System and method to manage utility meter communications

A system for utility meter communications comprising:

• a plurality of utility management centers, each utility management center being identified by a utility management center identifier;
• a plurality of intermediate data concentrators, each intermediate data concentrator being connected to at least two of said plurality of utility management centers;
• a plurality of utility meters, each utility meter being connected to at least one of said plurality of intermediate data concentrators, each utility meter being identified by a utility meter identifier;
• wherein each of the utility meters is adapted to
• determine a metering data measurement by reading a counter consumption index at each utility meter;
• generate utility meter messages, each of said utility meter messages comprising said metering data measurement, said utility meter identifier, a destination data concentrator identifier identifying a destination data concentrator among said plurality of intermediate data concentrators and a utility management center identifier, and
• transmit said utility meter messages to said destination data concentrator;
• and
• wherein said destination data concentrator is adapted to
• determine, for each utility meter, on the basis of at least two meter data measurements measured by said utility meter, a metering counter differential consumption value for said utility meter within a time period interval;
• and
• transmit to a utility management center identified in said utility meter messages a report containing a collection of said metering counter differential consumption values together with the utility meter identifier to which these metering counter differential consumption values refer.

A system for utility meter communications comprising:

• a plurality of utility management centers, each utility management center being identified by a utility management center identifier;
• a plurality of intermediate data concentrators, each intermediate data concentrator being connected to at least one of said plurality of utility management centers;
• a plurality of utility meters, each utility meter being connected to at least one of said plurality of intermediate data concentrators, each utility meter being identified by a utility meter identifier;
• wherein each of the utility meters is adapted to
• determine metering data measurements by reading a counter consumption index at different times;
• determine, for each utility meter, on the basis of at least two metering data measurements determined by said utility meter, a metering counter differential consumption value for said utility meter within a time period interval;
• and
• generate utility meter messages, each of said utility meter messages comprising said metering counter differential consumption value, said utility meter identifier, said destination data concentrator identifier identifying a destination data concentrator among said plurality of intermediate data concentrators and a utility management center identifier;
• and
• transmit said utility meter messages to a destination data concentrator;
• and
• wherein said destination data concentrator is adapted to
• receive said utility meter messages from the utility meter;
• and
• transmit to the utility management center identified in said utility meter messages a report containing a collection of said metering counter differential consumption values together with the utility meter identifier to which these metering counter differential consumption values refer.