Utility meter emulation mode system and method

• US 9,733,104 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2013
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aclara Meters LLC (Hubbell, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Aclara Meters LLC (Hubbell, Inc.)
• Inventors: Crittenden, Curtis Whitmore, Lavoie, Gregory Paul, Lafond, Guy P., Subirana, Jason I., Rouaud, Didier Gilbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Benlagsir, Amine
• Application Number:
  US14/139,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20150177021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,331 Days
• Field of Search: 34087001, 34087002
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• 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

One embodiment describes a utility metering system that includes metering infrastructure that facilitates data communication within the utility metering system in accordance with an expected metering platform, and a utility meter communicatively coupled to the metering infrastructure. The utility meter operates in a native mode when a native metering platform is compatible with the expected metering platform, in which the utility meter operates in a first manner in accordance with the native metering platform. The utility meter operates in an emulation mode when the native metering platform is not compatible with the expected metering platform and an emulation metering platform is compatible with the expected metering platform, in which the utility meter operates in a second manner in accordance with the emulation metering.

Claims

1. A utility metering system for coupling to a metered component at a metered location for collecting utility data from the metered component related to a provided utility service and for coupling to a metering infrastructure monitoring, collecting and transferring utility information within the utility metering system from a plurality of coupled utility metering systems in accordance with an expected metering functionality platform, the utility metering system comprising:

a utility meter having a processor, a memory, computer executable instructions, a first communication interface for communicatively coupling over a communication network to the metering infrastructure, a second communication interface for communicatively coupling to the metered component, and a user interface for displaying user data and receiving user instructions, wherein the computer executable instructions are configured to configure the utility meter to;

receive over the second communication interface the metered component of the utility data from the coupled metered component;

store the received metered component of the utility data in the memory;

store a native metering functionality platform for communicating over the first communication interface with the metering infrastructure;

identify the expected metering functionality platform;

compare the identified expected metering functionality platform with the stored native metering functionality platform;

operate the first communication interface and the communicatively coupling with the metering infrastructure in a native mode when the native metering functionality platform is compared to be the same as or compatible with the expected metering functionality platform, wherein the utility meter is configured to operate in a first operational manner in accordance with the native metering functionality platform, the first operational manner having first operational functions including a first protocol of the first communication interface, a first meter operating program, a first type of the utility data received and stored, a first operation of the user interface of the utility meter including the first type of the utility data displayed on the user interface; and

operate in an emulation mode when the native metering functionality platform is not the same or is not compatible with the expected metering functionality platform, wherein the utility meter is configured to operate in a second operational manner in accordance with an emulation metering functionality platform in conjunction with the emulation mode that is compatible with the expected metering functionality platform, the second operational manner includes having second operational functions including a second protocol of the first communication interface, a second first meter operating program, a second type of the utility data received and stored, a second operation of the user interface of the utility meter including the second type of the utility data displayed on the user interface,

wherein two or more of the second operational functions of the second operational manner are different than the first operational functions of the first operational manner of the native metering functionality platform.

2. The utility metering system of claim 1, wherein the utility meter is configured to emulate functionality and the first communication interface, or both of the expected metering functionality platform when the utility meter operates in the emulation mode.

3. The utility metering system of claim 1, wherein the expected metering functionality platform of the metering infrastructure comprises a billing system, an advanced metering infrastructure, a meter program, or any combination thereof, and wherein the native mode and the native metering functionality platform configure the first operational manner of the utility meter to transfer utility information in compliance with the expected metering functionality platform.

4. The utility metering system of claim 1, wherein said identifying the expected metering functionality platform includes determining the expected metering functionality platform based on an indication sent from the metering infrastructure via the communication network.

5. The utility metering system of claim 1, wherein the utility meter is configured to communicate data to the metering infrastructure via native data tables when the utility meter operates in the native mode, and to communicate data to the metering infrastructure via emulated data tables when the utility meter is in the emulation mode.

6. The utility metering system of claim 1, wherein the utility meter is configured to emulate a display, and a user input interface of the expected metering protocol when the utility meter is in the emulation mode.

7. The utility metering system of claim 1, wherein the native metering functionality platform is stored in the utility meter as the expected metering functionality platform during manufacture of the utility meter.

8. The utility metering system of claim 1 wherein the second communication interface is configured for coupling to the metered component at the metered location and collecting metered utility data from the metered component related to the provided utility service selected from the group consisting of a sensor, a voltage collector, a current collector, a frequency collector, a filter, and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC).

9. The utility metering system of claim 1 wherein the utility meter receives, collects, and stores metered utility data from the metered component independent of the stored native metering functionality platform.

10. The utility metering system of claim 1 wherein the native metering functionality platform and the emulation metering functionality platform are further configured such that the second communication interface collect metered component data in compliance therewith, and the native metering functionality platform and the emulation metering functionality platform being different.

11. The utility metering system of claim 1 wherein the native metering functionality platform and the emulation metering functionality platform are further configured to enable a different user interface compatible therewith such that the displayed user data and received user instructions are compliant with the appropriate native and emulation metering functionality platforms.

12. The utility metering system of claim 1 wherein the identifying the expected metering functionality platform includes transmitting a request over the first communication interface and receiving a response specifying the expected metering functionality platform.

13. The utility metering system of claim 1 wherein the identifying the expected metering functionality platform includes receiving a user instruction via the user interface specifying the expected metering functionality platform.

14. The utility metering system of claim 1 wherein the utility meter further includes a third interface configured for communicating with a metered location system or program including one or more of collected utility data, utility information, meter diagnostics, display of time of use (TOU) schedules/calendar, viewing of alerts, and usage data.

15. The utility metering system of claim 1 wherein the utility meter further is configured for storing the emulation metering functionality platform that is compatible with the expected metering functionality platform, and wherein the identifying the expected metering functionality platform identifies the expected metering functionality platform to be compatible with the stored emulation metering functionality platform.

16. The utility metering system of claim 1 wherein the utility meter identified the expected metering functionality platform and the comparing of the identified the expected metering functionality indicates that the native metering functionality platform is different or not compatible with the expected metering functionality platform, and wherein the utility meter determines that it does not have a metering functionality platform that is stored in its memory that is compatible with the expected metering functionality platform, the utility meter initiates a download over at least one of the first and the second communication interfaces to receive, store and operate the emulation metering functionality platform that is compatible with the expected metering functionality platform.

17. A utility meter for installation at a metered location for collecting utility data from a metered component at said metered location, the utility meter being incorporated in a utility metering system coupled to metering infrastructure that monitors, collects, and transfers utility information within the utility metering system in accordance with an expected metering functionality platform, the utility meter comprising:

a processor, a memory, computer executable instructions, a first communication interface for communicatively coupling over a communication network to the metering infrastructure, a second communication interface for communicatively coupling to the metered component, and a user interface for displaying user data and receiving user instructions, wherein the computer executable instructions are configured to configure the utility meter to;

receive over the second communication interface the metered component of the utility data from the metered component;

store the received metered component of the utility data in the memory;

store a native metering functionality platform for communicating over the first communication interface with the metering infrastructure;

identify the expected metering functionality platform;

compare the identified expected metering functionality platform with the stored native metering functionality platform;

operate the first communication interface and the communicatively coupling with the metering infrastructure in a native mode when the native metering functionality platform is compared to be the same as or compatible with the expected metering functionality platform, wherein the utility meter is configured to operate in a first operational manner in accordance with the native metering functionality platform, the first operational manner having first operational functions including a first protocol of the first communication interface, a first meter operating program, a first type of the utility data received and stored, a first operation of the user interface of the utility meter including the first type of the utility data displayed on the user interface; and

operate in an emulation mode when the native metering functionality platform is not the same or is not compatible with the expected metering functionality platform, wherein the utility meter is configured to operate in a second operational manner in accordance with an emulation metering functionality platform in conjunction with the emulation mode that is compatible with the expected metering functionality platform, the second operational manner includes having second operational functions including a second protocol of the first communication interface, a second meter operating program, a second type of the utility data received and stored, a second operation of the user interface of the utility meter including a second type of the utility data displayed on the user interface, wherein two or more of the second operational functions are different than the first operational functions of the first operational manner of the native metering functionality platform.

18. The utility meter of claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to receive a first emulation metering functionality platform via the first communication interface and to store the first emulation metering functionality platform in the memory.

19. The utility meter of claim 17, comprising meter inputs and filtering components, wherein the meter inputs and filtering components are configured to collect data collected in a first non-native metering functionality platform when the processor implements a first emulation metering functionality platform.

20. The utility meter of claim 19, comprising a display, wherein the display is configured to emulate a non-native display utilized in the first non-native metering functionality platform when the processor implements the first emulation metering functionality platform.

21. A non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions executable by a processor of a utility meter also including, a memory, computer executable instructions, wherein the computer executable instructions are configured to configure the utility meter to:

receive user instructions, wherein the utility meter also including a first communication interface for communicatively coupling to a metering infrastructure, a second communication interface for communicatively coupling to a metered component at a metered location, and a user interface for displaying user data;

determine via the processor an expected metering functionality platform of the metering infrastructure coupled to the utility meter, wherein the metering infrastructure facilitates information transfer with the utility meter in accordance with the determined expected metering functionality platform;

determine via the processor whether a stored native metering functionality platform implemented in the utility meter is compatible with the determined expected metering functionality platform, the native metering functionality platform relating to operation of the utility meter in a first operational manner with the native metering functionality platform communicating over the first communication interface with the metering infrastructure, the first operational manner having first operational functions including a first protocol of the first communication interface, a first meter operating program, a first type of the utility data received and stored, a first operation of the user interface of the utility meter including a first type of the utility data displayed on the user interface;

enter an emulation mode at the utility meter when the native metering functionality platform is not found to be not the same or is not compatible with the expected metering functionality platform after comparing the expected metering functionality platform with the stored native metering functionality platform; and

implement one or more emulation metering functionality platforms at the utility meter to emulate functionality, interface, or both of the expected metering functionality platform when the utility meter is in the emulation mode, wherein the one or more emulation metering functionality platforms relates to the operation of the utility meter in a second operational manner, the second operational manner includes having second operational functions including a second protocol of the first communication interface, a second meter operating program, a second type of the utility data received and stored, a second operation of the user interface of the utility meter including the second type of the utility data displayed on the user interface,

wherein two or more of the second operational functions of the second operational manner are different than the first operational functions of the first operational manner of the native metering functionality platform.

22. The medium of claim 21, wherein the computer executable instruction said to determine whether the native metering functionality platform implemented in the utility meter is compatible with the expected metering functionality platform further comprises first instructions to:

determine whether the native metering functionality platform is the same as the expected metering functionality platform; and

determine whether the native metering functionality platform is cross-compatible with the expected metering functionality platform.

23. The medium of claim 21, further comprising instructions to emulate a communication protocol, a user input interface, a display or any combination thereof utilized in the expected metering functionality platform when the utility meter implements the one or more emulation metering functionality platforms.

24. The medium of claim 21, further comprising instructions to communicate data from the utility meter to the metering infrastructure via an emulated data table, wherein the emulated data table is substantially the same as a data table generated by the expected metering functionality platform.