Meter Interval Data Synchronization After Power Outage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Utility meters face challenges in recording and synchronizing interval data after a power outage, particularly when the real-time clock is lost, leading to difficulties in accurately logging energy consumption during specific time intervals.
Innovation Solution
The meter establishes a relative start time after a power outage and measures energy consumption in relative time intervals, which are then synchronized with actual real-time intervals once the real-time clock is restored, ensuring accurate data logging and alignment with the correct time intervals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the meter uses a real-time clock to maintain accurate time measurement, then measurement precision is improved, but reliability deteriorates during power outages when the RTC loses time due to expired battery or capacitor power
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by establishing a relative start time and continuing to measure and store energy consumption data in relative intervals during the power outage period. This preliminary data collection ensures that no energy consumption data is lost during the outage, and the data is ready for synchronization once power is restored and real time is recovered.
2Measurement precision
If the meter continuously logs interval data aligned to real-time clock boundaries, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases when handling power outage scenarios requiring relative time tracking and data synchronization
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the energy consumption data storage into distinct phases: pre-outage real-time interval data and post-outage relative time interval data. Each phase uses its own time reference system. The segmentation allows independent handling of each data type with appropriate time tracking methods, simplifying the overall management by avoiding the need for a single complex time synchronization mechanism throughout the entire operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The relative start time acts as an intermediary reference point during power outages. Instead of directly attempting to maintain real-time clock boundaries without time information, the system introduces relative time intervals measured from the relative start time. This intermediary approach enables continuous data collection during outages and facilitates later synchronization with real-time intervals once power is restored.
3Measurement precision
If the meter maintains strict real-time interval boundaries for data storage, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of information increases during power outages when real time cannot be determined
Solution Approach 1:
The system ensures continuity of useful action by continuously measuring and storing energy consumption data throughout the entire operation, including during power outages. Rather than stopping data collection when real time is lost, the meter maintains continuous measurement using relative time intervals, ensuring that no energy consumption information is lost during the outage period.
Data Source
AI summary
A meter mechanism and method are disclosed for recording relative interval data accumulated when the meter loses real time due to a power failure and synchronizing the relative interval data with real-time intervals in the meter memory. The disclosed meter mechanism and method ensure that all usage is accounted for while the meter is online, the metered usage is closer to the actual interval boundaries in which the usage occurred, accounts for all real time intervals in a day, and is power fail tolerant during both the analysis and synchronization.