MAPPING IN MOBILE DATA COLLECTION SYSTEMS, SUCH AS FOR UTILITY METER READING AND RELATED APPLICATIONS

• US 20080040025A1
• Filed: 10/15/2007
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charles Edwards, Jeffrey Blum, Renee Hoke, Steve Hoiness
• Original Assignee: Charles Edwards, Jeffrey Blum, Renee Hoke, Steve Hoiness
• Inventors: Edwards, Charles, Blum, Jeffrey, Hoiness, Steve, Hoke, Renee
• Granted Patent: US 7,729,852 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/006 Remote reading of utility meters to a non-fixed location, i.e. mobile location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/50 using a mobile data collecting device, e.g. walk by or drive by
• 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: 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

A mobile data collection system may perform or facilitate monitoring and management of mobile automatic meter reading (MAMR) activities via out of route meter read identification and graphical route playback. In identifying out of route endpoints, the mobile data collection system receives an indication of each of the endpoints included in a predetermined meter reading route. The mobile data collection system executes the route detecting endpoints and collecting location information relating to out of route endpoints that are not included in the predetermined route. Location information identifying the out of route endpoints is then presented to a user. In facilitating graphical route playback, the mobile data collection system collects information as it progresses through the route. The collected information may then be used in a graphical playback of the route, which shows the mobile data collection system dynamically traveling through the route (e.g., on a map) and reading endpoints.

Claims

1. At a mobile data collection system, a method for providing an indication of out of route endpoints encountered while progressing through an automatic meter reading route comprising a plurality of predetermined endpoints from which utility consumption data is gathered, the method comprising:

receiving meter reading route data providing an indication of each of the predetermined endpoints in the automatic meter reading route;

progressing through the automatic meter reading route and collecting information relating to each of the endpoints detected while progressing through the meter reading route, wherein the collected information includes information about the location of the detected endpoints;

for each endpoint for which information is collected, determining whether the endpoint is included in the automatic meter reading route, wherein the determining is based, at least in part, on the collected information and on the received meter reading route data; and

if the endpoint is not included in the automatic meter reading route, identifying the endpoint as an out of route endpoint and providing an indication of a location of the out of route endpoint.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the provided indication of the location of the out of route endpoint is a set of location coordinates.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the provided indication of the location of the out of route endpoint is a graphical indication displayed on a map.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising, providing the indication of the location of the out of route endpoint to a system at a utility provider associated with the out of route endpoint.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the indication of the out of route endpoint is displayed on a list of out of route endpoints.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing driving directions based on the indication of the location of the out of route endpoint.