Patent ID: 8326892

Claim:
A method of converting numerical infrastructure data relating to a utility monitoring system having elements arranged in a hierarchy to a graphic compatible storage data format, the method comprising: automatically learning a hierarchy of a plurality of monitoring devices in a utility monitoring system; storing a representation of the hierarchy as numerical infrastructure data indicating a hierarchical arrangement of the monitoring devices in the hierarchy and their relationships to one another, each of the monitoring devices monitoring a characteristic of a utility of the utility monitoring system; obtaining the numerical infrastructure data; automatically converting the numerical infrastructure data relating to the elements of the utility monitoring system to the graphic compatible storage data format that, when displayed as a display graphic on a video display, presents the hierarchical layout of the monitoring devices in the hierarchy and how the monitoring devices are linked together within the hierarchy based on the numerical infrastructure data; storing the converted data in a storage file; and reading the storage file and generating a graphic display representing the hierarchy of the elements in the utility monitoring system, the monitoring devices and links between the monitoring devices being represented by graphics physically arranged on the display relative to each other representing how the monitoring devices are linked together within the hierarchy, the arrangement of the monitoring devices and links including at least one of a parent child relationship between at least two monitoring devices or a peer relationship between at least two monitoring devices.