Patent ID: 7729852
Filing Date: 2010-06-01
Classification: G01D,G06Q,H04Q,Y02B,Y04S

Abstract:
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; 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 the out of route endpoint; and, using the identified out of route endpoints to at least in part provide off-cycle billing to utility customers or reconfigure the automatic meter reading route.