| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080204953 | System and method for detecting the presence of an unsafe line condition in a disconnected power meter - A method of detecting the presence of an unsafe line condition at a power metering device is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of determining if a disconnect switch is in the open position, and measuring a first voltage at a first load contact. The method measures a second voltage at a second load contact and determines if the first voltage is greater than a first voltage threshold or less than a second voltage threshold. The method further determines if the second voltage is greater than the first voltage threshold or less than the second voltage threshold. The method indicates that an unsafe condition exists if either the first voltage is greater than the first voltage threshold, or first voltage is less than the second voltage threshold or the second voltage is greater than the first voltage threshold or the second voltage is less than the second voltage threshold, when the disconnect switch is in the open position. | 08-28-2008 |
| 20080219210 | RECONFIGURABLE MOBILE MODE AND FIXED NETWORK MODE ENDPOINT METERS - A meter data collection system in which endpoint meters are reconfigurable to operate in either a mobile mode or a fixed network mode is disclosed herein. While operating in the mobile mode, the endpoint meters transmit their meter data to a mobile device such as a “walk by” or “drive by” data collection device. While operating in the fixed network mode, the endpoint meters communicate with each other and with a central node to form a fixed wireless network. The endpoint meters may include a transceiver that enables the endpoint meters to transmit and receive data to and from the mobile device or other nodes in the fixed wireless network. The endpoint meters can be quickly and easily transitioned from operation in the mobile mode to operation in the fixed network mode (or vice versa) without changes to the endpoint meter hardware and without substantial re-configuration of the endpoint meters. | 09-11-2008 |
| 20080258709 | System and method for detecting the presence of an unsafe line condition in a disconnected power meter - A method of detecting the presence of an unsafe line condition at a power metering device is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of determining if a disconnect switch is in the open position, and measuring a first voltage at a first load contact. The method measures a second voltage at a second load contact and determines if the first voltage is greater than a first voltage threshold or less than a second voltage threshold. The method further determines if the second voltage is greater than the first voltage threshold or less than the second voltage threshold. The method indicates that an unsafe condition exists if either the first voltage is greater than the first voltage threshold, or first voltage is less than the second voltage threshold or the second voltage is greater than the first voltage threshold or the second voltage is less than the second voltage threshold, when the disconnect switch is in the open position. | 10-23-2008 |
| 20090167558 | OPTIMIZED DATA COLLECTION IN A WIRELESS FIXED NETWORK METERING SYSTEM - Methods and systems regarding an electricity meter in a wireless network are disclosed. The network may comprise a collector and a plurality of electricity meters that measure consumption of electricity and that bi-directionally communicate wirelessly with the collector. The electricity meter may have an established association with at least one battery-powered meter that measures consumption of a commodity other than electricity. The electricity meter may receive information about measured consumption of the other commodity from the battery-powered meter and store the received information. The electricity meter may transmit both information about consumption of electricity measured by the electricity meter and the information about consumption of the other commodity received from the associated battery-powered meter to the collector via the wireless network and also to a remotely located display associated with the electricity meter. | 07-02-2009 |
| 20090261805 | System and method for monitoring power in a utility meter - A power meter for measuring power consumption and detecting the presence of an unsafe line condition is disclosed. The power meter has a service disconnect switch, which is interposed between load contacts and source contacts, the disconnect switch interrupts the flow of power from the source contacts to the load contacts when the disconnect switch is in an open position. The power meter also has a processor coupled to a two input signal processing circuit. The two input signal processing circuit receives a first and second voltage signal from the load contacts. The two input signal processing circuit converts the first and second voltage signal into a first and second voltage value. The processor computes the power consumption using the first and second voltage values in combination with current values. The processor uses the first or second voltage value a to determine the presence of an unsafe line condition when either the first or second voltage value exceeds a first voltage threshold or the first or second voltage value is below a second voltage threshold when the service disconnect switch is in the open position. | 10-22-2009 |
| 20090278708 | POWER OUTAGE MANAGEMENT AND POWER SUPPORT RESTORATION FOR DEVICES IN A WIRELESS NETWORK - Techniques for power outage management and power support restoration for devices in a wireless network are disclosed herein. Such a wireless network may include a number of bi-directional nodes in bi-directional wireless communication with one or more central nodes. Each bi-directional node may have a wireless communication path to one of the central nodes that is either a direct path or an indirect path through one or more intermediate bi-directional nodes serving as relays. Each bi-directional node may be configured to detect when it has become stranded such that it can no longer communicate with its assigned central node via its assigned communication path, to determine a reason for its stranding, and to transmit a stranding notification and the reason therefore. | 11-12-2009 |
| 20090316322 | Meter Having Load Control Unit - A load control unit is provided for a meter which can be connected to a meter communication network. The load control unit includes a dual coil solenoid switch that is operable to connect the meter to a load, and disconnect the meter from the load. An electronic switching circuit is provided that reduces or eliminates undesirable braking in the solenoid switch. | 12-24-2009 |
| 20100014332 | System and method for providing a DC voltage source within a power meter - A power meter for measuring power consumption and detecting the presence of an unsafe line condition is disclosed. The power meter has a service disconnect switch, which is interposed between load contacts and source contacts, the disconnect switch interrupts the flow of power from the source contacts to the load contacts when the disconnect switch is in an open position. The power meter also has a processor coupled to a two input signal processing circuit. The two input signal processing circuit receives a first and second voltage signal from the load contacts. The two input signal processing circuit converts the first and second voltage signal into a first and second voltage value. The processor computes the power consumption using the first and second voltage values in combination with current values. The processor uses the first or second voltage valuea to determine the presence of an unsafe line condition when either the first or second voltage value exceeds a first voltage threshold or the first or second voltage value is below a second voltage threshold when the service disconnect switch is in the open position. | 01-21-2010 |
| 20100315263 | CONVERTING AC POWERED UTILITY METER TO SOLAR POWERED METER - A solar powered meter reading device (MRD) includes a metering circuit configured to measure consumption of a resource. A transceiver is operatively connected to the metering circuit and is configured and arranged to transmit and receive radio signals. A power arrangement is electrically connected to supply electrical power to at least one of the metering circuit and the transceiver. The power arrangement includes a photovoltaic array and a battery electrically connected to the photovoltaic array and to at least one of the metering circuit and the transceiver. | 12-16-2010 |
| 20100329174 | SIMULTANEOUS COMMUNICATIONS WITHIN CONTROLLED MESH NETWORK - A wireless mesh network, method of operating a wireless mesh network, and a central node device are disclosed herein. Communications are interleaved to maintain a spatial differential, for example, two “hops,” between any two nodes transmitting in proximity to the collector. In one embodiment, a wireless mesh network includes a central node and a plurality of bidirectional nodes in bidirectional wireless communication with the central node. Each bidirectional node has a respective wireless communication path to the central node that is either a direct path or an indirect path through one or more intermediate bidirectional nodes. Each bidirectional node is characterized by a number of intermediate bidirectional nodes forming a respective wireless communication path to the central node. The central node isolates a first data communication from a first node from second data communications from other nodes that are within a defined threshold of hop levels of the first node. | 12-30-2010 |
| 20110103299 | PACKET ACKNOWLEDGMENT FOR POLLED MESH NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS - A method, wireless mesh network and processor-readable storage medium for promoting successful end-to-end communication in a polled mesh network while improving system throughput are disclosed herein. Successful communications are acknowledged at each hop level to reduce the need to duplicate packets for redundancy. In this way, if a first bidirectional node transmits a packet to a second bidirectional node, the second bidirectional node acknowledges the packet, and the first bidirectional node receives the acknowledgement, then the first bidirectional node does not need to send a duplicate packet. | 05-05-2011 |
