Patent Publication Number: US-2017363442-A1

Title: Method and Apparatus for Meter Actions Based on Socket Identification

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a metering system and method, and more particularly, to systems, methods, and apparatus for metering device identification and actions based on this identification. 
     BACKGROUND 
     One way in which electric utility customers may attempt theft of electrical service is to switch electricity meters between consumers. If the consumption of electricity is known to be greater at a consumer&#39;s location than at a neighbor&#39;s location, the consumer could attempt to physically interchange the electricity meter at the consumer&#39;s location with the electricity meter at the neighbor&#39;s location to decrease the amount of electricity consumption reported by the electricity meter associated with the consumer. Because electricity meters are often read wirelessly from a head-end monitoring system that typically is not aware of the geographic location of each meter, the electricity consumption monitored by a particular electricity meter may not correspond with the actual electricity being consumed at the consumer&#39;s location. 
     One method used for detecting whether an electricity meter has been moved to another location is to have the meter equipped with a GPS module. After installation, the GPS coordinates of the meter location are stored within the meter. If the meter location is altered, the meter may send an alarm to the head-end system indicating the GPS coordinate change. However, this method is costly to implement, consumes a lot of power, may lack ability to acquire satellites and lacks precise location, especially in locations where multiple meters are installed in close proximity (such as apartment buildings). 
     The foregoing background discussion is intended solely to aid the reader. It is not intended to limit the innovations described herein. Thus, the foregoing discussion should not be taken to indicate that any particular element of a prior system is unsuitable for use with the innovations described herein, nor is it intended to indicate that any element is essential in implementing the innovations described herein. The implementations and application of the innovations described herein are defined by the appended claims. 
     SUMMARY 
     An improved and/or simplified metering system for determining where an electricity meter is installed is desired to minimize theft of electricity, minimize costs to implement, increase precision, and/or increase the effectiveness of monitoring electricity consumption at a consumer location. 
     An aspect of the present disclosure provides a metering system comprising a meter socket, a meter, and a controller. The meter socket is installed at a utility customer location and includes an information storage device comprising identification information. The meter is configured to couple to (e.g., be installed in) the meter socket. The meter includes a sensor configured to obtain the identification information from the information storage device of the meter socket and to provide a signal indicative of the identification information. The controller comprises a memory and a processor and is configured to record energy consumption measured by the meter at a customer location. The processor is further configured to receive the signal indicative of the identification information and associate the energy consumption data with the identification information. The processor may be further configured to store the energy consumption data associated with the identification information in the memory. 
     Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for associating a meter with a meter socket. In one embodiment, the method comprises obtaining identification information from an information storage device coupled to the meter socket; recording energy consumption measured by the meter; associating the recorded energy consumption with the identification information obtained from the information storage device coupled to the meter socket; and storing the recorded energy consumption associated with the identification information in a memory of the meter. 
     Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a metering device configured to couple to a meter socket. The meter socket includes a information storage device comprising identification information. The metering device is configured to measure electricity consumption at a customer location and comprises a controller. The meter further comprises a sensor configured to obtain the identification information from the information storage device of the meter socket. The controller may include a processor and a memory and be configured to record energy consumption measured by the meter. The memory is configured to store data reflecting the measured energy consumption, and the processor is configured to associate the energy consumption data with the identification information obtained from the information storage device of the meter socket. The processor is further configured to store the energy consumption data associated with the identification information in the memory. 
     This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Description of the Invention section. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not constrained to limitations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in any part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A more detailed understanding may be had from the following description, given by way of example in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a metering system in which the systems, methods, and apparatus disclosed herein may be embodied. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a schematic of the metering system of  FIG. 1 , according to an aspect of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a schematic of a controller, according to an aspect of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of a method for monitoring consumption of electricity within a metering system, according to an aspect of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The disclosure relates generally to metering systems and methods for monitoring consumption of a commodity, such as electricity. Although the system and methods are described herein in the context of a system for metering electrical energy consumption, it is understood that the system and methods described herein may be implemented in systems that monitor consumption of other commodities, such as, for example, water or gas. In one embodiment, the metering system includes a meter and a meter socket located at a customer location. The meter socket includes a storage device that keeps identification unique to the meter socket. The meter includes a means of obtaining the information from the meter socket. This could be a physical connection such as a cable between the meter and device in the socket, a wireless RF connection, or other means. In this description, the meter includes a sensor, and the meter socket includes an information storage device comprising identification information. As used herein, the term “information storage device” will be understood to include a means to store identification information in the meter socket and a means to communicate that information to the meter as described in further detail below. When the meter is coupled to the meter socket, the sensor may obtain the identification information from the information storage device, and either identify or create a billing register associated with the information storage device. When a commodity is supplied to the customer location, the meter monitors the consumption of the commodity, associates the consumption with the information storage device information, and stores the information storage device information along with the associated consumption data in a memory. 
       FIG. 1  provides a perspective view of a meter  100  and a meter socket  112  that may be installed at a utility customer location. The meter socket may, in turn, be connected to one or more electrical loads at the customer location. In one embodiment, the meter socket  112  is configured to receive and electrically connect with blades  101  of the meter  100 . Meter  100  may be any type of meter configured to measure and indicate the amount of energy consumption at a customer location, such as a residence, industry or business. 
     Meter  100  may be part of a metering network in which the methods, systems, and apparatus disclosed herein may be employed. The metering network may comprise a plurality of meters  100 , which are operable to sense and record consumption or usage of a service or commodity. Meters  100  may be located at customer premises, such as a home or place of business. Meters  100  comprise circuitry for measuring the consumption of the service or commodity being consumed at their respective locations and for generating data reflecting the consumption, as well as other data related thereto. Meters  100  may also comprise circuitry for wirelessly transmitting data generated by the meter to a remote location. Meters  100  may further comprise circuitry for receiving data, commands or instructions wirelessly as well. Meters that are operable to both receive and transmit data may be referred to as “bi-directional” or “two-way”meters, while meters that are only capable of transmitting data may be referred to as “transmit-only” or “one-way” meters. In bi-directional meters, the circuitry for transmitting and receiving may comprise a transceiver. 
     The meter socket  112  may further comprise an information storage device  116 . As illustrated, the information storage device  116  is represented as a tag; however, it will be appreciated that the information storage device  116  may include various types of devices that are configured to store information. In one embodiment, the tag  116  may be attached to the meter socket  112  such that the tag  116  is non-removable. That is, the tag  116  cannot be removed without leaving clear physical evidence of its removal from the meter socket  112  and/or mechanically damaging the meter socket  112  or the tag  116 , rendering either the meter socket  112  or the tag  116  inoperable. The tag  116  may be permanently attached to any part of the meter socket  112  with adhesive glue, double-sided or single-sided tape, soldering, or other similar adhesive commonly used by those skilled in the art. 
     The tag  116  may be a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, such as a near field communication (NFC) tag. The tag  116  may contain electronically stored identification information that is unique to tag  116  and may be identified by using radio waves at, for example, a 13.56 MHz frequency. The tag  116  may contain an induction coil (not shown), that through excitation generated by a variable electromagnetic field generated by a reader, powers a small circuit (not shown) that is read by the reader through RF waves. In one embodiment, the tag  116  comprises an NFC tag, which is a subset of RFID tags. NFC tags may operate more efficiently in the presence of metals, such as the metal of a meter socket. In one embodiment, the tag  116  is a passive device. In other embodiments, the tag  116  may be an active device. 
     In an aspect, every meter socket  112  within a metering network may be equipped with a tag  116  that includes identification information that uniquely identifies that meter socket. Each tag  116  may be supplied in bulk, supplied with every meter  100 , or pre-installed in the meter socket  112 . For example, the tag  116  may be taped onto a cover of the meter  100  using a peel-off sticker. When a meter technician installs the meter  100  with the socket  112 , the tag  116  may be peeled off and coupled to the socket  112 . Each tag  116  may be pre-encoded or may be encoded by a technician installing the tag  116 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an embodiment of a meter  100 , according to an aspect of this disclosure. The meter  100  is interposed into electricity distribution lines  120 , and the meter  100  is disposed between an electrical energy source  102  and an electrical load(s)  114  at a utility customer location. In the embodiment shown, the meter  100  meters electrical energy delivered from the source  102  to the load  114  via distribution lines  120 . In particular, the meter  100  connects to a source-side of the distribution lines at contacts  120 A and  120 B and to a load-side at contacts  120 C and  120 D. The meter  100  measures the consumption of electrical energy by the load  114 . 
     As further shown, the meter  100  comprises a disconnect switch  104 , a load-side voltage sensor  110 , a current sensor  130 , a voltage sensor  132 , a controller  140 , an optional communications interface  150 , and a sensor  160 . The meter  100  may further comprise other components commonly used in metering devices, such as, for example, a load-side current sensor, a disconnect switch position sensor, or still other components. This description is specific to a single phase meter, but the principles are also applicable to polyphase electricity meters as well. 
     The disconnect switch  104  is interposed into the distribution lines  120  and is configured to switch between an open position, in which electrical energy is not supplied to the electrical load  114 , and a closed position, in which electrical energy is supplied to the electrical load  114 . Electrical energy (at meter inputs “L1 IN” and “L2 IN”) is supplied by the source  102  and delivered, via source side distribution lines  120 A and  120 B, through meter  100 , to the electrical load at the customer location  114  (via meter outputs “L1 OUT” and “L2 OUT”). Disconnect switch or electrical relay  104  is interposed into the distribution lines, effectively separating the distribution lines into source side distribution lines  120 A and  120 B, and load-side distribution lines  120 C and  120 D. As shown, in this embodiment, the disconnect switch or relay  104  comprises two switches  106 , 108 —one for each distribution line. When disconnect switch  104  is closed, electrical energy should be supplied to customer location  114 , and when disconnect switch  104  is open, no electrical energy should be supplied to customer location  114 . The switches  106 ,  108  may be driven by a motor, a solenoid, or other means commonly used to drive a disconnect switch. 
     The current sensor  130  and the voltage sensor  132  are configured to measure current flow and voltage, respectively, at contacts  120 A and  120 B on the source-side of the distribution lines  120 . The load-side voltage sensor  110  is configured to measure voltage at contacts  120 C and  120 D on the load-side of the distribution lines  120 . The current sensor  130 , the voltage sensor  132 , and the load-side voltage sensor  110  may provide signals to the controller  140  indicative of the current flow, source-side voltage, and load-side voltage, respectively. 
     The optional communications interface  150  may be configured to communicate with the controller  140  and a remote utility monitoring location  170 . The optional communications interface  150  may be a two-way communications interface to the remote utility monitoring location  170  (e.g. head-end system) and may comprise any suitable communications interface technology, such as a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, or an interface to the telephone lines or power lines at the customer location  114 , etc. The optional communication interface  150  may communicate with remote utility monitoring location  170  via communications link  175 . Communications link  175  may be a private or public network, such as a subnet/LAN. 
     The controller  140  is configured to record data reflecting energy consumption measured by the meter  100  and to control various internal functions of the meter  100 . The controller  140  may be an electronic control unit, computing device, central processing unit, or other data manipulation device that may be used to facilitate control and coordination of any of the methods or procedures described herein. While the controller  140  is represented as a single unit, in other aspects the controller  140  may be distributed as a plurality of distinct but interoperating units, incorporated into another component, or located at different locations on or off the meter  100 . 
     In one embodiment, the controller  140  comprises a processor  142 , such as a microprocessor, microcontroller, or the like, and a memory  144 . The processor  142  may be operatively coupled to each of the sensors ( 110 ,  130 ,  132 ,  160 ), the disconnect switch  104 , the memory  144 , and the optional communications interface  150 . The processor  142  may be configured to receive signals from each of the sensors ( 110 ,  130 ,  132 ,  160 ), the disconnect switch  104 , the memory  144 , and the optional communications interface  150 , to process the signals, and to store the signals in memory  144 . 
     The memory  144  may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), non-volatile memory, such as electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM) or flash memory, or combinations thereof. The memory  144  may store pairing information that associates electrical energy consumption measured by the meter with the identification information of the tag  116 . The memory  144  may also store computer executable code including at least one algorithm for associating energy consumption data recorded by the meter  100  with the identification information of the tag  116 . The identification information may be stored in a table format or in the form of billing registers, as described herein. 
     The sensor  160 , also referred to as a reader, may be coupled to the controller  140 . The sensor  160  is configured to obtain (e.g., read) the identification information from the tag  116  and provide a signal indicative of the identification information to the controller  140 . The sensor  160  may be an RFID reader and/or a NFC reader. 
     The utility monitoring station  170  may send and receive commands to and from the meter  100  via communications link  175 . In response to a command, the controller  140  may operate the meter  100  by, for example, operating the disconnect switch  104  to open or close position, reading measured current or voltage information within the distribution lines  120 , reading the identification information obtained from the tag  116 , or performing other metering operations. Information received by the controller  140  from the utility monitoring station  170 , sensors, or other metering components may be stored in memory  144 . Information received by the controller  140  may also be provided to the remote utility monitoring location  170  to be stored remotely. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a schematic of the controller  140 , according to one embodiment. As shown, in the illustrated embodiment, the controller  140  comprises the processor  142  and the memory  144 . As further shown, the memory  144  stores data reflecting measured energy consumption in a first billing register  300 . In addition, as described hereinafter, the memory  144  may also store one or more additional, separate billing register(s)  302 . 
     The “billing register” or as called in the ANSI C12.19 standard “Table 23 Current Register Data Table” (ST 23 ) is a table that stores current billing cycle billing information (energy consumption, demand, etc.). The ANSI C12.19 standard also describes “Table 26 Self-read Data Table” (ST 26 ). This table contains snapshots of the current billing data table (ST 23 ) taken when a new socket is detected. A manufacturer table (socket IDs snapshots table) may be used to store the different socket identification information for each billing data snapshot. There is a one to one correspondence between the socket IDs snapshots table entries and the billing data snapshots stored in ST 26 . 
     In accordance with an aspect of the system and method described herein, during installation of meter  100  into the meter socket at a given customer location, the meter  100  may be paired with identification information of the tag  116  of the meter socket  112 . In one embodiment, a technician may use an installation tool (not shown) equipped with a tag reader to read the tag  116  of the meter socket  112  and then to input the identification information to the meter  100 . In other embodiments, the sensor  160  of the meter  100  may automatically read the identification information from the tag  116  upon insertion of the meter  100  into the socket  112  during initial installation. The meter  100  may then store information indicative of its pairing with the identification information for the socket  112 . In this respect, the stored identification information obtained from the tag  116  of the meter becomes the “expected” identification information for that meter. This pairing of the meter  100  with the identification information of the tag  116  may also be recorded by the technician using the installation tool, or the pairing may be reported by the meter  100  to the remote utility monitoring location  170  via the communication interface  150 . 
     Thereafter, in operation, upon power up of the meter  100 , the sensor  160  may read the tag  116  attached to the meter socket  112  to obtain its identification information and may compare the identification information read from the tag to the “expected” identification information recorded during the initial meter pairing. If a mismatch is detected, the meter may determine that a potential tamper situation or theft of service has occurred, e.g., that the meter is not installed in the expected meter socket. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a method  400  for metering electrical energy consumption by the meter  100 , according to an aspect of this disclosure. At step  402 , the meter  100  is power cycled (e.g., powered up after a power down). At step  404 , the sensor  160  of the meter  100  attempts to read the tag  116 . If no tag  116  is detected, then at step  406 , the meter  100  reports and logs the event. The event may be stored in memory  144  and/or transmitted to the remote utility monitoring location  170 . In this case, the meter  100  may generate an error, and at step  407 , the meter  100  may begin to monitor energy consumption at the customer location  114 . At step  409 , the processor  142  stores the energy consumption data in memory  144  and tags the data with a “no tag” identification in the data log. 
     If the tag  116  is detected, then the meter  100  continues to step  408 . At step  408 , the sensor  160  reads the identification information from the tag  116  and provides a signal to the processor  142  indicative of the identification information. The processor  142  may store the identification information from the tag  116  in memory  144  and/or may transmit the identification information via the optional communications interface  150  to the remote utility monitoring location  170 . At step  410 , the processor  142  compares the signal indicative of the identification information read from the tag  116  with the expected tag  116  identification information stored during the initial pairing of the meter  100  with the socket  112 . If the signal indicative of the identification information read from the tag  116  matches the expected identification information recorded during the pairing process, then, at step  412 , the meter  100  begins to monitor energy consumption at the customer location  114 . At step  414 , the processor  142  stores the energy consumption data in the billing register  300  of the memory  144 , which is associated with the identification information of the tag  116  of the meter socket  112 . 
     If, however, the signal indicative of the identification information read from the tag  116  of meter socket  112  in step  408  does not match the expected identification information recorded during the pairing process, then the processor  142  may determine that the meter has been installed into an unexpected meter socket. The processor  142  may send an alert to the remote utility monitoring location  170  of this detected event, and log the event ( 415 ). In addition, at step  416 , the processor  142  may create a separate billing register, e.g., billing register  302 , in the memory  144  and may associate the separate billing register  302  with the unexpected identification information read from the tag  116  of the newly detected meter socket  112 . At step  418 , the meter proceeds to measure energy consumption in the newly detected meter socket  112 , and at step  420 , energy consumption data is stored by the processor  142  in the separate billing register  302 . In this manner, no prior energy consumption will be lost in the event that an unscrupulous customer disconnects the meter  100  from its expected meter socket and installs it in a meter socket of another utility customer. 
     Alternatively, at step  416 , the processor  142  may search the memory  144  of the meter  100  for a previously created billing register associated with the identification information read from the tag  116  of the meter socket  112  in which the meter has been installed. If a billing register associated with the identification information read from the tag  116  already exists, then the energy consumption data generated by the meter  100  may be stored in that existing billing register. This may be helpful for situations in which the meter  100  is expected to be removed and reinstalled from time-to-time in two or more different meter sockets. 
     As discussed above, in the event of a detected mismatch, the meter  100  may determine that a tamper event has occurred. A tamper event may be an illicit attempt to modify the meter&#39;s ability to measure or record energy usage in an attempt to reduce the customer&#39;s energy bill. Also, moving the meter, in an attempt to associate the meter&#39;s energy accumulation with another customer, is also a form of tampering. The meter  100  may report the suspected tamper event to the remote utility monitoring location  170  via, for example, its communication interface  150 . In addition, the meter  100  may automatically, or in response to a command from the utility monitoring location  170 , open its disconnect switch  104  to disconnect service to the customer location—to prevent potential further theft of service. The disconnect switch may remain in the open position until a technician can be dispatched to investigate the situation or until such time as the utility monitoring location  170  determines that service may be restored. 
     While the disclosure is described herein using a limited number of embodiments, these specific embodiments are for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure as otherwise described and claimed herein. Modification and variations from the described embodiments exist. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.