Categorizing a discrepancy in a measurement readout of a flow meter

A service server configured to service a plurality of measurement modules each measurement module being configured to obtain one or more of measurement readouts of analog numbers or analog pointers displayed by a respective analog flow meter by using computer vision, the service server comprising:

• a communication unit configured to individually communicate with the plurality of measurement modules;
• and
• control circuitry configured to execute:
• a discrepancy function configured to compare a measurement readout of a first measurement module among the plurality of measurement modules with historical measurement readouts of the first measurement module thereby determining whether a discrepancy in the measurement readout of the first measurement module is present or not;
• and
• a validation function configured to, upon a discrepancy is determined to be present, categorize the discrepancy as a measurement error or an anomaly by comparing a sum of a respective measurement readout from each of a first set of measurement modules belonging to a first hierarchical level in which first set the first measurement module is a member with an aggregate of a respective measurement readout from each of a second set of measurement modules belonging to a second hierarchical level, the second hierarchical level being upstream the first hierarchical level, wherein the sum of the measurement readouts from the first set of measurement modules is substantially equal to the aggregate of measurement readouts from the second set of measurement modules if no measurement error is present, and wherein the discrepancy is categorized as a measurement error if a difference between the aggregate of measurement readouts from second hierarchical level measurement modules and the sum of measurement readouts from first hierarchical level measurement modules is larger than a measurement error threshold amount.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions for implementing a method for categorizing a discrepancy in a measurement readout from a first measurement module configured to obtain measurement readouts of analog numbers and/or analog pointers displayed by an analog flow meter by using computer vision, when executed on a service server having processing capabilities, the instructions causing the service server to:

• compare the measurement readout of the first measurement module with historical measurement readouts of the first measurement module thereby determining whether a discrepancy in the measurement readout of the first measurement module is present or not;
• and
• upon a discrepancy in the measurement readout of the first measurement module is present, categorize the discrepancy as a measurement error or an anomaly by comparing a sum of a respective measurement readout from each of a first set of measurement modules belonging to a first hierarchical level in which first set the first measurement module is a member with an aggregate of a respective measurement readout from each of a second set of measurement modules belonging to a second hierarchical level, the second hierarchical level being upstream the first hierarchical level, wherein the sum of the measurement readouts from the first set of measurement modules is substantially equal to the aggregate of measurement readouts from the second set of measurement modules if no measurement error is present, and wherein the discrepancy is categorized as a measurement error if a difference between the aggregate of measurement readouts from second hierarchical level measurement modules and the sum of measurement readouts from first hierarchical level measurement modules is larger than a measurement error threshold amount.