Voice-Activated Meter Queries for Real-Time Energy Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Utility consumers face challenges in obtaining real-time or near real-time information about resource consumption, leading to incomplete and untimely data that hinders effective management of energy costs.
Innovation Solution
A voice-activated management system that includes a smart speaker, a voice service, and a metering device with a metrology module, communication module, and processing unit, enabling direct queries and responses for energy consumption data, allowing consumers to access accurate and timely consumption information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If consumers access resource consumption information through traditional utility portals or paper bills, then they receive complete consumption data, but they experience time delays and incomplete timeliness in obtaining this information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a voice-activated intermediary system that mediates between the utility's consumption data and the consumer. The system includes a voice interface that receives consumer queries, a processing component that retrieves real-time data from utility systems, and a speech synthesis component that delivers immediate verbal responses. This intermediary eliminates the time delay inherent in traditional portals and paper bills while maintaining data completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of physical paper bills and web portal access with an acoustic/voice-based system. Instead of consumers manually accessing portals or waiting for physical mail, the system uses voice recognition and speech synthesis to deliver consumption information instantly through audio channels, substituting mechanical interaction with acoustic field-based communication.
2Ease of operation
If consumers use web portals or electronic communications to access consumption data, then they can obtain detailed information, but the process becomes complex and inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The voice-activated system enables consumers to independently query and receive their consumption information through simple voice commands without needing to navigate complex portals or understand technical interfaces. The system automatically processes the voice query, retrieves the appropriate data, and delivers it in an easily consumable audio format, making the entire process self-service and highly convenient.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical interactions with web portals (clicking, scrolling, navigating menus) with simple acoustic interactions (speaking commands). This substitution dramatically reduces the operational complexity for consumers while maintaining access to detailed consumption information through natural voice-based communication.
3Speed
If utility providers deliver real-time consumption data through voice-activated systems, then consumers gain immediate access to information, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The voice-activated system performs multiple functions within a single integrated platform: it receives and processes natural language queries, authenticates consumers, retrieves real-time consumption data from utility systems, processes the data appropriately, and delivers synthesized speech responses. This multi-functionality achieves real-time information delivery while consolidating system complexity into a unified architecture rather than requiring separate systems for each function.
Data Source
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AI summary
A device located at a consumption premises comprises a meter. The meter comprises a metrology module configured to measure consumption of a resource and a communications module configured to wirelessly communicate with nodes in a wireless mesh network and with a head end system using a first networking protocol. The meter further comprises a processing unit and a memory device comprising instructions that are executable by the processing unit for causing the processing unit to: receive a voice service request based on a speech input request from the voice service, wherein the voice service request comprises (i) a first query for the meter comprising a request for energy management data and (ii) a second query for the head end system comprising a request for additional energy management data; communicate the second query to the head end system using the first networking protocol; determine a first response to the first query based on the consumption of the resource measured by the metrology module; receive a second response to the second query from the head end system; and transmit the first response and the second response to the voice service using a second networking protocol.