Detecting Electric Meter Installation Problems Based on Orientation Changes

Abstract

A method for detecting an electric meter installation problem includes determining an initial orientation of the electric meter based on an initial acceleration measurement of an accelerometer disposed within the electric meter. Subsequent acceleration measurements from the accelerometer may be continuously monitored, and the subsequent orientation of the electric meter may be determined based on the subsequent acceleration measurements. A difference between the initial orientation and the subsequent orientation may be determined based on the initial acceleration measurement and the subsequent acceleration measurement and compared to a threshold. A notification to a head-end system indicating that the orientation of the electric meter has changed may be generated based on the difference exceeding the threshold.

Description

Background Art

[0001] Unless otherwise indicated specifically in this specification, the content described in this section is not prior art to the claims of this application and is not admitted to be prior art by virtue of being included in this section.

[0002] An electric meter measures the electric power consumed by a customer of an electric power provider. The electric meter is plugged into a meter socket mounted in a housing on a utility pole, building, or other structure. The electrical connection between the electric meter and the socket is formed by a series of male connectors sometimes called "blades". The "blades" are received by a corresponding series of female connectors also called jaws. When the electric meter is installed in a customer's building, the electric meter is oriented such that the front face of the electric meter is parallel to a vertical mounting surface (e.g., the electric meter is vertical).

[0003] One problem faced by electric power providers is unreported damage to the assets of electric utilities, and one such asset is the electric meter. A further challenge for electric utilities is that many meter installations (meter bases and load side wiring) are assets of energy consumers (e.g., homeowners or landlords). Damage to meter installations can occur suddenly in the case of damage by a storm or vehicle, or slowly in the case of long-term ground subsidence or heaving, and may not be noticed or reported by the energy consumer. An improper orientation can be an indication of damage to the electric meter or the meter installation.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] A system and method for detecting a change in the orientation of an electric meter are provided.

[0005] A method is provided according to various aspects of this disclosure. In some aspects, the method includes the steps of: determining the initial orientation of an electric meter based on an initial acceleration measurement from an accelerometer placed inside the electric meter; continuously monitoring subsequent acceleration measurements from the accelerometer; determining the subsequent orientation of the electric meter based on the subsequent acceleration measurements; determining the difference between the initial orientation and the subsequent orientation based on the initial and subsequent acceleration measurements; comparing the difference to a threshold; determining that the difference exceeds the threshold; and generating a notification to a headend system indicating that the orientation of the electric meter has changed based on the difference exceeding the threshold. Furthermore, if the difference exceeds the threshold, a timestamp event may be recorded and an alarm flag may be set.

[0006] In some cases, the step of determining the initial orientation of the electric meter may include performing a firmware procedure to initiate the acquisition of initial accelerometer measurements from the electric meter during installation. In some cases, the step of determining the initial orientation of the electric meter may include the electric meter initiating the acquisition of initial accelerometer measurements from the accelerometer when the electric meter is first registered with the network and enters operating mode at the installation site.

[0007] The step of continuously monitoring subsequent acceleration measurements from an accelerometer may include receiving acceleration measurements from the accelerometer at predetermined time intervals.

[0008] In some cases, the step of determining the difference between the initial orientation and the subsequent orientation may include determining the difference between the initial acceleration measurement and the subsequent acceleration measurement. In some cases, the step of determining the difference between the initial orientation and the subsequent orientation may include determining the initial tilt angle of the electric meter based on the initial acceleration measurement, determining the subsequent tilt angle of the electric meter based on the subsequent acceleration measurement, and comparing the initial tilt angle with the subsequent tilt angle.

[0009] This method may further include the step of determining the tilt angle difference of the electric meter at predetermined time intervals when acceleration measurements are received from an accelerometer. The tilt angle of the electric meter may be the angle in the front-to-back direction relative to the front of the electric meter, the angle in the left-to-right direction relative to the front of the electric meter, or the angle in the rotational direction about the vertical axis of the electric meter.

[0010] According to various aspects of this disclosure, an electric meter is provided. In some embodiments, the electric meter may include an accelerometer and a processor. The accelerometer may be configured to acquire an initial acceleration measurement of the electric meter due to gravity and to acquire subsequent acceleration measurements of the electric meter due to gravity over time.

[0011] The processor may communicate with the accelerometer. The system receives initial acceleration measurements and subsequent acceleration measurements from the accelerometer. Based on the initial acceleration measurement, the initial orientation of the electric meter is determined. Based on the subsequent acceleration measurement, the direction of the subsequent electric meter is determined. Based on the initial acceleration measurement and the subsequent acceleration measurement, the difference between the initial orientation and the subsequent orientation is determined. Compare the difference to the threshold, Determine if the difference exceeds the threshold, The system may be configured to generate a notification to the headend system indicating a change in the orientation of the electric meter based on the difference exceeding a threshold. Furthermore, if the difference exceeds the threshold, a timestamp event may be recorded and an alarm flag may be set.

[0012] In some cases, the electric meter processor may be configured to determine the difference between the initial and subsequent orientations by determining the difference between the initial and subsequent acceleration measurements. In some cases, the electric meter processor, The initial tilt angle of the electric meter is determined based on the initial acceleration measurement. Based on the subsequent acceleration measurement, the subsequent tilt angle of the electric meter is determined. Compare the initial inclination angle with the subsequent inclination angle. This may be further configured to determine the difference between the initial orientation and the subsequent orientation.

[0013] The processor may be configured to receive subsequent acceleration measurements at predetermined time intervals, and the processor may be further configured to determine the tilt angle difference at predetermined time intervals when acceleration measurements are received from the accelerometer. The tilt angle of the electric meter may be the angle in the front-to-back direction relative to the front of the electric meter, the angle in the left-to-right direction relative to the front of the electric meter, or the angle in the rotational direction about the vertical axis of the electric meter.

[0014] A system is provided according to various aspects of this disclosure. In some aspects, the system may include a headend system and an electric meter. The headend system may include a server, and the electric meter may communicate with the headend system. The electric meter may include an accelerometer and a processor. The accelerometer may be configured to acquire an initial acceleration measurement of the electric meter due to gravity and to acquire subsequent acceleration measurements of the electric meter due to gravity over time.

[0015] The processor may communicate with the accelerometer. The system receives initial acceleration measurements and subsequent acceleration measurements from the accelerometer. Based on the initial acceleration measurement, the initial orientation of the electric meter is determined. Based on the subsequent acceleration measurement, the direction of the subsequent electric meter is determined. Based on the initial acceleration measurement and the subsequent acceleration measurement, the difference between the initial orientation and the subsequent orientation is determined. Compare the difference to the threshold, Determine if the difference exceeds the threshold, The system may be configured to generate a notification to the headend system server indicating a change in the direction of the electric meter based on the difference exceeding a threshold. Furthermore, if the difference exceeds the threshold, a timestamp event may be recorded and an alarm flag may be set.

[0016] In some cases, the processor may be configured to determine the difference between the initial and subsequent orientations by determining the difference between the initial and subsequent acceleration measurements. In some cases, the processor determines an initial tilt angle of the electric meter based on the initial acceleration measurement, determines a subsequent tilt angle of the electric meter based on the subsequent acceleration measurement, and compares the initial tilt angle with the subsequent tilt angle to further determine the difference between the initial and subsequent orientations.

[0017] The processor may be configured to receive subsequent acceleration measurements at a predetermined time interval, and the processor may be further configured to determine the tilt angle difference at the predetermined time interval when an acceleration measurement from the accelerometer is received.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] Aspects and features of various embodiments will become more apparent by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings including the following figures.

[0019] [Figure 1] A block diagram showing an electric meter and an electrical connection to a meter socket according to some aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] A block diagram showing an example of an electric meter. [Figure 3] A diagram for explaining a change in the front-back direction of the orientation of the electric meter. [Figure 4] A diagram for explaining a change in the left-right direction of the orientation of the electric meter. [Figure 5] A diagram for explaining a change in the orientation of the electric meter in the rotational direction around the vertical axis of the electric meter. [Figure 6] A block diagram showing communication between an electric meter and a head-end system according to some aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 7]This flowchart shows a method for measuring the tilt of an electric meter according to some aspects of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0020] While specific embodiments are described, these embodiments are presented only as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of protection. The apparatus, methods, and systems described herein can be embodied in a variety of other forms. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, and modifications in the exemplary forms of methods and systems described herein can be made without departing from the scope of protection.

[0021] Embodiments relating to this disclosure can detect changes in the orientation of an electric meter. Changes in the orientation of an electric meter from its initial orientation when installed, such as tilting, can cause safety or power quality problems. For example, changes in the orientation of an electric meter can put stress on or expose electrical conductors or connectors, potentially creating a risk of shock or fire. By detecting changes in the orientation of an electric meter, it is possible to prevent not only loss of life but also damage to structures and electrical equipment.

[0022] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the electrical connections to an electric meter and meter socket. The meter and meter socket are installed in the customer's building. The meter measures and controls the electricity supplied to the customer's building via the power distribution system (i.e., the power grid). The meter may be combined with a communication module to enable the meter to communicate with other meters and power providers. As shown in Figure 1, power from the power grid 110 (i.e., the power distribution system) is supplied to the meter socket 120 via electrical wiring L1 and L2. Electrical wiring L1 and L2 can supply power from two phases of the power grid. A neutral wire N, sometimes called ground, is connected between the power grid 110 and the electric service 140, for example, in an electric service panel in a residential or commercial customer building. In some installations, the neutral wire N may not have a connection within the meter socket. In other installations, the neutral wire N may be connected within the meter socket.

[0023] The electrical service 140 is connected to the meter socket 120 via corresponding electrical wirings L1 and L2. The meter socket 120 includes an electrical connector, which provides an electrical connection to the meter 130 when the meter 130 is plugged into the meter socket 120. The electrical connection between the power grid 110 and the electrical service 140 is formed through the meter 130 when the meter 130 is plugged into the meter socket 120. Within the meter 130, the voltage and current supplied to the electrical service 140 by the power grid 110 are measured or metered by a measuring device 135, for example, by a transformer and a current transformer. The power supplied to the electrical service 140 may be calculated based on the measured voltage and current values.

[0024] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an electric meter according to an aspect of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 2, the electric meter 210 may include a processor 220, a memory 230, an accelerometer 250, and a communication module 240.

[0025] The processor 220 may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device. The processor 220 may communicate electrically with the accelerometer 250, the memory 230, and the communication module 240, and may control the overall operation of the electric meter 210. The processor 220 may receive data generated by various sensors of the electric meter 210, including (but not limited to) data generated by the accelerometer 250, and may perform operations on or processing of the data. In some embodiments, the data generated by the accelerometer 250 may be time-stamped by the accelerometer 250 or the processor 220. In some embodiments, the accelerometer data may not include a timestamp.

[0026] The memory 230 may be a storage device such as a solid-state memory device or other storage devices, or a combination of volatile and non-volatile storage devices or memories. In some embodiments, part of the memory may be included in the processor 220. The memory 230 may be configured to store instructions that can be executed by the processor 220 and data generated by various sensors of the electric meter 210, including (but not limited to) data generated by the accelerometer 250.

[0027] According to aspects of this disclosure, if the electric meter 210 is installed in a meter socket, the accelerometer 250 may monitor vibrations experienced by the electric meter 210. The processor 220 may receive timestamped data from the accelerometer 250, or it may receive accelerometer data and timestamped the accelerometer data. In some embodiments, the processor 220 may store the timestamped accelerometer data in, for example, memory 230 or other storage device. The accelerometer data may be stored for a specific period of time.

[0028] The communication module 240 may be a wired or wireless transceiver capable of operating to communicate via various wired or wireless protocols as known in the art. The communication module 240 allows the electric meter 210 to communicate with other meters, with utility providers, and, for example, with a headend system. The communication module may be a radio frequency (RF) transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with, for example, a headend system, other electric meters, and devices within a communication network. Many technologies are available for RF communication, including, but are not limited to, Cat-M, Cat-1, NB-IoT, ZigBee, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Wi-SUN, cellular, and proprietary protocols, and these technologies may use a wide variety of frequencies.

[0029] The headend system is, for example, a server located at the utility provider's office location. The headend system may communicate with the electric meter and collect meter identification information such as serial number, Advanced Measurement Infrastructure (AMI) identifier, and other utility-specific identifiers, as well as data generated by the electric meter, such as Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates, voltage and current data, accelerometer data, and notifications. The communication module 240 may transmit data and alarm signals to the utility provider's headend system and receive either updated program instructions, firmware updates, other configuration updates, or other communications.

[0030] The accelerometer 250 may be a two-axis accelerometer, a three-axis accelerometer, or any other type of accelerometer. The accelerometer 250 may be operable to detect static acceleration due to gravity. By measuring the amount of static acceleration due to gravity, the accelerometer 250 or processor 220 can determine the angle at which the electric meter 210 is tilted relative to the Earth. In some embodiments, the accelerometer 250 may be operable to detect vibrations in the range of a few hertz to several hundred hertz. Thus, the accelerometer 250 can detect vibrations caused by the insertion and removal of the electric meter.

[0031] When an electric meter is installed in a customer's building on a vertical mounting surface, such as a column or the side of a building, the electric meter is oriented so that its front surface is substantially parallel to the vertical mounting surface (for example, the electric meter is vertical). Therefore, the electric meter is considered to be installed vertically. Measurements from an accelerometer placed inside the electric meter, such as accelerometer 250, may be used to determine the orientation of the electric meter relative to gravity when it is installed.

[0032] In some exemplary embodiments, the initial orientation measurement may be obtained from an accelerometer by causing the electric meter to perform a firmware procedure. The firmware procedure may be initiated by a technician, or it may cause the accelerometer to perform a static acceleration measurement, and the initial orientation determination may be performed by the electric meter's accelerometer and / or processor based on the accelerometer signal. In some embodiments, the initial orientation measurement may be initiated by the electric meter when it registers with a utility provider network and transitions to an operating mode at the installation site.

[0033] The acceleration measurement obtained when the electric meter is installed may be stored, for example, in the electric meter's memory 230 as a reference orientation. Alternatively or initially, the reference orientation may be transmitted by the electric meter's processor to the headend system via a communication module. The reference accelerometer measurement may be compared with a subsequently obtained accelerometer measurement to determine whether the electric meter's orientation has changed. In some cases, the reference accelerometer measurement may be directly compared with a subsequently obtained accelerometer measurement. In other cases, the tilt angle of the electric meter determined based on the reference accelerometer measurement may be compared with the tilt angle of the electric meter determined based on a subsequently obtained accelerometer measurement.

[0034] Figure 3 illustrates the change in the orientation of the electric meter in the longitudinal direction. Referring to Figure 3, in the initial installation 320, the electric meter 310 may be installed in a substantially vertical orientation. Measurements may be taken from an accelerometer placed inside the electric meter to define the reference orientation of the electric meter in the longitudinal (e.g., pitch) direction relative to the front of the electric meter. In some examples, the electric meter's processor may receive the accelerometer measurement and determine the reference orientation of the electric meter in the longitudinal direction. In some examples, the accelerometer may determine the reference orientation of the electric meter in the longitudinal direction from the obtained measurement and communicate the reference orientation to the processor.

[0035] The orientation of the electric meter in the front-to-back direction may be determined as the tilt angle α of the electric meter (for example, the angle difference from the exact vertical). The reference front-to-back orientation measurement may be stored, for example, in the electric meter's memory. Alternatively, or in addition to this, the processor may cause a communication module to transmit the reference front-to-back orientation measurement to the headend system.

[0036] In some exemplary embodiments, the accelerometer may continuously measure the front-to-back orientation of the electric meter and transmit the measured value or determined front-to-back orientation to the processor. In some exemplary embodiments, the accelerometer may measure the front-to-back orientation of the electric meter over a predetermined time interval, such as seconds, minutes, hours, or days, and transmit the measured value or the front-to-back orientation to the processor.

[0037] Due to various external conditions, such as strong winds, structural deterioration, vehicle collisions, and ground subsidence, the orientation of the electric meter may tilt forward 330 or backward 340 relative to the reference frame of the electric meter 310. In some cases, the change in orientation may occur suddenly, for example, as a result of a vehicle collision with the pole or wall on which the electric meter 310 is mounted. In some cases, the change in orientation may occur over a period of time, for example, as the land around the electric meter 310 subsides. An accelerometer placed inside the electric meter 310 can detect the change in orientation by determining the change in the magnitude of the gravity vector measured along the appropriate axis.

[0038] Figure 4 illustrates the lateral variation of the orientation of the electric meter. Referring to Figure 4, in the initial installation 420, the electric meter 410 may be installed in a substantially vertical orientation. Measurements may be taken from an accelerometer placed inside the electric meter to define the reference orientation of the electric meter in the lateral (e.g., roll) direction relative to the front of the electric meter. In some examples, the electric meter's processor may receive the accelerometer measurements and determine the reference orientation of the electric meter in the lateral direction. In some examples, the accelerometer may determine the reference orientation of the electric meter in the lateral direction from the obtained measurements and communicate the reference orientation to the processor.

[0039] The orientation of the electric meter in the left-right direction may be determined as the tilt angle β of the electric meter (for example, the angle difference from the exact vertical). The reference left-right orientation measurement may be stored, for example, in the electric meter's memory. Alternatively, or in addition to this, the processor may cause a communication module to transmit the reference left-right orientation measurement to the headend system.

[0040] In some exemplary embodiments, the accelerometer may continuously measure the left-right orientation of the electric meter and transmit the measured value or determined left-right orientation to the processor. In some exemplary embodiments, the accelerometer may measure the left-right orientation of the electric meter over a predetermined time interval, for example, a period of seconds, minutes, hours, days, etc., and transmit the measured value or left-right orientation to the processor.

[0041] Due to various external conditions, such as strong winds, structural deterioration, vehicle collisions, and ground subsidence, the orientation of the electric meter may tilt to the left 430 or right 440 relative to the reference frame of the electric meter 410. In some cases, the change in orientation may occur suddenly, for example, as a result of a vehicle collision with the column or wall on which the electric meter 410 is mounted. In some cases, the change in orientation may occur over a period of time, for example, as the land around the electric meter 410 subsides. Measurements from an accelerometer placed inside the electric meter 410 can detect the change in orientation by determining the change in the magnitude of the gravity vector measured along the appropriate axis.

[0042] Figure 5 illustrates the change in the orientation of an electric meter in the direction of rotation around the vertical axis. Referring to Figure 5, in the initial setup 520, the electric meter 510 may be installed in a substantially vertical orientation. To define the reference orientation of the electric meter in the direction of rotation (e.g., yaw) around the vertical axis of the electric meter, measurements may be taken from an accelerometer placed inside the electric meter. In some examples, the electric meter's processor may receive the accelerometer measurements and determine the reference orientation in the direction of rotation of the electric meter. In some examples, the accelerometer may determine the reference orientation in the direction of rotation of the electric meter from the obtained measurements and communicate the reference orientation to the processor.

[0043] The orientation of the electric meter in the direction of rotation may be determined as the tilt angle γ of the electric meter. The tilt angle γ may be the angle of rotation of 0 degrees around the vertical axis of the electric meter. The measured value of the reference direction of rotation may be stored, for example, in the electric meter's memory. Alternatively, or in addition to this, the processor may cause a communication module to transmit the measured value of the reference direction of rotation to the headend system.

[0044] In some exemplary embodiments, the accelerometer may continuously measure the direction of rotation of the electric meter and transmit the measured or determined direction of rotation to the processor.

[0045] Due to various external conditions, such as strong winds, structural deterioration, vehicle collisions, and ground subsidence, the orientation of the electric meter may tilt to the left 530 or right 540 relative to the reference frame of the electric meter 510. In some cases, the change in orientation may occur suddenly, for example, as a result of a vehicle collision with the pole or wall on which the electric meter 510 is mounted. In some cases, the change in orientation may occur over a period of time, for example, as the land around the electric meter 510 subsides. Measurements from an accelerometer placed inside the electric meter 510 can detect the change in orientation by determining the change in the magnitude of the gravity vector measured along the appropriate axis.

[0046] According to aspects of this disclosure, changes in the orientation of an electric meter detected by accelerometer measurement may be compared to a threshold. For example, the electric meter's processor may receive the accelerometer signal and compare it to the electric meter's reference orientation to calculate a forward-backward tilt angle α, a left-right tilt angle β, or a rotational tilt angle γ, or tilt angles in all three directions. In some embodiments, the threshold may be specified as a positive value, and the absolute value of the tilt angle may be used for comparison. In other embodiments, the threshold may be specified as a signed value (e.g., ±15 degrees), and the tilt angles may be compared according to those signed values. If the value of the forward-backward tilt angle α, left-right tilt angle β, or rotational tilt angle γ exceeds a threshold, e.g., 15 degrees, or another angle from the electric meter's reference orientation, the processor may cause a communication module to generate a notification to the headend system. The notification may include a timestamp event recorded in a location in memory (e.g., memory 230) or in a register in the processor (e.g., processor 220), and an alarm flag may be set in a location in memory or in a register in the processor. Once a notification is generated, a technician may be dispatched to investigate the cause of the notification.

[0047] In some cases, the accelerometer signal may indicate vibrations caused, for example, by the pole on which the electric meter is mounted swaying in strong winds. Vibrations detected by the accelerometer may suggest that the power lines connected to the pole are experiencing excessive strain, which could eventually lead to sagging wires or other fault conditions. In some embodiments, the electric meter may have a filter (not shown) applied to detect and filter out transient vibrations due to normal wind conditions.

[0048] Figures 3-5 illustrate electric meters installed on poles, but other installations, such as on building walls, may be used, as long as they do not deviate from the scope of this disclosure.

[0049] Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating communication between an electric meter and a headend system according to some aspects of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 6, electric meters 610, 620, and 630 may communicate with the headend system 640 via a communication link 650 and with each other via a communication link 660. The headend system 640 may include a server 645 configured to communicate with the electric meters 610, 620, and 630 via a network, such as an Advanced Measurement Infrastructure (AMI) network. Each electric meter 610, 620, and 630 may communicate meter information and data with other electric meters and the server 645 in the headend system 640. In some cases, an electric meter, such as electric meter 620, may be too far from the headend system 640 to communicate directly. In such cases, electric meter 620 may communicate with the headend system 640 via another electric meter, such as electric meter 610.

[0050] In some cases, communication between the electric meter and the headend system may occur via a further network (not shown). In addition to this, or instead, the electric meter may communicate with one or more edge processing devices located topologically closer to the electric meter than to the headend system. The edge processing devices may have greater processing power than the electric meter and may provide some of the functions typically provided by the headend system.

[0051] Electric meters 610, 620, and 630 may communicate with each other via a communication link 660 to exchange meter information and data. For example, if electric meter 610 experiences a loss of line voltage, electric meter 610 may communicate with electric meters 620 and 630 to determine whether the fault is local to electric meter 610 or whether the fault is a more widespread fault caused by a common condition. A common condition could be, for example, a sagging power line due to a storm. The above common condition may be reported to the headend system by one or more electric meters. In addition to or instead of this, an edge processing device may receive data from the electric meters and determine whether the data indicates a common condition affecting the electric meters.

[0052] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method 700 for measuring the inclination of an electric meter according to some aspects of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 7, in block 710, the electric meter may be installed in a customer's building. For example, the electric meter may be installed on a column or wall of a building or other structure. The electric meter may be installed in a substantially vertical orientation such that the front of the electric meter is substantially parallel to the vertical mounting surface (for example, the electric meter is vertical). Thus, the electric meter is considered to be mounted in a vertical orientation.

[0053] In block 720, the reference orientation of the electric meter may be specified. An accelerometer placed inside the electric meter may be operable to detect the static acceleration of the electric meter due to gravity. By measuring the amount of static acceleration due to gravity, it is possible to determine the angle at which the electric meter is tilted relative to the Earth when it is installed in a customer's building. For example, the accelerometer measurement may be received by the electric meter's processor, which may perform a calculation to determine the tilt angle. Alternatively, the accelerometer may perform a calculation to determine the tilt angle based on the measurement and transmit the tilt angle to the electric meter's processor.

[0054] Accelerometer measurements and / or tilt angles obtained during the installation of the electric meter may be stored in the electric meter's memory as reference orientations. Alternatively or initially, the reference orientations may be transmitted by the electric meter's processor to the headend system via a communication module. The reference orientations may be defined in the longitudinal (e.g., pitch), lateral (e.g., roll), and rotational (e.g., yaw) directions of the electric meter, as shown and described in relation to Figures 3-5.

[0055] In block 730, the acceleration of the electric meter due to gravity may continue to be measured. After installation, an accelerometer placed inside the electric meter may continue to measure the acceleration of the electric meter due to gravity in the forward / backward (e.g., pitch), left / right (e.g., roll), and rotational (e.g., yaw) directions. In some exemplary embodiments, the accelerometer may continuously measure the acceleration of the electric meter due to gravity. In some exemplary embodiments, the accelerometer may measure the acceleration of the electric meter due to gravity over a predetermined time interval, for example, a period of seconds, minutes, hours, days, etc. The accelerometer may transmit the measured values ​​to the electric meter's processor.

[0056] In block 740, the subsequent orientation of the electric meter may be determined. The subsequent orientation of the electric meter may be determined based on the subsequent acceleration measurement. The accelerometer measurement may be received by the electric meter's processor, which may perform calculations to determine the tilt angle of the electric meter. Alternatively, the accelerometer may perform calculations to determine the tilt angle based on the measurement and transmit the tilt angle to the electric meter's processor. The tilt angle may be determined in the front-to-back, left-to-right, and rotational directions of the electric meter.

[0057] In block 750, the difference between the initial orientation and the subsequent orientation of the electric meter may be determined. In some exemplary embodiments, the processor may compare the tilt angle based on the subsequent accelerometer measurement with the tilt angle of the reference orientation (e.g., the tilt angles in the front-to-back, left-to-right, and rotational directions when the electric meter is installed). In some exemplary embodiments, the electric meter processor may compare the subsequent accelerometer measurement with an accelerometer measurement obtained when the electric meter was installed, without calculating the tilt angle.

[0058] In block 760, the tilt angle or acceleration measurement may be compared to a threshold. The electric meter processor may determine whether the difference in the front-to-back tilt angle (e.g., angle α in Figure 3), the difference in the left-to-right tilt angle (e.g., angle β in Figure 4), the rotational tilt angle (e.g., angle γ in Figure 5), or the absolute value of all tilt angles exceeds a threshold. The threshold may be, for example, 15 degrees or a difference of other angles from the reference orientation. The thresholds for the front-to-back orientation, left-to-right orientation, and rotational orientation of the electric meter may be the same or different. In some embodiments, the threshold may be specified as a positive value, and the absolute value of the tilt angle may be used for comparison. In other embodiments, the threshold may be specified as a signed value (e.g., ±15 degrees), and the tilt angles may be compared according to those signed values. In some embodiments, the processor may compare subsequent accelerometer measurements with initial accelerometer measurements obtained at the time of electric meter installation without calculating the tilt angle. The threshold may be specified in terms of the difference in accelerometer measurements rather than in terms of the tilt angle.

[0059] If the method determines that the tilt angle or acceleration measurement does not exceed a threshold (760N), it may proceed to block 730. If the method determines that the tilt angle or acceleration measurement exceeds the threshold (760-Y), a notification to the headend system may be generated in block 770. The notification may be an alarm signal or other indication that the orientation of the electric meter has changed beyond an acceptable limit. The notification may include a timestamp event recorded in a location in memory (e.g., memory 230) or a register in the processor (e.g., processor 220), and an alarm flag may be set in a location in memory or a register in the processor.

[0060] Naturally, the specific steps shown in Figure 7 provide a specific method for measuring the inclination of the installation of an electric meter according to the embodiment of this disclosure. Other sequences of steps may be performed according to alternative embodiments. For example, alternative embodiments may perform the steps outlined above in a different order. Furthermore, the individual steps illustrated in Figure 7 may include multiple substeps, and the substeps may be performed in various orders appropriate to the individual steps. Furthermore, additional steps may be added or omitted depending on the specific application. Those skilled in the art will recognize many variations, modifications, and alternatives.

[0061] According to certain aspects of this disclosure, changes in the orientation of an electric meter based on accelerometer measurements can be used to detect tampering with an electric meter. For example, in some cases, an electric meter may be powered off, carefully removed from its socket, and then powered back on in such a way that a typical accelerometer signal signature cannot be detected. Such a situation may occur, for example, when someone attempts to tamper with an electric meter by powering it back on on a workbench. In such a case, the change in the orientation of the electric meter detected in accordance with this disclosure is notified to the utility provider. For example, a change in tilt angle exceeding a threshold, accompanied by a loss of voltage, indicates that the electric meter has been removed. The stored energy of the electric meter may provide sufficient power to send a notification of meter removal to the headend system.

[0062] The examples and embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only. Various modifications or changes in light of them will be apparent to those skilled in the art. These are included in the spirit and scope of this application and the subsequent appended claims.

Claims

1. determining an initial orientation of the electric meter based on an initial acceleration measurement of an accelerometer disposed within the electric meter; continuously monitoring subsequent acceleration measurements from the accelerometer; determining a number of subsequent orientations of the electric meter based on the subsequent acceleration measurements obtained within a specified time period; determining a number of differences between the initial orientation and the number of subsequent orientations based on the initial acceleration measurement and the subsequent acceleration measurements taken within a particular time period; comparing the differences to a number of thresholds; determining when the differences exceed the thresholds; generating a notification to a head end system indicating that an orientation of the electric meter has changed based on the differences exceeding the thresholds; The method includes:

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the initial orientation of the electric meter comprises executing a firmware procedure to initiate taking the initial acceleration measurements of the electric meter during installation.

3. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the initial orientation of the electric meter includes initiating acquisition of the initial acceleration measurements from the accelerometer by the electric meter when the electric meter is first registered with a network and transitions to an operational mode at an installed location.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of continuously monitoring the subsequent acceleration measurements from the accelerometer comprises receiving acceleration measurements from the accelerometer at predetermined time intervals.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the plurality of differences between the initial orientation and the plurality of subsequent orientations comprises determining differences between the initial acceleration measurement and the subsequent acceleration measurement.

6. The step of determining a plurality of differences between the initial orientation and the plurality of subsequent orientations comprises: determining an initial tilt angle of the electricity meter based on the initial acceleration measurement; determining a plurality of subsequent tilt angles of the electricity meter based on the subsequent acceleration measurements; and comparing the initial tilt angle to the plurality of subsequent tilt angles. The method of claim 1.

7. 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining a plurality of tilt angle differences of the electric meter at predetermined time intervals when the subsequent acceleration measurements from the accelerometer are received.

8. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the tilt angle of the electric meter is a front-to-back angle with respect to a front surface of the electric meter, a left-to-right angle with respect to a front surface of the electric meter, or a rotational angle of the electric meter about a vertical axis.

9. An accelerometer; a processor in communication with the accelerometer, The accelerometer is obtaining an initial acceleration measurement of the electricity meter due to gravity; Obtaining subsequent acceleration measurements of said electricity meter over time due to gravity. It is configured as follows: The processor, receiving the initial acceleration measurement and the subsequent acceleration measurement from the accelerometer; determining an initial orientation of the electricity meter based on the initial acceleration measurements; determining a plurality of subsequent orientations of the electric meter based on the subsequent acceleration measurements obtained within a specified time period; determining a plurality of differences between the initial orientation and the plurality of subsequent orientations based on the initial acceleration measurement and the subsequent acceleration measurements obtained within a particular time period; comparing the differences to a plurality of thresholds; determining whether the differences exceed the thresholds; generating a notification to a head-end system indicating that an orientation of the electric meter has changed based on the differences exceeding the thresholds; It was configured as follows: Electricity meter.

10. 10. The electric meter of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a plurality of differences between the initial orientation and the plurality of subsequent orientations by determining a plurality of differences between the initial acceleration measurement and the plurality of subsequent acceleration measurements.

11. The processor, determining an initial tilt angle of the electricity meter based on the initial acceleration measurement; determining a plurality of subsequent tilt angles of the electricity meter based on the subsequent acceleration measurements; Comparing the initial tilt angle to the plurality of subsequent tilt angles. and determining a plurality of differences between the initial orientation and the plurality of subsequent orientations by 10. An electricity meter as claimed in claim 9.

12. The electric meter of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to receive the subsequent acceleration measurements at predetermined time intervals.

13. 13. The electric meter of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a plurality of tilt angle differences at the predetermined time interval when the subsequent acceleration measurements from the accelerometer are received.

14. The electricity meter according to claim 11 , wherein the inclination angle of the electricity meter is an angle in a front-to-rear direction relative to a front surface of the electricity meter, or an angle in a left-to-right direction relative to the front surface of the electricity meter.

15. The electric meter of claim 11, wherein the tilt angle of the electric meter is a rotational angle of the electric meter about a vertical axis.

16. a headend system including a server; an electricity meter in communication with the headend system; A system comprising: the electricity meter comprising an accelerometer and a processor in communication with the accelerometer; The accelerometer is obtaining an initial acceleration measurement of the electricity meter due to gravity; Obtaining subsequent acceleration measurements of said electricity meter over time due to gravity. It is configured as follows: The processor, receiving the initial acceleration measurement and the subsequent acceleration measurement from the accelerometer; determining an initial orientation of the electricity meter based on the initial acceleration measurements; determining a plurality of subsequent orientations of the electric meter based on the subsequent acceleration measurements obtained within a specified time period; determining a plurality of differences between the initial orientation and the plurality of subsequent orientations based on the initial acceleration measurement and the subsequent acceleration measurements obtained within a particular time period; comparing the differences to a plurality of thresholds; determining whether the differences exceed the thresholds; generating a notification to the server of the head-end system indicating that an orientation of the electric meter has changed based on the differences exceeding the thresholds; It was configured as follows: system.

17. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the plurality of differences between the initial orientation and the subsequent orientation by determining a difference between the initial acceleration measurement and the subsequent acceleration measurement.

18. The processor, determining an initial tilt angle of the electricity meter based on the initial acceleration measurement; determining a plurality of subsequent tilt angles of the electricity meter based on the subsequent acceleration measurements; Comparing the initial tilt angle to the plurality of subsequent tilt angles. and determining the plurality of differences between the initial orientation and the plurality of subsequent orientations by 17. The system of claim 16.

19. 20. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to receive the subsequent acceleration measurements at predetermined time intervals.

20. 20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a plurality of tilt angle differences at the predetermined time interval when the subsequent acceleration measurements from the accelerometer are received.

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