Patent ID: 8305232

Claim:
A utility network interface device comprising: a detector configured to produce a state signal upon occurrence of a prescribed state that interferes with the ability of a utility meter, with which the utility network interface device is associated, to at least one of measure consumption of a commodity and report consumption of the commodity; a control unit configured to detect a tampering with the utility meter in accordance with the state signal produced by the detector; and a notification unit configured to output, external to the utility meter, notification of the tampering detected by the control unit, wherein: the control unit is configured to automatically control the notification unit to output the external notification of the tampering in response to the detection of the tampering; the notification unit includes a transceiver; the control unit is configured to cause the transceiver to transmit a notification signal containing data representative of the tampering notification and an identification of the utility network interface device wirelessly to a node in a network of which the utility network interface device is a member; and the node in the network is another utility network interface device with which the utility network interface device is authorized to communicate.