Utility meter with digital inputs and synchronization circuit
OwnerTibor Banhegyesi, Jorge Arturo Polar Seminarioinventors
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Abstract
A utility meter includes a housing and at least one sensor connected to the housing and configured to be connected to a utility system. The utility meter includes a processing system having one or more processors. The utility meter can utilize a current regulating circuit to provide proper voltage output to the various components. The utility meter can also utilize a zero-crossing detector circuit configured to produce a zero-crossing signal for a three-phase power supply.
Claims19
A utility meter comprising:
- a housing;
- at least one sensor connected to the housing and configured to be connected to a utility system, the at least one sensor configured for measuring at least one parameter of the utility system and generating at least one analog signal indicative of the at least one parameter;
- at least one analog to digital converter connected to the at least one sensor, the at least one analog to digital converter configured to receive the at least one analog signal and convert the at least one analog signal to an at least one digital signal to obtain measured data;
- a processing system including one or more processors, the processing system configured for receiving the at least one digital signal;
- an input port configured to receive a digital input from an external device;
- and
- an input regulator configured to receive the digital input and condition the digital input, wherein the input regulator includes a current regulator circuit.
A utility meter comprising:
- a housing;
- at least one sensor connected to the housing and configured to be connected to a utility system, the at least one sensor configured for measuring at least one parameter of the utility system and generating at least one analog signal indicative of the at least one parameter;
- at least one analog to digital converter connected to the at least one sensor, the at least one analog to digital converter configured to receive the at least one analog signal and convert the at least one analog signal to an at least one digital signal to obtain measured data;
- a processing system including one or more processors, the processing system configured for receiving the at least one digital signal;
- a zero-crossing circuit in communication with the processing system, wherein the zero-crossing circuit includes a multiplexer circuit configured to receive a three-phase input and produce a single multiplexer output.
The utility meter of claim 12, wherein the zero-crossing circuit
- includes a comparator configured to receive the filtered output and produce a zero-crossing signal 15. The utility meter of claim 14, wherein the comparator receives a reference voltage.
The utility meter of claim 15, wherein the reference voltage is a buffered reference voltage received from a voltage buffer circuit.
A method of determining a zero-crossing event from a 3-phase voltage signal in a utility meter comprising:
- receiving a three-phase power input having an input voltage and an input frequency;
- inputting the first phase and the second phase to a first multiplexer;
- selecting, by the first multiplexer, one of the first phase and the second phase as a first output;
- inputting the first output and the third phase to a second multiplexer;
- selecting, by the second multiplexer, one of the third phase and the first output as a multiplexer output;
- providing the multiplexer output to a comparator to obtain a zero-crossing signal;
- and
- providing the zero-crossing signal to a processing system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.