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US6094622A
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System and method for automatically determining the electrical energy service type to which an energy meter is connected
Assignee: Elster Solutions LLC
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Filing: 1998-11-30
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Granted: 2000-07-25
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Expires: 2018-11-30
Abstract
Abstract A system for determining the service type to which an energy meter having meter elements is connected. The system includes a memory for storing reference information relating to different service types. The system determines which meter elements of the energy meter are active, and then determines relative phase angles and phase voltages of the meter elements. The relative phase angles are determined in to be in an ABC or a CBA rotation. Power quality monitoring is used in determining the phase voltages. The relative phase angles and phase voltages are compared to the reference information to determine the service type. The reference information includes services and scaling information, a nominal service voltage, a programmable potential indicator threshold, and a maximum and a minimum tolerance with respect to the nominal service voltage.
Inventors
- 👤 Vick A. Hubbard
- 👤 Mark L. Munday
- 👤 Rodney C. Hemminger
- 👤 Scott T. Holdsclaw
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 14:39
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01R; G01R22/00; G01R19/00; G01R19/25; G01R19/2513; G01R21/00; G01R21/133
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
105 words
A system for determining the service type to which an energy meter having at least one meter element is connected, comprising: storage means for storing reference information reflective of at least one service type; means for determining which of said meter elements of said energy meter are active; means for determining a plurality of relative phase angles of said active meter elements; means for determining a plurality of phase voltages of said active meter elements; and means for retrieving said reference information from said storage means and comparing said relative phase angles and said phase voltages with said reference information to determine the service type.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
105 words
A system for determining the service type to which an energy meter having at least one meter element is connected, comprising: storage means for storing reference information reflective of at least one service type; means for determining which of said meter elements of said energy meter are active; means for determining a plurality of relative phase angles of said active meter elements; means for determining a plurality of phase voltages of said active meter elements; and means for retrieving said reference information from said storage means and comparing said relative phase angles and said phase voltages with said reference information to determine the service type.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
The system according to claim 1, wherein said means for determining which of said meter elements are active comprises means for determining a number of meter elements in the service type.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system according to claim 1, wherein said means for determining which of said meter elements are active comprises at least one of a digital signal processor (DSP) and an analog/digital (A/D) converter.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system according to claim 1, wherein said storage means comprises a memory.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
12 words
The system according to claim 4, wherein said memory comprises an EEPROM.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system according to claim 1, wherein said means for retrieving and comparing comprises a microcontroller.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system according to claim 1, wherein said means for determining said phase voltages comprises power quality monitoring instrumentation.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system according to claim 1, further comprising means to store the service type in said storage means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system according to claim 8, wherein said means to store the service type is one of automatic and manual.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system according to claim 9, wherein said manual means to store the service type is user-activated.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system according to claim 9, wherein said automatic means to store the service type is triggered when the service type is determined.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system according to claim 1, wherein said storage means is programmable to change said reference information.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
42 words
The system according to claim 12, wherein said reference information includes at least one of services and scaling information, a nominal service voltage, a programmable potential indicator threshold, and a maximum and a minimum tolerance with respect to said nominal service voltage.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system according to claim 1, further comprising means for activating the system at at least one of startup and at a predetermined time during system operation.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
12 words
The system according to claim 14, wherein said predetermined time is periodic.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
37 words
The system according to claim 1, wherein said means for determining said relative phase angles of said meter elements comprises means for determining said relative phase angles to be one of an ABC and a CBA rotation.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system according to claim 1, further comprising means for determining the number of phases present in the service type.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
14 words
The system according to claim 1, further comprising means for displaying the service type.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system according to claim 18, wherein said means for displaying the service type is an LCD display.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
107 words
A method for determining the service type to which an energy meter having at least one meter element is connected, comprising the steps of: storing reference information reflective of at least one service type in a memory; determining which of said meter elements of said energy meter are active; determining a plurality of relative phase angles of said active meter elements; determining a plurality of phase voltages of said active meter elements; retrieving said reference information from said memory and comparing said relative phase angles and said phase voltages with said reference information; and determining the service type based on a result of said step of comparing.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
107 words
A method for determining the service type to which an energy meter having at least one meter element is connected, comprising the steps of: storing reference information reflective of at least one service type in a memory; determining which of said meter elements of said energy meter are active; determining a plurality of relative phase angles of said active meter elements; determining a plurality of phase voltages of said active meter elements; retrieving said reference information from said memory and comparing said relative phase angles and said phase voltages with said reference information; and determining the service type based on a result of said step of comparing.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method according to claim 20, wherein said step of determining which of said meter elements are active comprises determining a number of meter elements in the service type.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method according to claim 20, wherein said step of determining which of said meter elements are active comprises digital signal processing.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method according to claim 20, wherein said step of determining said phase voltages comprises instrumentation measuring.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of storing the service type in said memory.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method according to claim 24, wherein said step of storing the service type in said memory is one of automatic and manual.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method according to claim 25, wherein the step of storing the service type is user-activated.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method according to claim 25, further comprising the step of triggering said step of storing the service type in said memory responsive to determining the service type.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of changing said reference information.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of activating the system at at least one of startup and at a predetermined time during system operation.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method according to claim 29, wherein said predetermined time is periodic.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method according to claim 20, wherein said step for determining said relative phase angles of said meter elements comprises the step of determining said relative phase angles to be one of an ABC and a CBA rotation.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of determining the number of phases present in the service type.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of displaying the service type.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-07-25 | 2004-01-24 | 2004-07-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-07-25 | 2008-01-24 | 2008-07-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-07-25 | 2012-01-24 | 2012-07-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |