System and method for surveying utility outages

• US 6,687,574 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2001
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures II LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Telcordia Technologies Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Pietrowicz, Stanley, Link, Frederick, Allport, Douglas, Rothrock, Hamilton
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRANK, ELLIOT L
• Application Number:
  US09/999,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20030083786A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 700/79, 700/80, 700/292, 700/293, 702/59
• US Class Current: 700/293
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00009 using pulsed signals
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00018 using phone lines
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/121 using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses

Abstract

Utility failures are automatically detected and potential causes for these failures are automatically located and identified without having to physically search a utility provider'"'"'s network. Detection systems capable of monitoring utility status are located at each, or a subset, of the customer premises serviced by a utility provider. A monitoring system, capable of correlating the geographical location of the detection systems with the geographical location of the equipment that comprises the utility provider'"'"'s network, is located at a utility provider and interconnects with the detection systems through a communications network. The monitoring system queries the detection systems to determine utility status and to subsequently locate an outage and deduce a possible cause for the outage. Detection systems can also be configured to automatically contact the monitoring system to report utility status. The monitoring system is also capable of sending customer based information messages to the detection systems.

Claims

1. A system for identifying an electrical service failure in an electrical distribution network that serves a plurality of customer premises, said system comprising:

an electrical detection subsystem at each of the plurality of customer premises, wherein said subsystem is located within a customer premise device that comprises a PSTN (public switched telephone network) interface and an electrical outlet interface for interfacing the electrical distribution network,

a monitoring system comprising;

means for initiating suppressed power ringing connections through a PSTN to the customer premise devices and for sending query messages through the connections to said electrical detection subsystems therein, and

a geographical database for correlating a geographical location of each of the customer premises with a geographical location of equipment within the electrical distribution network,

means, within said detection subsystem and responsive to a received query message, for monitoring the outlet interface in order to determine the presence or absence of electrical service at the premises and means for reporting the determined service over the PSTN to the monitoring system, and

means, within said monitoring system and responsive to the reported service and in combination with said geographical database, for identifying the electrical service failure in the distribution network.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the monitoring system further comprises means, in combination with said geographical database, for determining the location and cause of the electrical service failure.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein

the customer premise device further comprises means for conveying a message to a corresponding customer, and

wherein said monitoring system further comprises means for sending messages to the electrical detection subsystems and message conveying means.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the reporting means of the detection subsystem is means for transmitting DTMF signals over the PSTN wherein a first DTMF signal indicates the presence of electrical service and a second DTMF signal indicates the absence of electrical service.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the reporting means transmits the DTMF signals for 2 seconds.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the reporting means of the detection subsystem is means for controlling an off-hook duration wherein first and second off-hook durations indicate the presence and the absence of electrical service.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the first off-hook duration is 2 seconds and the second off-hook duration is 500 milliseconds.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the customer premise device is a caller identification box.

9. An electrical detection system for reporting the presence or absence of electrical service at a customer premise serviced by an electrical distribution network, the reported service intended to be used by a monitoring system comprising a geographical database for correlating geographical locations of customer premises with geographical locations of equipment within the electrical distribution network and further comprising means responsive to the reported service and in combination with the geographical database, for identifying an electrical service failure in the distribution network, said electrical detection system comprising:

a PSTN interface,

an electrical outlet interface intended for interfacing the electrical distribution network at the customer premise,

means for monitoring the outlet interface in order to determine the presence or absence of electrical service at the customer premise, and

means for reporting the determined electrical service to the monitoring system via a PSTN suppressed power ringing connection intended to be established by the monitoring system.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the reporting means is means for transmitting DTMF signals over the PSTN wherein a first DTMF signal indicates the presence of electrical service and a second DTMF signal indicates the absence of electrical service.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the reporting means transmits the DTMF signals for 2 seconds.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the reporting means is means for controlling an off-hook duration wherein first and second off-hook durations indicate the presence and the absence of electrical service.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the first off-hook duration is 2 seconds and the second off-hook duration is 500 milliseconds.

14. A method for identifying an electrical service failure in an electrical distribution network that serves a plurality of customer premises, said method comprising:

initiating suppressed power ringing connections from a monitoring system through a PSTN to a plurality of electrical detection subsystems at customer premises, wherein the electrical detection subsystems comprise an electrical outlet interface for interfacing the electrical distribution network,

sending query messages from the monitoring system through the connections to the electrical detection subsystems,

monitoring at the electrical detection subsystems, in response to a received query message, the outlet interface in order to determine the presence or absence of electrical service at the premises,

reporting the determined service from the electrical detection subsystems over the PSTN to the monitoring system, and

identifying at the monitoring system, in response to the reported service and in combination with the geographical database, the electrical service failure in the distribution network.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the reporting step comprises each electrical subsystem transmitting a DTMF signal over the PSTN wherein a first DTMF signal indicates the presence of electrical service and a second DTMF signal indicates the absence of electrical service.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein each electrical subsystem transmits the DTMF signal for 2 seconds.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the reporting step comprises each electrical subsystem controlling an off-hook duration wherein first and second off-hook durations indicate the presence and the absence of electrical service.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein each electrical subsystem controls the first off-hook duration for 2 seconds and the second off-hook duration for 500 milliseconds.