Service request orchestrator with smart meters

• US 9,251,486 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2013
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Walsh, Richard E, Siska, David P
• Primary Examiner(s): DIXON, THOMAS A
• Application Number:
  US13/856,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20140095245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis

Abstract

A system for orchestrating the process of fulfilling service requests for utility services receives a first service request for utility services. The first service request references a first service point. The system evaluates conditions at the first service point. The system issues an electronic command message to fulfill the first service request based on the evaluation of conditions at the first service point. The system receives a second service request for utility services. The second service request references a second service point. The system evaluates conditions at the second service point. The system initiates a field activity to fulfill the second service request based on the evaluation of conditions at the second service point. The receiving the first service request, the evaluating conditions at the first service point, the issuing the electronic command message, the receiving the second service request, the evaluating conditions at the second service point, and the initiating the field activity are performed by a centralized orchestration engine.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to orchestrate the process of fulfilling service requests for utility services, the orchestrating comprising:

receiving a first service request for utility services, wherein the first service request references a first service point, the first service request being a request to enable or disable a utility at the first service point;

evaluating conditions at the first service point;

automatically issuing an electronic command message to fulfill the first service request based on the evaluation of conditions at the first service point, the electronic command message causing an electric meter installed at the first service point to enable or disable the utility in accordance with the first service request;

receiving a second service request for utility services, wherein the second service request references a second service point, the second service request being a request to enable or disable a utility at the second service point;

evaluating conditions at the second service point; and

automatically initiating a field activity to fulfill the second service request by sending an assignment of the field activity to a field work crew via a mobile workforce management system based on the evaluation of conditions at the second service point,

wherein the receiving the first service request, the evaluating conditions at the first service point, the automatically issuing the electronic command message, the receiving the second service request, the evaluating conditions at the second service point, and the automatically initiating the field activity are performed by a centralized orchestration engine,

wherein the automatically issuing the electronic command message and the automatically initiating the field activity are in accord with predetermined rules that define how to fulfill the requested service in view of the evaluated conditions,

wherein the evaluating conditions at the first service point comprises evaluating whether an electric meter is installed at the first service point and a type of the installed electric meter, and the electronic command message is issued upon determining that the installed electric meter is a smart meter, and

wherein the evaluating conditions at the second service point comprises evaluating whether an electric meter is installed at the second service point and a type of the installed electric meter, and the field activity is initiated upon determining that no electric meter is installed or that the installed electric meter is a non-smart meter.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, the orchestrating further comprising:

receiving a third service request for utility services, wherein the third service request references a third service point, the third service request being a request to enable or disable a utility at the third service point, a first portion of the third service request is to be fulfilled by issuance of an electronic command message, and a second portion of the third service request is to be fulfilled by initiation of a field activity;

evaluating conditions at the third service point;

automatically issuing another electronic command message to fulfill the first portion of the third service request; and

automatically initiating another field activity to fulfill the second portion of the third service request by sending an assignment of the another field activity via the mobile workforce management system,

wherein the receiving the third service request, the evaluating conditions at the third service point, the automatically issuing another electronic command message, and the automatically initiating another field activity are performed by the centralized orchestration engine, and

wherein the automatically issuing the another electronic command message and the automatically initiating the another field activity are in accord with predetermined rules that define how to fulfill the requested service in view of the evaluated conditions at the third service point.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, the orchestrating further comprising providing a consolidated view on a single display of both the first service request and the second service request.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, the orchestrating further comprising sending an indication to a requesting system that the first service request has been fulfilled.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second service requests are received from one or more systems external to the centralized orchestration engine, the one or more systems comprising at least one of a meter data management system, a customer care and billing system, an operation device management system, and a customer self-service system.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the orchestrating further comprises combining multiple service requests from different ones of the systems external to the centralized orchestration engine.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the conditions at the first and second service points include at least one of:

a type of service requested;

whether the respective service point is connected to a source of power;

whether an electric meter is installed at the respective service point and characteristics of the electric meter;

a state of any device installed is installed at the respective service point;

characteristics of a head-end that manages any device at the respective service point;

or proximity of a scheduled read date of an installed electric meter to a requested utility service start date.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the automatically initiating a field activity comprises providing supplemental information along with the assignment of the field activity to the field work crew, the supplemental information depending upon a type of the field activity.

5. A method for orchestrating the process of fulfilling service requests for utility services, the method comprising:

receiving a first service request for utility services, wherein the first service request references a first service point, the first service request being a request to enable or disable a utility at the first service point;

evaluating conditions at the first service point;

automatically issuing an electronic command message to fulfill the first service request based on the evaluation of conditions at the first service point, the electronic command message causing an electric meter installed at the first service point to enable or disable the utility in accordance with the first service request;

receiving a second service request for utility services, wherein the second service request references a second service point, the second service request being a request to enable or disable a utility at the second service point;

evaluating conditions at the second service point; and

automatically initiating a field activity to fulfill the second service request by sending an assignment of the field activity to a field work crew via a mobile workforce management system based on the evaluation of conditions at the second service point,

wherein the receiving the first service request, the evaluating conditions at the first service point, the automatically issuing the electronic command message, the receiving the second service request, the evaluating conditions at the second service point, and the automatically initiating the field activity are performed by a centralized orchestration engine,

wherein the automatically issuing the electronic command message and the automatically initiating the field activity are in accord with predetermined rules that define how to fulfill the requested service in view of the evaluated conditions,

wherein the evaluating conditions at the first service point comprises evaluating whether an electric meter is installed at the first service point and a type of the installed electric meter, and the electronic command message is issued upon determining that the installed electric meter is a smart meter, and

wherein the evaluating conditions at the second service point comprises evaluating whether an electric meter is installed at the second service point and a type of the installed electric meter, and the field activity is initiated upon determining that no electric meter is installed or that the installed electric meter is a non-smart meter.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a third service request for utility services, wherein the third service request references a third service point, the third service request being a request to enable or disable a utility at the third service point, a first portion of the third service request is to be fulfilled by issuance of an electronic command message, and a second portion of the third service request is to be fulfilled by initiation of a field activity;

evaluating conditions at the third service point;

automatically issuing another electronic command message to fulfill the first portion of the third service request; and

automatically initiating another field activity to fulfill the second portion of the third service request by sending an assignment of the another field activity via the mobile workforce management system,

wherein the receiving the third service request, the evaluating conditions at the third service point, the automatically issuing another electronic command message, and the automatically initiating another field activity are performed by the centralized orchestration engine, and

wherein the automatically issuing the another electronic command message and the automatically initiating the another field activity are in accord with predetermined rules that define how to fulfill the requested service in view of the evaluated conditions at the third service point.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing a consolidated view on a single display of both the first service request and the second service request.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising sending an indication to a requesting system that the first service request has been fulfilled.

9. A system for orchestrating the process of fulfilling service requests for utility services, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

a first receiving module that receives a first service request for utility services, wherein the first service request references a first service point, the first service request being a request to enable or disable a utility at the first service point;

a first evaluating module that evaluates conditions at the first service point;

an issuing module that automatically issues an electronic command message to fulfill the first service request based on the evaluation of conditions at the first service point, the electronic command message causing an electric meter installed at the first service point to enable or disable the utility in accordance with the first service request;

a second receiving module that receives a second service request for utility services, wherein the second service request references a second service point, the second service request being a request to enable or disable a utility at the second service point;

a second evaluating module that evaluates conditions at the second service point; and

a first initiating module that automatically initiates a field activity to fulfill the second service request by sending an assignment of the field activity to a field work crew via a mobile workforce management system based on the evaluation of conditions at the second service point,

wherein the first receiving module, the first evaluating module, the issuing module, the second receiving module, the second evaluating module, and the first initiating module are part of a centralized orchestration engine,

wherein the automatically issuing the electronic command message and the automatically initiating the field activity are in accord with predetermined rules that define how to fulfill the requested service in view of the evaluated conditions,

wherein the evaluating conditions at the first service point comprises evaluating whether an electric meter is installed at the first service point and a type of the installed electric meter, and the electronic command message is issued upon determining that the installed electric meter is a smart meter, and

wherein the evaluating conditions at the second service point comprises evaluating whether an electric meter is installed at the second service point and a type of the installed electric meter, and the field activity is initiated upon determining that no electric meter is installed or that the installed electric meter is a non-smart meter.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a third receiving module that receives a third service request for utility services, wherein the third service request references a third service point, the third service request being a request to enable or disable a utility at the third service point, a first portion of the third service request is to be fulfilled by issuance of an electronic command message, and a second portion of the third service request is to be fulfilled by initiation of a field activity;

a third evaluating module that evaluates conditions at the third service point;

a second issuing module that automatically issues another electronic command message to fulfill the first portion of the third service request; and

a second initiating module that automatically initiates another field activity to fulfill the second portion of the third service request by sending an assignment of the another field activity via the mobile workforce management system,

wherein the third receiving module, the third evaluating module, the second issuing module, and the second initiating module are also part of the centralized orchestration engine.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising a providing module that provides a consolidated view on a single display of both the first service request and the second service request.

12. The system of claim 9, further comprising a sending module that sends an indication to a requesting system that the first service request has been fulfilled.