IN-HOME DISPLAY

• US 20100188257A1
• Filed: 01/29/2009
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Inventors: Johnson, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US12/362,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20100188257A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.20
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/18 Remote displaying of utility meter readings
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• 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

Generally described, the disclosed subject matter is directed to providing enhanced features regarding the consumption of utility services. In accordance with one embodiment, a method is provided for obtaining a specified time interval of consumption data using the two-way communication ability of a utility meter. Specifically, the method includes capturing network traffic originating from the utility meter that contains consumption data. Then, processing is performed to identify any intervals of consumption data that were not successfully collected. If an interval of consumption data was not successfully collected when transmitted at a scheduled time, the method generates and sends a request to the utility meter to obtain the omitted interval.

Claims

1. A method executed by a processor for obtaining a specified time interval of consumption data from a utility meter, the method comprising:

collecting network traffic originating from the utility meter that contains consumption data;

identifying an omitted interval of consumption data that was not collected when transmitted from the utility meter at a scheduled time;

generating and sending a command to the utility meter requesting the omitted interval of consumption data; and

receiving the requested interval of consumption data in response to the command.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising providing the consumer with real-time access to each interval of consumption data collected.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising providing controls that allow a user to navigate between intervals in which consumption data was collected.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein generating and sending a command to the utility meter requesting the omitted interval of consumption data includes extending metering protocols so that a remote device may participate in two-way communications with a utility meter to request a specified interval of consumption data.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein identifying an omitted interval of consumption data that was not collected when transmitted at a scheduled time includes decoding a sequence of packets that adhere to metering protocols and identifying any packets in the sequence that are not stored in the memory of an in-home display.

6. A metering system for transmitting a message from a utility service provider to an in-home display, comprising;

a host server configured to create and instigate transmission of a message over a wide area network;

a collection device configured to receive the message from the host server in a first format utilized to transmit the message over a wide area network, and cause the message to be transmitted to an in-home display in one or more encoded packets that utilize metering protocols; and

an in-home display configured to receive and decode one or more packets that adhere to metering protocols, identify the one or more packets that contain the message received from the collection device, and implement processing to cause the message to be displayed on a user interface.

7. The metering system as recited in claim 6, wherein the collection device is configured to convert the message into a second format suitable for transmission over a radio-based wireless network prior to causing the transmission of the message to the in-home display.

8. The metering system as recited in claim 7, wherein the collection device is a radio data system configured to receive the message from the utility service provider over the wide area network and route the message directly to the in-home display.

9. The metering system as recited in claim 6, wherein the collection device is a computing device configured to receive the message from the host server over the wide area network and route the message directly to the in-home display utilizing wired or wireless protocols.

10. The metering system as recited in claim 6, further comprising a utility meter configured to receive the message transmitted from the collection device and forward the message to the in-home display.

11. The metering system as recited in claim 6, wherein the collection device is configured to transmit the message directly to the in-home display without routing the message through an intervening device.

12. The metering system as recited in claim 6, wherein the in-home display includes one or more pre-programmed messages and wherein to cause the message to be displayed includes identifying an appropriate pre-programmed message based on an identifier obtained in a received packet.

13. The metering system as recited in claim 6, wherein the in-home display is configured to transmit data to the collection device either directly or through an intervening device.

14. An in-home display for obtaining consumption data from a remote device, comprising:

a processor;

a radio-based communication system for communicating data between the in-home display and the remote device;

a computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the in-home display to;

collect one or more transmissions of data from the remote device that quantifies the consumption of a utility service;

determine whether consumption data for each time interval within a consumption profile period was collected; and

if consumption data for a time interval within the consumption profile period was not collected, utilize metering protocols to query and obtain the omitted time interval from the remote device.

15. The in-home display as recited in claim 14, wherein the computer-readable media further includes instructions that cause the in-home display to present a consumption profile on a user interface that quantifies the consumption of a utility service.

16. The in-home display as recited in claim 14, further including an I/O interface for communicating consumption data with a communicatively connected general purpose computing device.

17. The in-home display as recited in claim 14, wherein to collect one or more transmissions of consumption data includes intercepting and decoding packets transmitted wirelessly from a utility meter.

18. The in-home display as recited in claim 14, wherein to determine whether consumption data for each time interval was collected includes identifying packets in a sequence that are not stored on the computer-readable media.

19. The in-home display as recited in claim 14, wherein the computer-readable media further includes computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the in-home display to:

collect one or more transmissions of data from a remote device that forwards messages to the in-home display utilizing metering protocols, and

identify one or more packets in a received transmission that contains a message and perform processing to cause the message to be displayed on a user interface.

20. The in-home display as recited in claim 19, wherein the in-home display includes one or more pre-programmed messages and wherein the processing to cause the message to be displayed on a user interface includes performing a lookup to identify the appropriate pre-programmed message based on an identifier obtained in a received packet.