U.S. patent application number 11/348122 was filed with the patent office on 2006-06-15 for methods, apparatus, media, and signals for monitoring utility usage.
This patent application is currently assigned to Smart Disaster Response Technologies, Inc.. Invention is credited to Mohammad Reza Baraty.
Application Number | 20060129498 11/348122 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25070879 |
Filed Date | 2006-06-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060129498 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Baraty; Mohammad Reza |
June 15, 2006 |
Methods, apparatus, media, and signals for monitoring utility
usage
Abstract
Methods, apparatus, computer readable media, and signals for
managing utility usage are disclosed. Generally, each involves
receiving a representation of a utility service usage at a load,
receiving and storing a usage range representation, and producing a
control signal for use by a utility service interrupter, when the
usage is outside of the usage range representation. The control
signal is operable to cause the utility service interrupter to
interrupt a supply of the utility service to the load. Each also
involves receiving a control signal indicating that a usage of the
utility service at the load is outside of a usage range
representation, and interrupting the supply of the utility service
to the load in response to the control signal. Systems and methods
for monitoring subscriber usage of a utility service and for
billing a subscriber for utility service usage are also
disclosed.
Inventors: |
Baraty; Mohammad Reza;
(Vancouver, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KNOBBE MARTENS OLSON & BEAR LLP
2040 MAIN STREET
FOURTEENTH FLOOR
IRVINE
CA
92614
US
|
Assignee: |
Smart Disaster Response
Technologies, Inc.
|
Family ID: |
25070879 |
Appl. No.: |
11/348122 |
Filed: |
February 6, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11022206 |
Dec 23, 2004 |
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11348122 |
Feb 6, 2006 |
|
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09764490 |
Jan 17, 2001 |
6842706 |
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11022206 |
Dec 23, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/63 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01D 2204/24 20210501;
G06Q 20/382 20130101; G06Q 30/04 20130101; G01D 2204/12 20210501;
G06Q 50/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/063 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 99/00 20060101
G06Q099/00 |
Claims
1. A method for monitoring a usage by a consumer of a utility
service, the method comprising: producing in a control system at
the consumer site a measurement of usage of the utility service at
the consumer site; and transmitting said measurement from the said
control system to a remote location for monitoring the usage by the
consumer of the said utility service.
2. A method for monitoring a usage by a consumer of a utility
service, the method comprising: receiving in a control system at
the consumer site from a location over a communications system a
usage range representation for a utility consuming device at the
consumer site, wherein the usage range representation comprises at
least one target input value of the utility consuming device and at
least one target output value of the utility-consuming device; and
comparing in the control system the usage range representation with
a representation of a utility usage by the utility-consuming
device, wherein the representation of a utility usage comprises at
least one detected input value of the utility-consuming device and
at least one measured output value of the utility consuming
device.
3. The method of claim 2 further comprising producing a control
signal for use by a utility service controller when the at least
one detected input value and/or the at least one measured output
value of the utility-consuming device exceeds the at least one
target input value and/or the at least one target output value, the
control signal being operable to cause the utility-control device
to interrupt or adjust the supply of the utility to the
utility-consuming device.
4. The method of claim 2 further comprising producing a control
signal for use by a utility service controller when the at least
one detected input value and/or the at least one measured output
value of the utility-consuming device falls bellow the at least one
target input value and/or the at least one target output value, the
control signal being operable to cause the utility-consuming device
to interrupt or adjust the supply of the utility to the
utility-consuming device.
5. A computer readable medium for providing instruction codes
executable by a programmable device, for directing said
programmable device to: produce in said programmable device a
measurement of usage of said utility service at a consumer
location; and transmit over a communication system from said
programmable device said measurement from said consumer location to
an entity for monitoring said consumer usage of said utility
service.
6. A data signal embodied in a carrier wave, the signal comprising
code segments for directing a programmable device to: produce in
said programmable device a measurement of usage of said utility
service at a consumer location; and transmit over a communication
system from said programmable device said measurement from said
consumer location to an entity for monitoring said consumer usage
of said utility service.
7. An apparatus for monitoring usage of a utility service by a
consumer, the apparatus comprising: a utility service measurement
device operable to produce a measurement of usage of said utility
service at a consumer location, wherein the utility service
measurement device operable to store a target value of usage of
said utility service at a consumer location; a communication
device, in communication with said utility service measurement
device, operable to transmit said measurement of usage of said
utility and the target value of usage of said utility from said
consumer location to an entity for monitoring said consumer usage
of said utility service.
8. An apparatus for monitoring usage of a utility service by a
consumer, the apparatus comprising: a producing means for producing
a measurement of usage of said utility service at a consumer
location; and a communication means for transmitting said
measurement from said consumer location to an entity for monitoring
said consumer usage of said utility service.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a divisional of application Ser. No.
11/022,206, filed Dec. 23, 2004, which is a continuation of
application Ser. No. 09/764,490, filed Jan. 17, 2001, which issued
as U.S. Pat. No. 6,842,706, the disclosures of both of which are
incorporated by reference in their entireties.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of Invention
[0003] This invention relates to apparatus, methods, media, and
signals for managing utility usage, in particular for controlling
excessive or non-optimized usage of a utility, controlling a supply
of a utility service to a load, facilitating monitoring of
subscriber usage of a utility service, and billing a subscriber for
utility service usage.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] With the increasing prospect of rising natural gas prices,
energy shortages, and water shortages looming on the horizon, there
is a need for smart management of utility service usage. As
national and worldwide energy resources dwindle, there is an
increasing need to manage the efficiency of energy and water use.
Recent years have seen an increased prevalence of energy blackouts,
brownouts, and water restrictions during certain times of the year
in order to conserve available resources of energy and water. As we
move into the twenty first century the conservation of energy and
water will gain increasing importance, requiring careful management
of utilities.
[0006] Many existing systems used to manage utilities do so for
control in disaster or abnormal conditions. For example some
systems involve shutting off the supply of utilities during an
emergency, such as in an earthquake or in response to leak
detection or a short circuit. These systems generally monitor for
faults or leaks in the utility system and respond by turning off a
circuit breaker or shutting off valves and evacuating gases and
water in order to prevent further damage to a dwelling or
building.
[0007] However, in these systems there is no monitoring of utility
usage and there is no subsequent controlling of utility supply in
response to measurements made while monitoring the utility usage.
Underscoring that need is the increased advantage of minimizing
utility usage costs for inefficient use of energy, and the added
safety precautions the system would present when utilizing
appliances which have not been optimized for energy usage.
Moreover, monitoring the usage of utilities would also naturally
facilitate the tracking of utility expenditures, and would provide
an opportunity to incorporate monitoring and controlling utilities
with a billing process to provide payment for utility usage.
[0008] What would be desirable therefore are methods and apparatus
which manage usage of a utility service.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention addresses the above needs by providing
methods, apparatus, media, and signals for managing utility
usage.
[0010] In accordance with one aspect of the invention there is
provided a method of controlling usage of a utility including
receiving a representation of a utility service usage at a load,
receiving and storing a usage range representation, and producing a
control signal for use by a utility service interrupter, when the
usage is outside of the usage range representation. The control
signal is operable to cause the utility service interrupter to
interrupt a supply of the utility service to the load.
[0011] The method may include transmitting the control signal to
the utility service interrupter, receiving user input specifying
the usage range representation and/or receiving a message from a
communications system and extracting the usage range representation
from the message according to a network protocol.
[0012] The method may also include receiving a plurality of
representations of the utility service usage representing the
utility service usage at the load, and receiving and storing a
plurality of usage range representations.
[0013] The method may also include producing a derived
representation from the plurality of representations of the utility
service usage and producing the control signal when the derived
representation is outside of the usage range representation. The
method may also include comparing the representations of the
utility service usage with respective usage range representations
and producing the control signal when a set of representations of
the utility service usage is outside of a corresponding set of
usage range representations.
[0014] The method may also include storing the representation of
utility service usage, displaying the representation of utility
service usage, storing an indication of whether or not the control
signal is active, and displaying the indication.
[0015] The method may also include transmitting the representation
of the utility service usage to a remote location.
[0016] In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is
provided a computer readable medium for providing instruction codes
executable by a programmable device, for directing the programmable
device to receive a representation of a utility service usage at a
load, receive and store a usage range representation, and produce a
control signal for use by utility service interrupter, when the
usage is outside of the usage range representation.
[0017] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is
provided a computer data signal embodied in a carrier. The computer
data signal includes code segments for directing a programmable
device to receive a representation of utility service usage at a
load, receive and store a usage range representation, and produce a
control signal for use by a utility service interrupter, when the
usage is outside of the usage range representation.
[0018] In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is
provided an apparatus for controlling usage of a utility including
a communications device operable to receive a representation of a
utility service usage at a load and operable to receive a usage
range representation, a data storage device operable to store the
usage range representation, and a controller, in communication with
the communications device and the data storage device. The
controller is operable to produce a control signal for use by a
utility service interrupter, when the usage is outside of the usage
range representation. The control signal is operable to cause the
utility service interrupter to interrupt the supply of the utility
service to the load.
[0019] The controller may further include a control signal
generator operable to produce the control signal, or a processor
circuit incorporating the control signal generator.
[0020] The communications device may be operable to transmit the
control signal to the utility service interrupter, to receive user
input specifying the usage range representation, to receive a
message from a communications system containing the usage range
representation, to be extracted from the message by the processor
circuit according to a network protocol.
[0021] The communications device may be operable to receive a
plurality of representations of the utility service usage
representing the utility service usage at the load, and operable to
receive a plurality of usage range representations. The data
storage device may be operable to store the plurality of usage
range representations.
[0022] The processor circuit may be operable to produce a derived
representation from the plurality of representations of the utility
service usage, and operable to cause the control signal generator
to produce the control signal when the derived representation is
outside of the usage range representation. The processor circuit
may also be operable to compare the representations of the utility
service usage with respective usage range representations and may
be operable to cause the control signal generator to produce the
control signal when a set of representations of the utility service
usage is outside of a corresponding set of usage range
representations.
[0023] The data storage device may be operable to store the
representation of utility service usage, or to store an indication
of whether or not the control signal is active.
[0024] The apparatus may further include an annunciation device
operable to display the representation of the utility service
usage, and the processor circuit may be operable to direct the
annunciation device to display the indication of whether or not the
control signal is active.
[0025] The communications device may also be operable to transmit
the representation of utility service usage to a remote
location.
[0026] In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is
provided a method of controlling a supply of a utility service to a
load including receiving a control signal indicating that a usage
of the utility service at the load is outside of a usage range
representation, and interrupting the supply of the utility service
to the load in response to the control signal. The control signal
may be received at a communications device in communication with a
utility service interrupter, and interrupting may include actuating
a valve or a switch.
[0027] The method may also include producing a representation of
the usage of the utility service by the load, for use by a
controller operable to produce the control signal, and transmitting
the representation to the controller.
[0028] The method may also include measuring the usage of the
utility service by the load to produce a measurement value
representing usage of the utility service by the load, and
producing the representation from the measurement value.
[0029] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is
provided a computer readable medium for providing instruction codes
executable by a programmable device, for directing the programmable
device to receive a control signal indicating that usage of the
utility service at the load is outside of a usage range
representation, and to interrupt the supply of the utility service
to the load in response to the control signal.
[0030] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is
provided a computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave, the
signal including code segments for directing a programmable device
to receive a control signal indicating that a usage of the utility
service at the load is outside of a usage range representation, and
to interrupt the supply of the utility service to the load in
response to the control signal.
[0031] In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is
provided an apparatus for controlling a supply of utility service
to a load including a communications device operable to receive a
control signal indicating that a usage of the utility service at
the load is outside of a usage range representation, and a utility
service interrupter, in communication with the communications
device. The utility service interrupter is operable to interrupt a
supply of utility service to the load in response to the control
signal, and may be operable to actuate a valve or a switch.
[0032] The apparatus may also include a processor circuit operable
to produce a representation of the usage of a utility service by
the load, for use by a controller operable to produce the control
signal. The communications device may be operable to transmit the
representation to the controller.
[0033] The apparatus may also include a measurement device in
communication with the processor circuit. The measurement device
may be operable to measure the usage of the utility service by the
load to produce a measurement value representing the usage of the
utility service by the load, and the processor circuit may be
operable to produce the representation from the measurement
value.
[0034] In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is
provided a method facilitating monitoring of subscriber usage of a
utility service including producing a measurement of usage of the
utility service at a subscriber location, and transmitting the
measurement from the subscriber location to an entity for
monitoring the subscriber usage of the utility service.
[0035] In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is
provided a computer readable medium for providing instruction codes
executable by a programmable device, for directing the programmable
device to produce a measurement of usage of the utility service at
a subscriber location, and transmit the measurement from the
subscriber location to an entity for monitoring the subscriber
usage of the utility service.
[0036] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is
provided a computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave. The
signal includes code segments for directing a programmable device
to produce a measurement of usage of the utility service at a
subscriber location, and transmit the measurement from the
subscriber location to an entity for monitoring the subscriber
usage of the utility service.
[0037] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is
provided an apparatus for monitoring usage of a utility service by
a subscriber including a utility service measurement device
operable to produce a measurement of usage of the utility service
at a subscriber location, and a transmitter, in communication with
the utility service measurement device, operable to transmit the
measurement from the subscriber location to an entity for
monitoring the subscriber usage of the utility service.
[0038] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is
provided a method of billing a subscriber for utility service usage
including producing a measurement of usage of the utility service
at a location, receiving rate information for the utility service,
applying the rate information to the measurement to produce a
billing value, and producing a billing signal representing a bill
bearing the billing value, for use by an output device at a
subscriber location for producing a bill at the subscriber
location.
[0039] The method may also include causing the bill to be printed
or displayed at the subscriber location in response to the billing
signal, or produced at a location designated by the subscriber.
[0040] The method may also include receiving the rate information
at the subscriber location, and applying the rate information at
the subscriber location.
[0041] The method may also include requesting the rate information
from a server, by establishing a communications connection to a
remote server, and transmitting the measurement or a value derived
from the measurement to a remote server. The method may also
include transmitting utility service usage information to a
server.
[0042] The method may also include producing and storing a
plurality of measurements of usage of the utility service,
measuring usage of a plurality of utility services, obtaining rate
information for at least some of the utility services, applying the
rate information to the at least some of the utility services to
produce at least some billing values for the at least some utility
services, and causing at least some bills to be produced, bearing
the at least some billing values. The method may also include
producing the billing signal in response to a request for the bill
to be produced.
[0043] In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is
provide a computer readable medium for providing instruction codes
executable by a programmable device and a computer data signal
including respective code segments embodied in a carrier wave. The
computer readable medium provides instruction codes executable by a
programmable device and the computer data signal contains
respective code segments for directing a programmable device to
produce a measurement of usage of the utility service at a
location, to receive rate information from the utility service, to
apply the rate information to the measurement to produce a billing
value, and to produce a billing signal representing a bill bearing
the billing value, for use by an output device at a subscriber
location for producing a bill at the subscriber location.
[0044] In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is
provided an apparatus for billing a subscriber for utility service
usage including a utility service measurement device operable to
measure the utility service usage at a location, a communications
device operable to receive rate information for the utility
service, a processor circuit, in communication with the
communications device, and operable to apply the rate information
to the measurement to produce billing value and to generate a
billing signal representing a bill bearing the billing value, for
use by an output device at a subscriber location for producing a
bill at the subscriber location.
[0045] The apparatus may further include an annunciation device
responsive to the billing signal for producing the bill bearing the
billing value. The annunciation device may further include a
printer to print the bill at the location or a printer at a remote
location to print the bill at a remote location.
[0046] The communications device may further include a receiver
operable to receive the rate information at the location. The
processor circuit may be operable to apply the rate information at
the location.
[0047] The communications device may be operable to establish
communications with either a server or a remote server to request
the rate information from the server or the remote server, and
further may include a transmitter operable to transmit either the
measurement or a value derived from the measurement to a remote
server. The transmitter may be operable to transmit utility service
usage information to a server.
[0048] The apparatus may further include a data storage device
operable to store the measurement of utility service usage.
[0049] The apparatus may also include a plurality of utility
service measurement devices operable to produce a plurality of
measurements of the utility service usage.
[0050] The plurality of utility service measurement devices may be
operable to measure usage of a plurality of utility services, and
the communications device may be in communication with the
plurality of the utility service measurements and operable to
obtain rate information for at least some of the utility
services.
[0051] The processor circuit may be operable to apply the rate
information to the at least some of the utility service
measurements to produce at least some billing values for the at
least some utility services.
[0052] The annunciation device may be operable to cause at least
some bills to be produced, bearing the at least some billing values
and may be operable to produce the billing signal in response to a
request for the bill to be produced.
[0053] Other aspects and features of the present invention will
become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review
of the following description of specific embodiments of the
invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0054] In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the
invention:
[0055] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system for managing
utility usage according to a first embodiment of the invention.
[0056] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a utility management apparatus
for controlling a supply of a utility service, as part of the
system shown in FIG. 1.
[0057] FIG. 3 is a flowchart depicting a process effected by a
processor circuit of the utility management apparatus shown in FIG.
2.
[0058] FIG. 4 is a tabular representation of a measurement/status
record produced by a processor circuit executing the process shown
in FIG. 3.
[0059] FIG. 5 is a tabular representation of a look-up table read
by the processor circuit of the utility management apparatus shown
in FIG. 2.
[0060] FIG. 6 is a tabular representation of a test record
recording the status indicators for a plurality of
measurement/status records shown in FIG. 4.
[0061] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a control device of the
system shown in FIG. 1.
[0062] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a control device, according
to an alternate embodiment, of the system shown in FIG. 1.
[0063] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a billing system
incorporating part of the system shown in FIG. 1.
[0064] FIG. 10 is a flowchart depicting a process effected by a
processor circuit of the billing system shown in FIG. 9.
[0065] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a bill produced according
to the process shown in FIG. 10, by the billing system shown in
FIG. 9.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0066] Referring to FIG. 1 a system for managing utility usage,
according to a first embodiment of the invention, is shown
generally at 10. In this embodiment, the system includes a utility
management apparatus 12, a plurality of measurement devices 13, 14,
15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 21 and a plurality of control devices 26,
28, and 30.
[0067] The plurality of measurement devices 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18,
19, and 21 measure utility usage parameters, such as electrical
power, water, and gas used by loads 20, 22, and 24, respectively,
for example, and the control devices 26, 28, and 30 may be valves
or relays, for example, for controlling the supply of utility
services to the respective loads. The load may include appliances
connected to a supply of gas, water, or electricity, for example,
or other types of utilities.
[0068] The measurement devices 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 21
measure the usage of the utility service by their respective loads
to produce a measurement value representing the usage of the
utility service by the respective load. The measurement devices 14
and 16, for example, may be flow meters or flow switches to measure
or sense the flow of gas and water to loads 20 and 22,
respectively, and measurement devices 13, 15, 17, 19, and 21 may
measure the amount of gas, water, heat, and/or other secondary by
products exhausted from the respective loads. Alternatively, or in
addition, measurement device 18 may be operable to measure the
electric power consumed by respective electric load 24, and
measurement device 21 may be operable to measure the continuity
through the load to determine if the electric load is connected to
a supply of utility service. In general, any other measurement
devices able to determine the usage of a utility by a load may be
used. Moreover, the measurement devices may comprise individual
devices or any combination of measurement devices may be grouped
together to determine an appropriate measurement of the usage of a
utility service by a load.
[0069] The measurement value is a representation of the usage of
the utility service by the respective loads or may be used to
produce such a representation. The representation of utility
service usage may be a signal representative of a measurement of
flow of water or gas through an appliance, the amount of electric
power or thermal energy used by an appliance, for example, or other
types of measurements which can be used to determine the usage of a
utility service. The representation of utility service usage may
represent the usage of a single utility by an appliance, or may
represent the usage of a plurality of utilities by various
appliances.
[0070] The control devices 26, 28, and 30 are operable to interrupt
a supply of utilities to their respective loads in response to
respective control signals. A control signal may be a voltage
signal in the 0-5V range, a current signal in the 4-20 mA range, or
a computer data signal, for example. Generally, the control signal
may be represented by a change in any feature of an electrical
signal, for example.
[0071] The utility management apparatus 12 includes a
communications device 32, a data storage device 34, and a utility
service controller 36 in communication with the communications
device and the data storage device. The utility management
apparatus 12 receives, at the communications device 32, the
representations of utility service usage at loads 20, 22, and 24,
from the measurement devices 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 21,
respectively.
[0072] The communications device 32 is also operable to receive a
usage range representation, which serves as a range of values in
determining whether there is excessive or non-optimized usage of a
utility by a load, and stores the usage range representation in the
data storage device 34. The data storage device 34 may store a
single usage range representation pertaining to a single load, or
may alternatively store a plurality of usage range representations
for various loads. The utility service controller 36 compares the
representation of utility service usage at a load to the
corresponding usage range representation stored in the data storage
device 34. If the utility service controller 36 determines that the
usage of a utility by a particular load 24 is outside of the usage
range representation for that load, the utility service controller
produces a control signal for use by the control device 30 to
interrupt the supply of the utility service to the respective load
24.
[0073] Management Apparatus
[0074] Referring to FIG. 2, to achieve the above function, in this
embodiment, the utility management apparatus 12 includes a
processor circuit shown at 38 as part of the utility service
controller 36. In this embodiment, the processor circuit 38
includes a control signal generator 40 for producing the control
signal when the usage is outside of the usage range representation,
for use by the control devices 26, 28, and 30 shown in FIG. 1, to
interrupt a supply of the utility service to the respective loads.
Alternatively, the control signal generator 40 may be separate from
the processor circuit 38.
[0075] In this embodiment, the utility service controller 36 also
includes a block of instruction codes provided by a processor
readable medium accessible by the processor circuit 38. In this
embodiment, the processor readable medium includes a program memory
device 42 and a random access memory device 44. Alternatively, the
processor readable medium may be a memory device such as a disc
drive or CD-ROM, or EPROM, for example, but could alternatively be
a communications link to the communications device 32 of the
utility management apparatus 12, where the communications device is
operable to communicate with a remote device. The communications
link may include the internet, for example.
[0076] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the data storage
device 34 is shown as a memory device separate from the utility
service controller 36. Alternatively, the data storage device 34
may be incorporated in the program memory device 42, the random
access memory device 44, or a CD-ROM, for example. Moreover, the
data storage device 34 may be alternatively housed in the utility
service controller 36, as shown in the embodiment in FIG. 1.
[0077] Referring to FIG. 2, the communications device 32 is
operable to receive from the measurement devices 13, 14, 15, 16,
17, 18, 19, and 21 the representations of the utility service usage
representing the utility service usage at respective loads 20, 22,
and 24, and pass the representations to an input port 46 of the
utility service controller 36 to be read by the processor circuit
38. Alternatively, the communications device 32 may store the
representations of utility service usage at the data storage device
34, to be read by the processor circuit 38 of the utility service
controller 36 as shown in FIG. 1.
[0078] Still referring to FIG. 1, the communications device 32 may
also be operable to transmit the representation of utility service
usage via a transmitter 55, such as a modem, for example, over a
communications system to a remote location, such as a group of
utility service suppliers 53 supplying the utility services or any
other entity, for monitoring the usage of the utility service. The
transmitter 55 is shown in FIG. 1 as separate from the utility
management apparatus 12 and the communications device 32, but
alternatively may be part of the communications device of the
management apparatus. The communications system may include a
computer network such as the internet 57 or may include a public
switched telephone network (PSTN) 52, for example, or a private
network or other communications system configured to deliver
messages to contain the representation of the utility service
usage.
[0079] The communications device 32 is also operable to receive
input specifying the usage range representations of the respective
loads. The usage range representation may be a signal derived by a
processor in the communications device or other device, from input
representing a maximum amount of power, voltage or current
allowable to be used by a load 24, or a maximum amount of water or
gas allowable to be used by loads 22 or 20, respectively.
Alternatively, the usage range representation may represent an
efficiency rating, a flow rating, a maximum and/or minimum utility
service usage amount, a secondary by-product amount, or generally
any other criteria which can be used to compare with the measured
usage of a utility service by a load to determine if the usage by
the load is excessive or not optimized to allow for maximum or
efficient performance of an appliance connected to the load.
[0080] The input may be provided by a user from a keyboard 48, or
may be provided in a message from a communications system, which
may be the internet 57 or the PSTN 52, shown in FIG. 1. For
example, a user managing the utility usage may want to specify the
maximum amount of power to be used by a load for a certain time, or
may want to change the maximum amount criteria to accommodate
changes in the power demand due to holidays or extreme weather or
general environmental conditions. Alternatively, the utility
service suppliers 53 or other entity may set or change a maximum
water usage criteria in response to drought conditions, or may set
a total power consumption limit during times of high power demand,
for example. Or, for example, the utility service suppliers 53 or
other authorities may set different temperature limits for cooling
or heating devices in different buildings.
[0081] Alternatively, certain appliances may be equipped with
information message transmitting ability, such as 10 chips, which
can communicate information messages about expected power
consumption, for example, to the communications device 32 to
provide input specifying the usage range representation. Referring
back to FIG. 2, the processor circuit 38 may be operable to extract
the usage range representations from the messages and may store the
usage range representations in the data storage device 34.
[0082] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the utility service
controller 36 is connected to an annunciation device 50, such as a
monitor, television screen, speaker, or printer, for example, which
is operable to annunciate by producing sound, printing, or
displaying representations of the utility service usage by
respective loads. Alternatively, signals produced by the utility
service controller 36 for use by the annunciation device 50 may be
transmitted to an annunciation device at a remote location, such as
at the utility service suppliers 53 or at a location of an owner of
a building using the utilities. This provides the user of the
utilities, or the one responsible for the usage of the utilities,
or the utility suppliers with real-time information relating to
utility usage by individual loads or a plurality of loads.
[0083] FIG. 3 shows a flowchart 60 depicting a process effected by
the block of instruction codes stored in the program memory device
42 which cooperates with the processor circuit 38 shown in FIG. 2,
to function as the control signal generator 40. Separate, similar
processes are simultaneously executed by the processor circuit 38,
for each load for which usage is monitored. The process is invoked
periodically, such as every thirty seconds, to determine if there
is an excessive or non-optimized usage of a utility by a load, and
measurement of status records for each load are updated to hold
current measurements and status of usage of the utility at the
load.
[0084] Block 62 causes the processor circuit 38 to measure the flow
of the utility to the load. To do this the processor circuit 38 may
cause the communications device 32 to transmit a requesting signal
to the measurement devices 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, or 21 shown
in FIG. 1 to produce a measurement value. In response the
measurement devices 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 21 produce a
measurement value representing the usage of the utility service by
respective loads, or the measurement value may be provided without
the need for a requesting signal. The measurement value may
represent the flow of water or gas through an appliance, the amount
of electric power or thermal energy used by an appliance, for
example, or other types of measurements which can be used to
determine the usage of a utility service. For example, if load 20
is used by a gas fireplace device, the amount of usage of the gas
utility by the load can be determined from measurement device 14,
which measures the amount of flow of gas into the fireplace device.
In addition, the measurement value may represent the amount of heat
or carbon dioxide or any other secondary by-product produced by the
fireplace device 20 as measured by measurement device 13.
Alternatively, measurement devices 16 and 17 may measure the
pressure or temperature of water in two separate sections of a pipe
leading to a faucet 22, respectively, and the measurement value may
be the difference in pressure or heat values to determine if the
pipe has undesirable transmission capacity.
[0085] The measurement value obtained at the I/O port 46 of the
processor circuit 38 is then stored at the data storage device in
the corresponding measurement/status record, such as the disk drive
34 or memory device 44, for example. In addition to the measurement
value, other information of relevance to the determination of
utility usage may be stored. For example, additional information to
be stored could include a start period of the measuring process, a
time duration of the measuring process, the total consumption used
by a load, and identification numbers corresponding to a specific
appliance using the utility or specifying the utility supplier. The
processor circuit 38 then receives the measurement value at an I/O
port 46. The measurement value as measured by measurement device 14
or 16 may represent the flow of gas or water to loads 20 or 22,
respectively.
[0086] Block 64 then causes the processor circuit 38 to determine
whether the utility service is supplied to the load. To do this,
the processor circuit 38 determines whether the measured flow is
non-zero or exceeds minimum threshold criteria and if so the
processor circuit determines that utility service is supplied to
the respective load.
[0087] Further, the processor circuit 38 may be operable to produce
a derived representation from a plurality of representations of the
utility service usage. The derived representation may represent the
efficiency of usage of a load derived from the utility service
usage measurements, or may represent the consumption rate or
exhaust rate of utility service usage by the load, for example.
Alternatively, the derived representation may represent the
efficiency of usage of the utility by the load, which, for example,
may be determined by using measurement device 15 to measure the
temperature change of a room heated by the fireplace device 20 to
determine the heat produced, and then dividing the heat produced by
the fireplace device by the thermal heat equivalent of gas
delivered into the load. In addition, the derived rate may also
represent the burning efficiency of gas as determined from measured
carbon dioxide value or other secondary by-product value and the
amount of gas supplied to the load 20, for example.
[0088] Referring back to FIG. 3, once the measurement value is
obtained, block 66 directs the processor circuit 38 to compare the
representations of the utility service usage with respective usage
range representations. If a representation of the utility service
usage is within the corresponding usage range representation, block
68 directs the processor circuit 38 to report the representation of
utility service usage to the annunciation device 50, and/or to
store the representation in the measurement/status record in the
data storage device 34. In addition, a status indicator indicating
that the utility service usage is within the corresponding usage
range representation may be stored in the measurement/status
record. The processor circuit 38 updates the status indicator
information whenever block 66 has been entered and the
representations have been compared. The processor circuit 38 may
then direct the annunciation device 50 to display the updated
status indicator. The process is then repeated by re-entering block
62 of the flowchart. In addition, the measurement value may also be
displayed at the annunciation device 50. The processor circuit 38
may access other instruction codes stored in the program memory
device 42 or other memory device 44, for example, to provide a
graphical display at the annunciation device 50 to provide a user
with a presentation of utility usage details, including the
measurement values obtained.
[0089] If at block 66 it has been determined that a representation
of the utility service usage is outside of a corresponding usage
range representation, block 68 directs the processor circuit 38 to
update the status indicator in the measurement/status record to
indicate that the usage range has been exceeded and to store the
usage representation and the status indicator and report the status
indicator and the representation of utility service usage to the
annunciation device 50. The processor circuit 38 is then directed
back to block 62 and the process is repeated. Alternatively, at
block 66 the processor circuit 38 may determine if a set or group
of a plurality of representations of utility service usage is
outside of a corresponding set of usage range representations, and
if so, block 68 stores and reports the representation of utility
service usage, and updates, stores, and reports the updated status
indicator.
[0090] If at block 64 it is determined that the utility service is
not being supplied to a load, the processor circuit 38 is
immediately directed to block 68 to report to the annunciation
device 50 and store in the measurement/status record an updated
status indicator indicating that no utility service is being drawn
from the load.
[0091] As stated above, separate similar processes are
simultaneously executed by the processor circuit 38 for each load
for which utility service usage is measured. Consequently, as a
result of executing all of these processes, a plurality of
measurement/status records corresponding to respective loads is
continually updated to reflect the instantaneous current status of
the supply of the utility service to the load.
[0092] Referring to FIG. 4, an example of a measurement/status
record is shown generally at 200 and includes a plurality of
measurement fields 202, usage range fields 204, status indicator
fields 206, and a control signal field 208. The measurement fields
202 hold values representing measurements acquired from measurement
devices 13, 14 and 15, respectively, for example, and may further
include a field 203 for holding a derived value, such as energy
consumption, computed from measured values. The usage range fields
204 hold values representing usage ranges for each measurement
device 13, 14 and 15 and may include an additional field 205 or
fields for derived representations representing energy usage
ranges, for example.
[0093] The status indicator fields 206 include a primary field 144
indicating whether utility service is delivered to the load, a
secondary field 146 indicating whether the usage of the utility is
within the corresponding usage range representation, and a response
field 148 indicating whether the supply of the utility service to
the corresponding load may be interrupted. Each field may take a
binary value, a range of integer values indicating, for example, a
priority ranking of whether a particular load could be interrupted,
or any number of bytes needed to represent the status indicator for
a respective load.
[0094] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the primary field 144 is
0(1) if the supply of utility service is not (is) delivered to the
load, the secondary field 146 is O(1) when the usage of the utility
service is outside of (within) the usage range representation, and
the response field 148 is 0(1) if the load may not (may) be
interrupted. The response field 148 may be set by a user of the
utility, or alternatively a utility service supplier 53, to make
sure that certain loads, such as a furnace for heating or a stove
for cooking, may not be interrupted regardless of whether or not
the usage is outside of the usage range representation.
[0095] The control signal field 208 indicates whether or not a
control signal, produced by utility service controller 36 shown in
FIG. 1, is active. For example the control signal field 208 is 0(1)
if a control signal is not (is) active to cause a control device
26, 28 or 30 to interrupt a supply of utility service to a
corresponding load.
[0096] Once the updated measurement/status records resulting from
the processes depicted at 60 in FIG. 3 are stored in the data
storage device 34, the processor circuit 38 then employs the
contents of the status indicator fields 206, in a look-up table
shown generally at 70 in FIG. 5. In this embodiment, the look-up
table 70 is stored in the data storage device 34. Alternatively,
the look-up table 70 may be stored in the program memory device 42,
the random access memory device 44, or other appropriate data
storage device for example.
[0097] The look-up table 70 includes rows 72 indicating all
possible combinations of status indicators 206 associated with
respective loads. To use the look-up table 70 the processor circuit
38 produces a test record as shown generally at 220 in FIG. 6, by
copying the status indicators 206 for each load into separate
fields in a row.
[0098] For example, in FIG. 6 the test record 220 gives a
representation of a particular combination of status indicators 206
for an electric motor load 164, a gas stove load 170, a gas
fireplace load 168, a water faucet load 166 and a gas furnace load
172. For example, the status indicator 164 for the electric motor
has a 1 from the primary field 144 indicating that the electric
motor is using electricity supplied by an electric utility, a 1
from the secondary field 146 indicating that the usage of the
electric utility is within the corresponding usage range
representation, and a 1 from the response field 148 indicating that
the load would be interruptible if the utility service usage were
outside of the usage range representation. The status indicators
166-172 associated with the remaining loads include a set of values
166 representing the status of a faucet using water utility
service. In this embodiment, the set has the value 101 and
indicates that the faucet is using water outside of the usage range
representation, and that the water service to the faucet may be
interrupted. Similarly, sets of values 168 and 170 for the
fireplace and the stove, respectively, which use the gas utility
service are both 100, indicating that both the fireplace and the
stove are using the gas utility service outside of the usage range
representation, but the supply of gas is not to be interrupted to
these appliances. In addition, a set of values 172 indicates that
the gas furnace is using gas within the desired range
representation and is not to be shut off.
[0099] In this embodiment each particular set of values has three
status indicators resulting in eight combinations of status. It
will be appreciated that more or less status indicators may be used
without loss of generality.
[0100] To use the look-up table 70 shown in FIG. 5, the processor
circuit 38 searches rows 72 thereof to find a configuration of
status indicators 206 matching the configuration in the test record
220 shown in FIG. 6. Once a match is found, the processor circuit
38 locates a corresponding control value 152 which contains a
sequence of control fields 154, 156, 158, 160, and 162, each of
which comprises a binary value of 0 or 1 to indicate which, if any,
supply of utility service to a corresponding load is to be
interrupted. A 0 (1) in a control field indicates that the supply
of utility service to the load should (should not) be interrupted.
Alternatively, the control fields 154-162 may take on any other
values indicating, for example, a priority order of which loads to
interrupted, or any other labeling or numbering system readable by
the processor circuit 38 to manage a plurality of utility services
at respective loads.
[0101] In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, if the
configuration of status indicators in the test record 220 is
111100100101110, for example, the corresponding control value 152
in the look-up table 70 sequence is 11101. The 1 in the electric
motor control field 162, stove control field 160, fireplace control
field 158, and furnace control field 154 indicate that the supply
of corresponding utility services to those loads are not to be
interrupted, while the 0 in the faucet control field 156 indicates
that the supply of water to the faucet should be interrupted. As
another example, if the configuration of status indicators in the
test record is 101100100101110, the control value sequence is
01101, which indicates that the supply of utility service to the
stove, fireplace, and furnace are not to be interrupted, while the
supply of utility service to the electric motor and faucet is to be
interrupted.
[0102] The processor circuit 38 causes the control signal generator
40 to produce control signals for use in interrupting the supply or
continuing the supply of the utility services to respective loads,
in response to the control value sequence which, as seen above, is
produced in response to the representation of utility service at
the load and the usage range representation.
[0103] Referring back to FIG. 2, once the processor circuit 38 has
caused the control signal generator 40 to produce the control
signals, the processor circuit directs the transmitter 47 to
transmit the control signals to the control devices 26, 28, and/or
30 shown in FIG. 1 to interrupt the supply of the utility to the
respective loads 20, 22, or 24. In addition, the control signal
field 208 in the measurement/status record 200 shown in FIG. 4 is
updated to 1 to indicate that the control signal is active. The
communication device 32, or alternatively the processor circuit 38,
reports at the annunciation device 50 that the control signal is
active and the supply of service has been interrupted to the
corresponding loads.
[0104] Control Devices
[0105] In general, each of the control devices includes a
communications device and a utility service interrupter. The
communications device is operable to receive a control signal and
actuate the utility service interrupter to interrupt the supply of
the utility service to the load in response to a control signal.
The communications device may simply be a screw terminal on a
motorized valve to directly use the control signal to actuate the
valve, or may be a relay, transistor, microprocessor, computer, or
any other device capable of receiving a control signal. The utility
service interrupter may include a switch, a relay, a circuit
breaker, a valve, a pneumatic device, a hydraulic device, and/or a
motorized device, or generally any mechanism that prevents or
restricts the passage of a utility service to a respective
load.
[0106] Referring to FIG. 1, for electric loads such as load 24, the
control device may be used to simply interrupt the supply of the
utility to the load. However, since electrical loads can be
replaced relatively easily, it is desirable to be able to restore
electrical power to an electrical circuit when the load is changed.
To do this, a special control device 30 is used and an enhancement
to the flowchart 60 shown in FIG. 3 is made.
[0107] Referring to FIG. 7, the special control device 30 employs a
screw terminal as the communication device 39 and a relay 45 as the
utility service interrupter 41. In this embodiment the relay 45 has
a coil 43 which causes first and second wipers 73 and 74 to move in
unison to connect the load 24 to supply contacts 75 and 76 or to
sense contacts 77 and 78. In the normal, de-energized state, the
load 24 is connected to the supply contacts 75 and 76. When the
control signal is received at the coil 43, the load 24 is connected
to the sense contacts 77 and 78, which completely isolates the load
from the supply for safety, and permits the sense contacts to be
used.
[0108] The enhancement to the flowchart 69 is shown in dotted lines
in FIG. 3. This enhancement is only used for electrical loads 24
along with the control device 30 shown in FIG. 7. The enhancement
is invoked after block 66 of the flowchart 60 shown in FIG. 3, when
it has been determined that the usage of an electric utility
service by the electric load 24 is outside of the corresponding
usage range, and a control signal has been sent by the control
signal generator 40 to the control device 30 shown in FIG. 7. The
control signal energizes the coil 43 to move the wipers 73 and 74
to cause the load 24 to be disconnected from the supply contacts 75
and 76 and connected to the sense contacts 77 and 78. The load 24
is thus isolated from the utility service supply.
[0109] Block 63 then directs the processor circuit 38 to perform a
continuity test to test for continuity through the load 24 to
detect when a user replaces the load. To do this, the processor
circuit 38 directs the utility service controller 36 to send a DC
sense signal through the load 24, using the sense contacts 77 and
78. The current through the load 24 is sensed by the measurement
device 21 which provides a measurement value to the communications
device 32 at the utility management apparatus 12 shown in FIG. 2.
This measurement value is then stored in the measurement field 202
of the measurement/status record 200 shown in FIG. 4.
[0110] Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the processor circuit 38
monitors the measurement field 202 whenever a 1 is stored in the
corresponding control signal field 208 to determine whether or not
there is a break in continuity. If the electric load 24 is removed
from the circuit, then measurement device 21 measures no current
and returns a zero value to the utility management apparatus 12,
indicating a break in continuity. This would occur for example,
when a user disconnects the defective or inefficient appliance
responsible for using electric utility service outside of its usage
range and wishes to replace it with a more efficient appliance.
[0111] Referring back to FIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 7, when the load 24 is
removed from the circuit, block 65 directs the processor circuit 38
to cause the control signal generator 40 to cease sending the
control signal to the control device 30, which de-energizes the
coil 43 of the relay 45 to cause the load to be reconnected to the
supply contacts 75 and 76 to receive power from the electric
utility service. In addition, block 65 directs the processor
circuit 38 to reset the control signal field 208 of the
measurement/status record 200 to 0, and block 68 is then executed
by the processor circuit to store and report the information
provided during the process 60. Thus, when the user connects a new
load, power from the electric utility supply is immediately
available to the load. If the user reconnects the old load, the
out-of-range condition will once again be detected and the supply
of electric utility service will again be interrupted.
[0112] If at block 63 the processor circuit 38 determines that
continuity is still established, that is, the offending load
remains connected, then the control signal field 208 is unchanged
and the coil 43 of the relay 45 remains energized, keeping the load
24 isolated from the utility service supply.
[0113] Referring to FIG. 8, a control device 79, according to an
alternative embodiment of the invention incorporates both
measurement and control functions for electrical loads. In this
embodiment the control device 79 includes a processor circuit 80, a
communications device 81, an I/O device 82 and a utility service
interrupter 41 which includes a relay 45 which functions as
described in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7.
[0114] In this embodiment, the communications device 81 facilitates
two-way communications between the processor circuit 80 and the
utility management apparatus 12 shown in FIG. 1. The communications
device 81 may form part of a Bluetooth@ communications system, for
example, or may simply be hardwired to the utility management
apparatus 12. The communications device 81 may even be operable to
communicate with the utility management apparatus 12 using the
internet or a wireless communication device, for example.
Communications between the processor circuit 80 and the utility
management apparatus 12 may involve the utility management
apparatus sending messages to the processor circuit, requesting a
measurement from the measurement device 18 and/or continuity sensor
21, or requesting operation or status of the utility service
interrupter 41, and the processor circuit may send a message back
to the utility management apparatus with the representation of the
measurement or status of the utility service interrupter.
[0115] The I/O device 82 is operable to receive signals from the
measurement device 18 and a continuity sensor 21. In addition, the
I/O device 82 is operable to provide the continuity sense signal to
the load 24 through sense contacts 77 and 78 of the relay 45, and
the coil 43 of the relay is controlled by a signal produced by the
I/O device 82.
[0116] The processor circuit 80 is operable to communicate with the
I/O device 82 to receive a measure of the usage of the utility
service by the load 24, to produce a measurement value representing
the usage of the utility service by the load. The measurement value
is received from the measurement device 18, at the I/O device 82,
and is passed to the processor circuit 80, which in turn produces a
representation of the usage of the utility service by the load 24
from the measurement value. The processor circuit 80 then passes
the representation to the communication device 81 for transmission
back to the utility management apparatus 12, shown in FIG. 1.
[0117] The control device 79 is used in conjunction with the
enhancement to the flowchart shown in FIG. 3, but instead of the
utility service controller 36 sending a control signal directly to
the control device, a message including the control signal is sent.
This message is interpreted by the processor circuit 80 and, in
response, the processor circuit causes the I/O device 82 to issue a
signal to the relay 45 to energize the coil 43 to facilitate
continuity sensing. The processor circuit 80 then executes a
routine (not shown) which causes it to continuously or periodically
transmit a continuity sense measurement to the utility management
apparatus 12 for use in conjunction with the flowchart at the
utility management apparatus.
[0118] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the measurement devices
13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 21 and the control devices 26, 28,
and 30 are shown as individual measurement and control devices, but
some may alternatively be coupled together and sold as a unit in a
common housing. Similarly, the utility management apparatus 12 and
the utility service controller 36 may be housed in a common
housing, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, or may be packaged
and sold as separate units.
[0119] Billing
[0120] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is
provided a billing apparatus for billing a subscriber for utility
service usage, shown generally at 90 in FIG. 9. The billing
apparatus includes a utility service measurement device 92, a
communications device 94, and a processor circuit 96.
[0121] The utility service measurement device 92 measures the
utility service usage at a location where the utility service is
being used. The utility service measurement device 92 may measure
usage of a single utility or a plurality of utilities, and further
may comprise a single measurement device or a plurality of
measurement devices to produce a measurement or a plurality of
measurements of utility usage. The utility service measurement
devices may be any or all of the measurement devices 13, 14, 15,
16, 17, 18, 19, or 21 shown in FIG. 1, to measure the usage of gas,
water or electricity, or any other utility, for example, or may
include utility service inlet devices (not shown).
[0122] The communication device 94 is operable to receive rate
information for the utility service used as measured by the utility
service measurement device 92. Rate information may be provided by
a user of the service at a user interface such as a keyboard 99 for
example, or may be provided by utility service suppliers 53. The
rate information may be transmitted via the internet 57, PSTN 52, a
private. network, or any other communications network connecting
the rate provider with the communications device 94, to provide
rate information. To do this, the communications device 94 may
include a receiver 106 and a transmitter 108.
[0123] The processor circuit 96 is operable to apply the rate
information received at the communications device 94 to the
measurement produced by the utility service measurement device 92
to produce a billing value and to generate a billing signal
representing a bill bearing the billing value. The billing signal
may be used by an output device 110 or 118 at a subscriber location
for producing the bill at the subscriber location, or may be
transmitted to a remote location to generator a bill at a remote
location.
[0124] To achieve this functionality, a block of instruction codes,
stored in the program memory 98, is executed to start the billing
process. The instruction codes may be provided from any computer
readable medium, such as a CD-ROM, or downloaded over the internet
57 from a remote server 120, for example. A flowchart depicting the
billing process provided by the block of instruction codes is shown
generally at 100 in FIG. 10.
[0125] Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, the process is initiated at
block 102, which directs the utility service measurement device 92
to receive a measure of utility service usage at a location. The
measurement may be stored by the processor circuit 96 on a data
storage device, which may include the program memory 98, a random
access memory 109, or a disk drive, for example.
[0126] Block 104 then directs the communication device 94 to
receive rate information from the rate provider. For example, the
communications device 94 may establish communications with the
server 120, and cause a rate request to be transmitted to the
server. The server 120 may be a remote server, such as a server
located at a utility service supplier for example, or may be
located at a subscriber's location or any other location that
provides the rate information to a subscriber of the utility.
[0127] The receiver 106 of the communications device 94 receives
the requested rate information from the server 120 and once the
rate information is received, block 112 directs the processor
circuit 96 to produce the billing value from the measurement values
and the rate information for the corresponding utility measured.
The processor circuit 96 applies the rate information to the
measurement of utility usage to produce the billing value. The
billing value may represent costs for utility service usage of a
single utility service or a plurality of utility services. The
processor circuit 96 may produce the billing value, for example, by
multiplying the kilowatt-hours of utility used by a rate per
kilowatt-hour, or by multiplying the volume of water or gas used by
an appropriate billing rate.
[0128] Block 114 then directs the processor circuit 96 to produce a
billing signal from the billing value. The billing signal may
contain the measurement value of usage of the utility service, a
start time period for the measurement, a time duration period of
the measurement, and/or identification numbers identifying the user
and/or the supplier of the utility service, for example. The
billing signal may be a voltage signal in the range of 0-10V, for
example, or may be a message encoded in a TCP/IP protocol operable
to be sent over a communications network such as the internet 57,
for example, to a remote location. In this embodiment, the
processor circuit 96 transmits the billing signal to an output
device such as a monitor 110, a printer 118, or any other output
device responsive to the billing signal for annunciating the
billing value.
[0129] An example of a bill produced at the output device 110 or a
printer 118 is shown generally at 121 in FIG. 11. In this
embodiment, the bill 121 includes various portions identifying the
details of utility usage. For example, a utility field 122
identifies the utility supplier, and a user display portion 124
identifies information pertaining to the user of the utilities. The
user display portion 124 may contain a site field 126 identifying
the location of utility usage, and name 128, address 130, and
account number 132 fields of a subscriber of the utility service. A
consumption field 134 may present the total usage amount of the
utility used between dates specified in a duration period field
136. A rate area 138 may present a rate or a compendium of rates
used to calculate the bill amount, and a charge area 140 may
present charges for the utility service used. The charge area may
list the amount due, due date, and gross charges for utilities used
plus additional surcharges, such as tax or connection charges, for
example. Other types of display formats may be used which present
similar information in any appropriate display format. While
specific embodiments of the invention have been described and
illustrated such embodiments should be considered illustrative of
the invention only and not as limiting the invention as construed
in accordance with the accompanying claims.
* * * * *