Virtual cluster meter (VCM)
First Claim
1. A network communication device comprising:
- a processing unit;
memory;
a first virtual meter and a second virtual meter stored in the memory and running on the processing unit, wherein the first and second virtual meters are configured to receive digitalized metrology data from first and second remote metrology sensors associated with first and second points of service, respectively, and wherein each point of service is remote from the network communication device; and
a communication interface to route the digitalized metrology data from the first and second remote metrology sensors to the first and second virtual meters, respectively, wherein each of the first and second virtual meters comprises;
a dedicated memory space that is unavailable to other virtual meters; and
a plurality of applications operable within the dedicated memory space, wherein each application is prevented from utilizing the dedicated memory spaces of the other virtual meters, and wherein at least one of the plurality of applications is approved by a governing body and has code that is locked and at least one of the plurality of applications is provided by a third party and has code that is unlocked.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A distributed metering platform virtualizes functions of a conventional metrology sensor and separates the virtualized functions from a metrology sensor. One or more virtual meters or applications may be instantiated at a network communication device that is remote from the metrology sensor and processes metrology data received from the metrology sensor. Each virtual meter may include multiple partitioned application spaces that are isolated from one another. In one example, a first application space includes a locked version of code and a second application space includes an unlocked version of code. Furthermore, each virtual meter may be isolated from other virtual meters such that each virtual meter is unable to affect operations and/or data associated with other virtual meters.
28 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A network communication device comprising:
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a processing unit; memory; a first virtual meter and a second virtual meter stored in the memory and running on the processing unit, wherein the first and second virtual meters are configured to receive digitalized metrology data from first and second remote metrology sensors associated with first and second points of service, respectively, and wherein each point of service is remote from the network communication device; and a communication interface to route the digitalized metrology data from the first and second remote metrology sensors to the first and second virtual meters, respectively, wherein each of the first and second virtual meters comprises; a dedicated memory space that is unavailable to other virtual meters; and a plurality of applications operable within the dedicated memory space, wherein each application is prevented from utilizing the dedicated memory spaces of the other virtual meters, and wherein at least one of the plurality of applications is approved by a governing body and has code that is locked and at least one of the plurality of applications is provided by a third party and has code that is unlocked. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system comprising:
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a first metering element to collect utility consumption data from a first point of service; a second metering element to collect utility consumption data from a second point of service; and first and second virtual meters within a network communication device that is remote from each of the first and second metering elements, each of the first and second virtual meters comprising; a dedicated memory space in each of the first virtual meter and the second virtual meter that is unavailable to the other of the second virtual meter and the first virtual meter, respectively, wherein digitized metrology data is received by each of the first virtual meter and the second virtual meter through a communications network, wherein the digitized metrology data is associated with the first point of service and the second point of service, and wherein the first point of service and the second point of service are associated with the first virtual meter and the second virtual meter, respectively; and a plurality of applications operable within each respective one of the dedicated memory spaces, wherein at least one of the plurality of applications is a metering application that is a locked application approved by a governing body and has code that is locked, and at least one of the plurality of applications is an unlocked application provided by a third party and has code that is unlocked. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A device comprising:
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a processing unit; and memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by the processing unit, cause the processing unit to perform acts comprising; instantiating a plurality of virtual meters within the memory, each virtual meter associated with a respective one of a plurality of metrology sensors that is remote from the device; receiving digitized metrology data through a communications network, wherein the digitized metrology data is from each of the plurality of metrology sensors that are each associated with a respective point of service, and wherein each of the respective points of service is associated with a different virtual meter; executing a plurality of applications within each virtual meter, wherein at least one of the plurality of applications is approved by a governing body and has code that is locked and at least one of the plurality of applications is provided by a third party and has code that is unlocked; and processing the digitized metrology data of each of the plurality of metrology sensors, by the plurality of applications within each respective virtual meter of the plurality of virtual meters, wherein the processing comprises operation of metering or data analysis applications within a memory of each virtual meter. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification