Remote disconnect safety mechanism
AssigneeItron, Inc.
InventorAndrew Lancaster
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Electricity service may be safely remotely connected to a site by a network computing device, such as an electricity meter, even when the network computing device is not accessible at the site. The network computing device may include a service switch capable of connecting electricity service to a site, a communication module capable of receiving commands to connect or disconnect electricity service, and a safety mechanism to monitor a circuit internal to the site and to prevent the service switch from connecting electricity service to the site while a potentially unsafe condition is detected.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- receiving, at a network computing device, a command to connect electricity service to a site;
- monitoring a circuit internal to the site to detect whether a condition is present in the circuit internal to the site;
- and
- determining whether or not to connect electricity service to the site based at least in part on whether the condition was detected to be present during the monitoring.
A network computing device comprising:
- a communication module to receive communications;
- a service switch configured to selectively connect or disconnect electricity service to a site responsive to commands received by the communication module;
- and
- a safety mechanism configured to monitor a circuit internal to the site to detect a condition of the circuit, and to prevent the service switch from connecting electricity service to the site while the condition is detected.
An electricity meter comprising:
- a communication module to receive communications;
- a service switch configured to selectively connect or disconnect electricity service to a site responsive to commands received by the communication module;
- metrology to measure electricity usage at the site;
- and
- a safety mechanism configured to monitor a circuit internal to the site to:
- detect a potentially unsafe condition in which a main electricity breaker of the site is closed and a load is detected on the circuit, and
- prevent the service switch from connecting electricity service to the site while the potentially unsafe condition is detected.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.