Forensic analysis of resource consumption data

• US 9,794,655 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2016
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron, Inc., Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Inventors: Cornwall, Mark K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barakat, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US15/246,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20160366494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 419 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/01 for controlling, signalling, or supervising the conveyance of a product
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 5/02 Preventing, monitoring, or locating loss
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/22 Arrangements for detecting or reporting faults, outages or leaks
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/00 Water conservation; Efficient water supply; Efficient water use
• 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

Following an explosion, fire, flood, water damage, or other event, consumption data of utility resources such as gas and water may be used to determine a cause of the event. For example, an interrogation may be used to read data logging data from a data collection device. The data logging data may include a record of consumption data for a resource spanning a time of an event. The data logging data may be analyzed to determine whether a utility providing the resource was responsible for the event.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting, by a computing device and at least partly over a wireless connection, a command to a radio frequency (RF) receiver/transmitter that is coupled to or integral with a utility meter, the command requesting data logging data for the utility meter, the RF receiver/transmitter having a temperature resistant and/or water proof housing to resist at least one of explosions, fires, or water damage;

receiving, by the computing device and at least partly over the wireless connection, the data logging data from the RF receiver/transmitter that is coupled to or integral with the utility meter, the data logging data comprising a record of consumption data for a resource over time, the data logging data including data spanning a time of an event at a premises of the utility meter, the event comprising at least one of an explosion, a fire, a flood, or water damage, the resource comprising at least one of gas, electricity, or water;

analyzing the data logging data by comparing resource consumption values during a first period of normal usage to resource consumption values during a second period of abnormal usage leading up to the event, the normal usage being based on at least one of a pattern of usage of the resource at the premises, a history of usage of the resource at the premises, a usage of the resource for a customer, or a predetermined pattern of usage of the resource, the abnormal usage being based on at least one of a predetermined amount, a predetermined pattern of usage of the resource, or a historical level of usage of the resource; and

determining, by the computing device and based at least in part on the analysis of the data logging data, whether a utility providing the resource was responsible for the event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the RF receiver/transmitter comprises an encoder/receiver/transmitter (ERT) configured to be coupled to, or integral with, the utility meter.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the data logging data in memory of the computing device; and

retrieving the data logging data from the memory of the computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the utility providing the resource was responsible for the event comprises determining, based at least in part on the analysis of the data logging data, whether the resource consumption during the second period leading up to the event is more than a threshold.

5. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method of claim 1.

6. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and storing executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

sending, at least partly over a wireless connection, a command to a radio frequency (RF) receiver/transmitter that is coupled to or integral with a utility meter, the command requesting data logging data for the utility meter;

receiving, at least partly over the wireless connection, the data logging data from the RF receiver/transmitter, the data logging data comprising a record of consumption data for a resource over time, the data logging data including data spanning a time of an event at a premises of the utility meter, the event comprising at least one of an explosion, a fire, a flood, or water damage;

analyzing the data logging data by comparing resource consumption values during a first period of normal usage to resource consumption values during a second period of abnormal usage leading up to the event; and

determining, based at least in part on the analysis of the data logging data, whether a utility providing the resource was responsible for the event.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the resource comprises gas and the event comprises an explosion or fire.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the resource comprises water and the event comprises a flood or water damage.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the system comprises at least one of a portable meter reading device or a vehicle-mounted computing device.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise presenting information to a user regarding the determination as to whether the utility providing the resource was responsible for the event.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein determining whether the utility providing the resource was responsible for the event comprises determining, based at least in part on the analysis of the data logging data, whether resource consumption during the second period leading up to the event is more than a threshold.

12. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

the RF receiver/transmitter having a temperature resistant and/or water proof housing to resist at least one of explosions, fires, floods, or water damage.

13. A data collection device coupled to or integral with a utility meter, the data collection device comprising:

one or more processors;

memory communicatively coupled to the one or more processors;

a temperature resistant and/or water proof housing that houses the memory and the one or more processors, the temperature resistant and/or water proof housing being configured to resist at least one of explosions, fires, or water damage;

a data logging module stored in the memory and executable by the one or more processors to log data logging data of a resource over time, the data logging data including data spanning a time of an event at a premises of the utility meter, the event comprising at least one of an explosion, a fire, a flood, or water damage, the resource comprising at least one of gas, electricity, or water;

a communication component configured to;

wirelessly receive, from a computing device, a command requesting the data logging data; and

in response to receiving the command from the computing device, wirelessly provide the data logging data to the computing device to determine whether a utility providing the resource was responsible for the event at the premises.

14. The data collection device of claim 13, wherein the data collection device comprises an encoder/transmitter/receiver (ERT) configured to be coupled to, or integral with, the utility meter.

15. The data collection device of claim 13, wherein the data collection device comprises a gas consumption data collection device or a water consumption data collection device.

16. The data collection device of claim 13, wherein the data logging data includes data for a predetermined number of days.

17. The data collection device of claim 13, wherein the data logging data includes data for a first period of normal resource consumption and data for a second period of abnormal resource consumption leading up to the event.

18. The data collection device of claim 13, wherein the communication component is configured to wirelessly receive the command from the computing device by wirelessly receiving the command from a portable meter reading device.