Patent EA-001654-B1 (EA)
Title: Electronic revenue meter with automatic service sensing
Inventor: BRIESE FORREST WAYNE
IPC: G01R21/133
Filed: 1998-05-18
Abstract: 1. An electronic revenue meter of the type which plugs into a meter socket and which is used to collect metering data, said revenue meter including: (a) an electrical system diagnostics package including: (i) a microprocessor connected to the revenue meter; (ii) storage memory suitably connected to the microprocessor; (iii) logic connected to the revenue meter for automatically periodically performing a preselected test of revenue meter checks and connected to the storage memory for recording any errors detected therefrom; (iv) logic connected to the revenue meter for automatically periodically performing a preselected series of system diagnostics tests and connected to the storage memory for recording any results which exceed predefined thresholds; (v) display means connected to logic (iii) for displaying error messages identifying one or more errors discovered as a result of the revenue meter checks performed during a predefined period; and (vi) display means connected to logic (iv) for displaying diagnostic messages identifying any errors discovered as a result of the system diagnostics tests performed during a predefined period; and  (b) means for storing revenue data representative of the usage of electricity at the location in which said revenue meter is installed. 2. The revenue meter of Claim 1 further including means for connecting said revenue meter to a socket which has been installed at the site at which revenue data is to be collected. 3. The revenue meter of Claim 2 wherein said means for connecting said revenue meter to a socket includes a base having plug type connectors attached thereto, and wherein said socket has means for receiving and retaining said connectors. 4. The revenue meter of Claim 3 further including logic for automatically determining the type of electrical service connected to said socket in which said revenue meter has been installed. 5. The revenue meter of Claim 4 wherein said logic for automatically determining the type of electrical service in which said revenue meter has been installed performs such determination during initialization of the revenue meter upon installation of said revenue meter into said socket. 6. The revenue meter of Claim 5 wherein said logic for automatically determining the electrical service in which said revenue meter is installed performs such determination upon reconfiguration of said revenue meter while said revenue meter is installed in said socket. 7. The revenue meter of Claim 4 wherein said logic for determining the electrical service in which said revenue meter is installed automatically periodically performs such determination during normal operation of the revenue meter while said revenue meter is collecting revenue data. 8. An electronic revenue meter of the type which plugs into a meter socket and which is used to collect metering data from a customer's site, said electronic revenue meter comprising: (a) electrical system diagnostics package including: (i) a microprocessor connected to the revenue meter; (ii) storage memory suitably connected to the microprocessor; and (iii) logic connected to the revenue meter for automatically determining the type of electrical system in which the revenue meter is installed; and  (b) means for storing revenue data representative of the usage of electricity at the location in which said revenue meter is installed. 9. The revenue meter of Claim 8 further including means for connecting said revenue meter into a socket which has been installed at a site wherein electricity service has been provided and from which revenue is to be derived based upon data collected and stored in said revenue meter. 10. The revenue meter of Claim 9 wherein said means for connecting said revenue meter to a socket includes a base having plug type connectors attached thereto, and wherein said socket has means for receiving and retaining said connectors. 11. The electronic revenue meter of Claim 10 further including logic for ascertaining voltage information from the electrical system revenue metered thereby. 12. The electronic revenue meter of Claim 10 wherein the logic for ascertaining voltage information from the electrical system includes logic for determining the phase angle of at least one voltage phasor relative to a selected base voltage phasor, and wherein the logic for determining the type of electrical service includes logic for comparing the voltage phase angle of the at least one phasor relative to the selected base phasor to a set of preselected voltage phasor angles for different possible types of electrical services, and determining the type of electrical service, if any, as a function of the voltage phasor angle. 13. The electronic revenue meter of Claim 12 wherein the logic for determining the type of electrical service makes such determination on the basis of the angle between the C phase voltage phasor, VC, and the A phase voltage phasor, VA, as well as the predefined form factor of the revenue meter. 14. The electronic revenue meter of Claim 13 wherein the logic for determining the phase angle of at least one phasor relative to a selected base phasor includes logic for storing accumulated digital values corresponding to the instantaneous voltage measured for the base phasor XB, storing the accumulated digital values corresponding to the instantaneous value measured for another selected phasor, XN, determining, for a predefined period, the RMS values for XB and XN denoted XB(RMS) and XN(RMS), respectively, determining the product, P, of XB(RMS) and XN(RMS), determining the average value, Q, of the product of the two sine waves corresponding to XB and XN, and determining the average value, Y, of the product of the two sine waves corresponding to a shifted version of XB, denoted XB(-90 degree ). 15. The electronic revenue meter of Claim 14 wherein the logic further includes logic for determining the magnitude of the phase angle of one phasor relative to the selected base phasor, θ, equal to arccos (Q/P). 16. The electronic revenue meter of Claim 15 wherein the base phasor, XB, is the A phase voltage phasor, and wherein the other selected phasor, XN, is the C phase voltage phasor.