the notification unit to output the external notification of the tampering in response to the detection of the tampering; the control unit is configured to detect a tampering with a software component of the utility meter with which the utility network interface device is associated; and the notification unit is configured to output, external to the utility meter, a visual indication constituting the notification of the tampering detected by the control unit. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A utility network interface device comprising:
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a detector configured to produce a detection signal upon each detection of consumption of a unit of a commodity in a utility meter with which the utility network interface device is associated; a control unit configured to detect a tampering with the utility meter when a number of detection signals produced by the detector over a predetermined period of time is below a threshold value; and a notification unit configured to output, external to the utility meter, notification of the tampering detected by the control unit, wherein; the control unit is configured to automatically control the notification unit to output the external notification of the tampering in response to the detection of the tampering; the notification unit includes a transceiver; the control unit is configured to cause the transceiver to transmit a notification signal containing data representative of the tampering notification and an identification of the utility network interface device wirelessly to a node in a network of which the utility network interface device is a member; and the node in the network is another utility network interface device with which the utility network interface device is authorized to communicate. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A utility network comprising a first utility network interface device and a second utility network interface device, wherein:
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the first utility network interface device comprises a first detector configured to produce a state signal upon occurrence of a prescribed state that interferes with the ability of a first utility meter, with which the first utility network interface device is associated, to at least one of measure consumption of a commodity and report consumption of the commodity; a first control unit configured to detect a tampering with the first utility meter in accordance with the state signal produced by the first detector, and a first notification unit configured to output, external to the first utility meter, notification of the tampering detected by the first control unit to the second utility network interface device; the first control unit is configured to automatically control the first notification unit to transmit the notification to the second utility network interface device in response to the detection of the tampering; the second utility network interface device comprises a second notification unit configured to receive the notification from the first notification unit, and a second control unit configured to automatically control the second notification unit to inform a communication station of a utility provider of the receipt of the notification, in response to receipt of the notification from the first notification unit. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A computer-readable recording medium having a computer program recorded thereon that causes a computer processing unit of a utility network interface device to perform operations comprising:
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producing a state signal upon occurrence of a prescribed state that interferes with the ability of a utility meter, with which the utility network interface device is associated, to at least one of measure consumption of a commodity and report consumption of the commodity; detecting a tampering with the utility meter in accordance with the state signal produced by the detector; and automatically outputting, external to the utility meter, notification of the detected tampering in response to the detection of the tampering, wherein; the utility network interface device comprises a memory unit having record therein tampering type data respectively representing different types of detectable tampering; the computer program causes the computer processing unit, in response to the detection of tampering, to perform operations comprising; determining which one of three modes of communication is to be utilized for transmitting the notification of the detected tampering, based on the detected tampering and the tampering type data recorded in the memory unit; generating a notification signal containing data representative of the tampering notification, an identification of the utility network interface device, and a destination address of at least one node in a utility network of which the utility network interface device is a member, according to one of the three modes of communication, in which in a first mode among the three modes, the destination address is a communication station of a utility provider, in a second mode among the three modes, the destination address is a specific neighboring node of the utility network, and in a third mode among the three nodes, the destination address is any node in the utility network; and automatically transmitting the generated notification signal to the destination address contained in the notification signal.
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43. A method of operating a utility network interface device, the method comprising:
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producing a state signal upon occurrence of a prescribed state that interferes with the ability of a utility meter, with which the utility network interface device is associated, to at least one of measure consumption of a commodity and report consumption of the commodity; detecting, in a computer processing unit of the utility network interface device, a tampering with the utility meter in accordance with the state signal produced by the detector; generating a notification of the detected tampering in the computer processing unit of the utility network interface device; and automatically outputting, external to the utility meter, the generated notification of the detected tampering in response to the detection of the tampering; accessing a memory unit having record therein tampering type data respectively representing different types of detectable tampering; determining which one of three modes of communication is to be utilized for transmitting the notification of the detected tampering, based on the detected tampering and the tampering type data recorded in the memory unit; generating a notification signal containing data representative of the tampering notification, an identification of the utility network interface device, and a destination address of at least one node in a utility network of which the utility network interface device is a member, according to one of the three modes of communication, in which in a first mode among the three modes, the destination address is a communication station of a utility provider, in a second mode among the three modes, the destination address is a specific neighboring node of the utility network, and in a third mode among the three nodes, the destination address is any node in the utility network; and automatically transmitting the generated notification signal to the destination address contained in the notification signal.
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Specification