# US 11,451,055 B2 · Meter apparatus and methods using load balance metrics

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- Number: US 11,451,055 B2
- Document ID: US11451055B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/354,600
- Filed: 2019-03-15
- Published: 2020-09-17
- Granted: 2022-09-20
- Earliest claimed: 2019-03-15
- Assignees: Sensus Spectrum, LLC
- Applicants: Sensus Spectrum, LLC
- Inventors: Andrew Dudding
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11451055B2

## CPC

- G01R 22/063: {related to remote communication}
- H02J 3/14: by switching loads on to, or off from, the networks, e.g. progressively balanced loading
- G01D 4/004: {Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location}
- G01R 22/10: using digital techniques
- G01R 21/001: {Measuring real or reactive component; Measuring apparent energy (G01R21/01, G01R21/02, G01R21/08, G01R21/10 and G01R21/127 take precedence)}
- G01R 21/006: {Measuring power factor}
- G01R 21/06: by measuring current and voltage (G01R21/08 - G01R21/133 take precedence)
- H02J 2105/55: according to an economic condition, e.g. tariff-based load management
- Y02B 70/3225: Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
- Y04S 20/222: Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- G01D: MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
- Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS

## Abstract

An electricity meter includes a power line interface circuit configured to generate measurements of parameters for at least two electricity transmission paths. The meter also includes a balance determination circuit configured to generate at least one balance metric that indicates a balance between the electricity transmission paths from the generated measurements. The meter further includes a communications circuit configured to transmit balance information to an external recipient responsive to the at least one balance metric.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electricity meter comprising:
a power line interface circuit configured to generate measurements of parameters for at least two electricity transmission paths;
a balance determination circuit configured to generate at least one balance metric that indicates a balance between the electricity transmission paths from the generated measurements, wherein the at least one balance metric is of the form:
B=(Mn−Mm)/(|Mn|+|Mm|),
wherein Mn comprises one of an energy (E), voltage (V), current (I), phase angle (θ), frequency (F), total harmonic distortion (THD), or total demand distortion (TDD) measured for an nth path and wherein Mm comprises a corresponding one of an E, V, I, θ, F, THD, or TDD measured for an mth path; and
a communications circuit configured to transmit the at least one balance metric to an external recipient.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The electricity meter of claim 1, wherein the at least one balance metric is generated responsive to voltage and current measurements.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The electricity meter of claim 1, wherein the communications circuit is configured to transmit information derived from the at least one balance metric.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The electricity meter of claim 3, wherein the information derived from the at least one balance metric provides a comparison of at least two balance metrics.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The electricity meter of claim 3, wherein the information derived from the at least one balance metric comprises an alert.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The electricity meter of claim 1, wherein the communications circuit is configured to transmit the at least one balance metric in a radio signal to a base station of a wide area communications network.

### Claim 7

A system comprising:
an electricity meter configured to generate measurements of parameters for at least two electricity transmission paths, to generate at least one balance metric that indicates a balance between the electricity transmission paths from the generated measurements, and to transmit the at least one balance metric over a communications medium, wherein the at least one balance metric is of the form:
B=(Mn−Mm)/(|Mn|+|Mm|),
wherein Mn comprises one of an energy (E), voltage (V), current (I), phase angle (θ), frequency (F), total harmonic distortion (THD), or total demand distortion (TDD) measured for an nth path and wherein Mm comprises a corresponding one of an E, V, I, θ, F, THD, or TDD measured for an mth path; and
an application configured to receive the transmitted at least one balance metric from the communications medium.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the electric meter comprises:
a power line interface circuit configured to generate the measurements of the parameters for at least two electricity transmission paths;
a balance determination circuit configured to generate the at least one balance metric responsive to the generated measurements; and
a communications circuit configured to transmit the at least one balance metric to an external recipient.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the electricity meter is configured to transmit information derived from the at least one balance metric and wherein the application is configured to receive the information derived from the at least one balance metric.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the information derived from the at least one balance metric provides a comparison of at least two balance metrics.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the information derived from the at least one balance metric comprises an alert.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the communications medium comprises a radio communications medium.

### Claim 13

A method comprising:
at an electricity meter, generating measurements of parameters for at least two electricity transmission paths, generating at least one balance metric that indicates a balance between the electricity transmission paths from the generated measurements, and transmitting balance information responsive to the at least one balance metric over a communications medium, wherein the at least one balance metric is of the form:
B=(Mn−Mm)/(|Mn|+|Mm|),
wherein Mn comprises one of an energy (E), voltage (V), current (I), phase angle (θ), frequency (F), total harmonic distortion (THD), or total demand distortion (TDD) measured for an nth path and wherein Mm comprises a corresponding one of an E, V, I, θ, F, THD, or TDD measured for an mth path.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising transmitting information derived from the at least one balance metric over the communications medium.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the information derived from the at least one balance metric provides a comparison of at least two balance metrics.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the information derived from the at least one balance metric comprises an alert.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving the transmitted at least one balance metric at an application external to the electricity meter via a radio base station of a wide area network.