Data processing: financial – business practice – management – or co – For cost/price – Utility usage
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-23
2001-04-17
Cosimano, Edward R. (Department: 2161)
Data processing: financial, business practice, management, or co
For cost/price
Utility usage
C705S400000, C714S006130
Reexamination Certificate
active
06219656
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally concerns improved processes or techniques for ensuring the integrity of meters during power outages, and more particularly concerns improved memory integrity of electricity meters such that the memory is always in a state that previous data may be retrieved. The subject invention concerns both apparatus and methodology in such areas, including the use of practical computer software applications involving an algorithm approach to producing a useful, concrete and tangible result, i.e., namely, a stored data value for consumed electricity (or other commodity) to be charged to a customer's account.
The general object of metrology (i.e., the science of measurement) is to monitor a physical phenomenon to permit a record of the monitored event(s). If the potential to record the measured or monitored data is lost, then the entire basic purpose of the metering device and/or effort fails.
Such basic function and purpose of metering devices can be applied to a number of contexts. One broad area of measurement relates, for example, to utility meters. These may include the monitoring of consumption of a variety of forms of energy or other commodities, such as electricity, water, gas, and oil, to name a few.
Historically, a mechanical form of register was used for utility meters. Such an approach provided a relatively dependable field device with certain inherent functional advantages. For example, if the flow of the consumable commodity being measured was interrupted, the mechanical form of gauge simply stopped in its place, automatically reflecting the previous accumulation without other arrangements being required, and without any loss of such accumulated data. After resumption of the flow of the commodity, the mechanical register could then simply begin to add additional flow values to the previous accumulation, so that accurate data was reflected at all times regardless of intermittent commodity flow interruptions.
Also, in many instances, the gauge or register required no separate power supply since it was operated directly by the commodity flow. In the case of electricity meters, the mechanical register could be electrically powered. Hence, when power was lost, the measurement function was temporarily moot so no measurement functionality was lost even though the gauge itself would be temporarily without power.
As the technology of metering devices progressed, mechanical registers began to be replaced with more electrical-based devices and electronic forms of registers. Generally speaking, all such devices require some form of electrical power for their operation and data storage function. Such fact created the potential for catastrophic loss of accumulated data (i.e., the failure of the entire purpose of the measuring device if data representing accumulated commodity usage were lost).
For example, in the case of an electricity meter, electric power is already flowing to (and through) the metering or measuring device. Such fact makes for a convenient supply of electricity, without having to attempt to rely on battery operation or some other source of electrical power. However, such an arrangement, while advantageous in certain aspects, is inherently susceptible to the loss of electrical power to the measuring device (including its register) at the same time there is any power loss to the customer's location (for example, house or business).
Intermittent power outages (or other conditions, such as brown outs) can occur in even the best maintained systems. For example, an electrical power system can become damaged due to storm debris (e.g., falling limbs) or high winds, or from an accident (for example, vehicles such as trucks or cars knocking down utility poles and power lines). Under certain load shedding conditions, it may even become necessary for power to a given location to be deliberately interrupted.
Regardless of such causes (or possibly other sources) of power outages, the inherent problem is that an electrical measuring device with an electrically powered register may lose its accumulated data in the event of a routine power outage. Prior attempts have been made to address such technical problem.
In one instance, a technique or storage algorithm was used to store electricity meter quantities to a non-volatile memory whenever a power outage occurred. In such prior attempt, the technique involved a relatively early detection of the power outage and consideration of the power supply hold up times to complete the storage of the electricity meter quantities to the non-volatile memory. Such so-called “hold up time” refers to the amount of time a supply will maintain acceptable output power to the circuit after line voltage is removed. Hence, such technique involved the use of relatively complicated and costly power fail detection circuits and power supply hold up components. In addition, most non-volatile memory devices are limited by the maximum number of times an area of memory could be written to over the life of such a device.
Other arrangements and aspects of electronic-based electricity meters are known. See, for example, disclosures set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,783,623; 5,469,049 and 4,509,128. The disclosures of all such patents are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention recognizes and addresses variations of the foregoing problems, and others, concerning metrology operations. Thus, broadly speaking, a principal object of this invention is improved metrology operations. More particularly, a main concern is improved measurement integrity through preservation of data despite intermittent power outages.
Another more particular object of the present invention is to provide improved apparatus and methodology for memory integrity for electricity meters. In such context, it is a general object to provide for improved integrity of stored electricity meter quantities including, but not limited to, such items as either energy or demand usage. In such context, it is desired to facilitate the measurement of, for example, certain units of energy for a kiloWatt-hour (kWh) reading or, with reference to units of time for a kilowatt (kW) reading.
Still another general object of the present invention is to provide a practical application of computer software for producing a useful, concrete and tangible result, namely, improved memory integrity of metrology results, such as obtained with utility meters, particularly such as electricity meters. In such particular context, it is a present object to remove the need to employ relatively complicated and costly power failure detection circuits and power supply hold up components.
In the context of electricity meters, it is another present object to make use of a dual storage technique or algorithm so as to assure there will always be a previous electricity meter value retained, thus preventing full energy loss at power down. In such context, it is a further object to limit the loss of any electricity meter quantity information to a chosen unit of measurement, selected so as to be small enough not to significantly affect the accuracy of a value being stored.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide improved metrology technology which makes improved use of non-volatile memory devices, but without requiring additional circuits for direct fault detection or other arrangements to provide for use of the non-volatile memory.
It is another general object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and improved technology which may be advantageously implemented through, and with the assistance of, specific computer software for implementing a memory integrity algorithm for double buffering the stored data involved by maintaining and updating two separate areas of memory for quantities stored, such as electricity meter quantities. Additional objects and advantages of the invention are set forth in, or will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from, the detailed description herein. Also, it should be f
Cain Brent
Morand Gary
Smith Brad
Cosimano Edward R.
Dority & Manning P.A.
Schlumberger Resource Management Services, Inc.
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