Proxy Meter Link for Secure Utility Meter Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric meters installed in inaccessible locations, such as basements or vaults in commercial buildings, face challenges with RF communication difficulties and limited accessibility for utility personnel, hindering efficient data access and control.
Innovation Solution
A proxy meter is installed at an accessible location and linked to a primary or host meter via a bi-directional communication link, mirroring data and commands, allowing secure and convenient access to meter data and control signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the meter is installed in an inaccessible location (basement, vault, locked room), then the safety and security of the meter are improved, but the accessibility for utility personnel and RF communication capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two separate components: a primary meter installed in the secure, inaccessible location that performs the actual measurement, and a proxy meter installed in an accessible location that provides data access and communication. This segmentation allows the primary meter to maintain security while the proxy meter handles accessibility requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The proxy meter acts as an intermediary device between utility personnel and the primary meter. It receives data from the primary meter via communication link and presents it in a readable format, while also relaying commands back to the primary meter. This intermediary resolves the contradiction by providing access without requiring physical access to the secure location.
2Reliability
If the meter is installed in an inaccessible location, then the security of the facility is improved, but the RF communication between utility and meter deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The proxy meter serves as a communication intermediary that maintains RF communication capability in the accessible location while the primary meter remains securely installed. The proxy meter receives and forwards data between the utility's RF network and the primary meter, ensuring communication reliability without compromising facility security.
Solution Approach 2:
The system separates the communication function from the measurement function by placing them in different physical locations. The proxy meter handles RF communication in the accessible dimension, while the primary meter performs measurement in the secure dimension, effectively resolving the spatial contradiction through functional separation.
3Ease of operation
If a proxy meter is installed at an accessible location linked to a primary meter, then the accessibility and data access are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The proxy meter creates a copy or representation of the primary meter's data and functionality. It mirrors the measurement data, status information, and command interfaces, allowing utility personnel to interact with the system as if directly accessing the primary meter, thereby simplifying operation despite the added hardware component.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical distribution system (D) in which the consumption of electricity supplied to a facility (F) is measured by an electric meter (HM) installed a relatively inaccessible or hard to reach facility location. A proxy meter (PM) is installed at a readily accessible or easy to reach facility location. The proxy meter is linked to the host meter (HM) for energy consumption measurements made by the host meter to be sent to the proxy meter for ready transmission to the utility (U). Instructions or directives for the host meter are transmitted to the proxy meter by the utility and sent by the proxy meter to the host meter for the host meter to act on or respond to them.