Patent ID: 8688102

Claim:
A method for remotely configuring parameters of utility meters and/or utility meter interface units within a communications system in which metering data are sent from said utility meters and/or utility meter interface units to a central communications system over a cellular phone network using the GPRS protocol, said method comprising the steps of: setting configuration parameters linked to at least one of said utility meters and/or utility meter interface units and storing said configuration parameters in a configuration instruction queue of said central communications system; upon initiation of a communication using the GPRS protocol from any transmitting utility meter and/or utility meter interface unit, during which metering data from said transmitting utility meter and/or utility meter interface unit are received at said central communications system, checking if configuration parameters linked to said transmitting utility meter and/or utility meter interface unit have been stored in said queue; and in case configuration parameters linked to said transmitting utility meter and/or utility meter interface unit have been stored in said queue, sending said configuration parameters to said transmitting utility meter and/or utility meter interface unit using the GPRS protocol; wherein said step of sending configuration parameters includes sending an acknowledgement message to said utility meter and/or utility meter interface unit for acknowledging receipt of said metering data, said configuration parameters being attached to said acknowledgment message.