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公开(公告)号:US20240267368A1
公开(公告)日:2024-08-08
申请号:US18375947
申请日:2023-10-02
Applicant: Itron, Inc.
Inventor: Timothy James Driscoll , Jeffrey Scott Bailey , Christopher Higgins
CPC classification number: H04L63/0823 , H04L9/3271 , H04L63/064
Abstract: An electricity meter and electricity system or grid that is hardened against attack vectors is described, and provided in part by automated multiple-factor authentication over multiple communication networks. In an example, a utility company may control an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) network to provide internal communications. Metering devices may utilize customer's Wi-Fi to gain access to the internet, allowing electricity consumption data to be transmitted over the internet. Multiple authentication factors are used to prevent a bad actor from impersonating the metering device or cloud server. In an example, each metering device determines a secret, and sends the secret over the AMI network to a utility company server, and which relays the secret to the cloud server. The cloud server uses the secret to establish trust with metering devices. Additionally, the metering devices and the cloud server have signed certificates, which are used in additional authentication processes.
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公开(公告)号:US10724977B2
公开(公告)日:2020-07-28
申请号:US16459329
申请日:2019-07-01
Applicant: Itron, Inc.
Inventor: Robert Sonderegger , Timothy James Driscoll
IPC: G01N27/02 , G01R19/25 , G06Q50/06 , G01R27/16 , G01R31/08 , G06Q10/06 , G01R22/06 , G01R27/08 , H02J3/00
Abstract: Techniques for detecting high impedance conditions in an electrical grid are described herein. In one example, impedance is calculated for each of a plurality of locations within the electrical grid, such as at electrical meters. The impedances may be calculated as a change in voltage divided by a change in current, such as between sequential voltage/current measurements. Statistics may be maintained, including the calculated impedances. In three examples, statistics may be used to identify growth in impedance over multiple days, to identify growth in impedance over multiple hours, and to identify a meter for which impedance is higher than impedance for other meters attached to a single transformer. In a further example, instances of impedance over a threshold value may be identified, from among the maintained statistics. The instances of high impedance may be reported for reasons including cost and safety.
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公开(公告)号:US20180156851A1
公开(公告)日:2018-06-07
申请号:US15831028
申请日:2017-12-04
Applicant: Itron, Inc.
Inventor: Timothy James Driscoll , Hartman Van Wyk , Robert Sonderegger , Chris Higgins
CPC classification number: G01R25/00 , G01D4/002 , G01D4/004 , G01D4/006 , G01R19/2513 , Y02B90/241 , Y02B90/242 , Y02B90/243 , Y02B90/246 , Y04S20/32 , Y04S20/322 , Y04S20/325 , Y04S20/42 , Y04S20/48
Abstract: Determination of electrical network topology and connectivity are described herein. A zero-crossing is indicated at a time when the line voltage of a conducting wire in an electrical grid is zero. Such zero-crossings may be used to measure time within a smart grid, and to determine the connectivity of, and the electrical phase used by, particular network elements. A first meter may receive a phase angle determination (PAD) message, including zero-crossing information, sent from a second meter, hereafter called a reference meter. The first meter may compare the received zero-crossing information to its own zero-crossing information. A phase difference may be determined between the first meter and the reference meter from which the PAD message originated. The first meter may pass the PAD message to additional meters, which propagate the message through the network. Accordingly, an electrical phase used by meters within the network may be determined.
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公开(公告)号:US20250004022A1
公开(公告)日:2025-01-02
申请号:US18883984
申请日:2024-09-12
Applicant: Itron, Inc.
Inventor: Timothy James Driscoll , Gokulmuthu Narayanaswamy , Robert Carl Sonderegger , Michael Hogan Dann
IPC: G01R21/133 , G01R22/06
Abstract: In an electrical grid, several electricity meters may be associated with the same transformer, and may measure electricity sold to respective customers. In an example, one electricity meter executes manager software, while the other electricity meters execute agent software. One or more applications operated on each electricity meter, and control metrology devices, data processing, operation of radio(s) and/or a powerline communications modem, aspects of electrical phase determination, etc. The agent software operating on each electricity meter may relay messages from applications operating on that electricity meter to other (possibly similar) applications operating on other electricity meters. Each message sent by each instantiation of agent software may include a networking score of that electricity meter. The manager software may additionally communicate with a data collector and/or main office server(s). The manager software may select a replacement meter from among those connected to the same transformer to assume the role of executing manager software.
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公开(公告)号:US10732203B2
公开(公告)日:2020-08-04
申请号:US15651860
申请日:2017-07-17
Applicant: Itron, Inc.
Inventor: Timothy James Driscoll , Robert Sonderegger
IPC: G01R11/24 , G01R19/165 , G01R22/06
Abstract: Techniques for identifying electrical theft are described herein. In an example, a secondary voltage of a transformer may be inferred by repeated voltage and current measurement at each meter associated with the transformer. A difference in measured voltage values, divided by a difference in measured current values, estimates impedance at the meter. The calculated impedance, together with measured voltage and current values, determine a voltage at the transformer secondary. Such voltages calculated by each meter associated with a transformer may be averaged, to indicate the transformer secondary voltage. A transformer having lower-than-expected secondary voltage is identified, based in part on comparison to the secondary voltages of other transformers. Each meter associated with the identified transformer may be evaluated to determine if the unexpected voltage is due to a load on the transformer. If a load did not result in the unexpected secondary voltage, power diversion may be reported.
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公开(公告)号:US20160327603A1
公开(公告)日:2016-11-10
申请号:US14702759
申请日:2015-05-04
Applicant: Itron, Inc.
Inventor: Robert Sonderegger , Timothy James Driscoll
CPC classification number: G01N27/02 , G01R19/2513 , G01R22/066 , G01R27/08 , G01R27/16 , G01R31/086 , G06Q10/06 , G06Q50/06 , H02J3/00 , H02J2003/007 , Y02E60/74 , Y02E60/76 , Y04S10/30 , Y04S10/522 , Y04S40/22
Abstract: Techniques for detecting high impedance conditions in an electrical grid are described herein. In one example, impedance is calculated for each of a plurality of locations within the electrical grid, such as at electrical meters. The impedances may be calculated as a change in voltage divided by a change in current, such as between sequential voltage/current measurements. Statistics may be maintained, including the calculated impedances. In three examples, statistics may be used to identify growth in impedance over multiple days, to identify growth in impedance over multiple hours, and to identify a meter for which impedance is higher than impedance for other meters attached to a single transformer. In a further example, instances of impedance over a threshold value may be identified, from among the maintained statistics. The instances of high impedance may be reported for reasons including cost and safety.
Abstract translation: 本文描述了用于检测电网中的高阻抗条件的技术。 在一个示例中,针对电网内的多个位置中的每一个,例如在电表上计算阻抗。 阻抗可以被计算为电压变化除以电流变化,例如在顺序电压/电流测量之间。 可以保持统计,包括计算的阻抗。 在三个例子中,可以使用统计数据来识别多天内阻抗的增长,以识别多个小时内的阻抗增长,以及识别阻抗高于连接到单个变压器的其他仪表的阻抗的仪表。 在另一示例中,可以从所维护的统计信息中识别超过阈值的阻抗的实例。 由于包括成本和安全性在内的原因,可能会报告高阻抗情况。
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公开(公告)号:US12100945B2
公开(公告)日:2024-09-24
申请号:US18230259
申请日:2023-08-04
Applicant: Itron, Inc.
Inventor: Timothy James Driscoll , Gokulmuthu Narayanaswamy
CPC classification number: H02H7/20 , G01R23/15 , H02H1/0007
Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system for disconnecting loads from the electrical grid based on a power line frequency are disclosed. An electricity meter may monitor a power line frequency of a source power line connected to the electricity meter, and in response to determining that the power line frequency is lower than a disconnect threshold frequency, may open an internal switch and disconnect a load side output of the electricity meter from the source power line.
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公开(公告)号:US20240266830A1
公开(公告)日:2024-08-08
申请号:US18105543
申请日:2023-02-03
Applicant: Itron, Inc.
Inventor: Timothy James Driscoll , Donald Lloyd Reeves III , Benjamin Damm , Juan Alemany , David Wu Ganger , Julia Ahopelto
CPC classification number: H02J3/14 , G01D4/004 , G06Q50/06 , H02J2203/10 , H02J2310/60
Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system for disconnecting loads from the electrical grid are disclosed. An application programming interface (API) frontend of an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) load shedding system may receive a load shedding activation command; in response to receiving the load shedding activation command, the API frontend may deploy a load shedding token to one or more electricity meters of the AMI load shedding system, and cause the one or more electricity meters to disconnect corresponding loads from the one or more electricity meters.
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公开(公告)号:US20240210448A1
公开(公告)日:2024-06-27
申请号:US18089353
申请日:2022-12-27
Applicant: Itron, Inc.
Inventor: Melvin James Gehrs , David Wu Ganger , Timothy James Driscoll , Chaitanya Ashok Baone
IPC: G01R19/02 , G01R19/165
CPC classification number: G01R19/02 , G01R19/16585
Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium for detecting voltage anomaly in an electrical grid are provided. An electricity meter may collect voltage data by sampling a voltage waveform of the electrical grid at a preselected sampling rate; based on the voltage data, determine standard voltage waveform statistics of voltage of the electrical grid including statistical metrics; determine a range for the statistical metrics based on the standard voltage waveform statistics; at a preselected interval, calculate a statistical value of the statistical metrics of a present voltage waveform sampled at the preselected sampling rate for a preselected interval of the present voltage waveform; and in response to determining that the statistical value is outside of the range: capturing a predetermined number of cycles of voltage waveforms around the present voltage waveform, and sending an alarm to a remote computing device associated with the electrical grid.
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公开(公告)号:US20230378745A1
公开(公告)日:2023-11-23
申请号:US18230259
申请日:2023-08-04
Applicant: Itron, Inc.
Inventor: Timothy James Driscoll , Gokulmuthu Narayanaswamy
CPC classification number: H02H7/20 , H02H1/0007 , G01R23/15
Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system for disconnecting loads from the electrical grid based on a power line frequency are disclosed. An electricity meter may monitor a power line frequency of a source power line connected to the electricity meter, and in response to determining that the power line frequency is lower than a disconnect threshold frequency, may open an internal switch and disconnect a load side output of the electricity meter from the source power line.
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