Method and apparatus for detecting the phase wiring of an arbitrary unknown phase voltage relative to a reference phase voltage

A relay apparatus for detecting the wiring phase at a remote location relative to a reference wiring phase voltage of a reference location in an electrical power distribution system having a power line with a single phase or poly phase wiring, comprising:

• a circuit for detecting a first phase relation between the wiring phase at the reference location and the wiring phase at a relay location;
• and
• a circuit adapted to communicate with said remote location in detecting a second phase relation between a wiring phase voltage at said relay location and a wiring phase voltage at said remote location;
• and
• a circuit for transmitting said detected first phase relation towards said remote location.

An apparatus for detecting at a remote location the phase wiring of an arbitrary unknown phase voltage relative to a reference phase voltage in an electrical power distribution system having a single phase or poly phase power line, comprising:

• a circuit for receiving a time stamp signal;
• a circuit for measuring a time interval between the occurrence of said time stamp signal and the occurrence of a reference point in said arbitrary unknown wiring phase voltage of said power line to obtain phase relation information indicative of a phase relation between said time stamp signal and said arbitrary unknown phase voltage;
• a circuit for receiving at the remote location a relay message comprising phase relation information indicative of a phase relation between said reference phase and said time stamp signal;
• a circuit for combining said phase relation information indicative of a phase relation between said time stamp signal and said arbitrary phase voltage and said received phase relation information;
• and
• a circuit for determining the phase wiring of said unknown arbitrary unknown phase voltage from said combined phase relation information.

A system for detecting the wiring phase of an unknown phase voltage at a remote location relative to a reference phase voltage in an electrical power distribution system having a poly phase power line, the system comprising:

• means for transmitting from a first location towards said remote location a first time stamp signal when a first reference point in said reference phase voltage occurs;
• means for receiving at a second location said first time stamp signal;
• means for measuring a first time interval between the occurrence of said first time stamp signal and the occurrence of a reference point in a first arbitrary wiring phase voltage of said power line to obtain first phase relation information indicative of a phase relation between said reference phase voltage and said first arbitrary phase voltage;
• means at said second location for generating and transmitting towards said remote location a relay message comprising said phase relation information;
• and
• means for generating and transmitting at said second location towards said remote location a relay time stamp signal when a second reference point in said first arbitrary phase voltage occurs.

A system including a remote meter at a remote location for remote metering the consumption of utilities like electricity, water or gas in a utility distribution system coupled to a power line with a poly phase wiring, the system comprising:

• means for connecting at least one relay location to a wiring phase of said poly-phase power line at a location between a reference location and said remote location,
• means for detecting a first phase relation between the reference wiring phase voltage at the reference location and the wiring phase voltage at a said relay location;
• means for detecting a second phase relation between a wiring phase voltage at a said relay location and a wiring phase voltage at said remote location;
• means for determining the wiring phase of said remote location relative to the wiring phase at said reference location based on said first phase relation and said second phase relation;
• and
• means for transmitting from said relay location said detected first phase relation towards said remote location,
• wherein said means for detecting a first phase relation is configured to:
• transmit from said reference location a first time stamp signal when a first reference point in said reference wiring phase voltage occurs;
• receive at said relay location said first time stamp signal;
• measure a first time interval between the occurrence of said first time stamp signal and the occurrence of a reference point in a wiring phase voltage at said relay location to obtain said first phase relation between said reference wiring phase voltage and said wiring phase voltage.

A remote meter for remote metering the consumption of utilities and a relay apparatus for detecting the wiring phase of the remote meter at a remote location relative to a reference wiring phase voltage of a reference location in an electrical power distribution system having a power line with a single phase or poly phase wiring, the relay apparatus comprising:

• a circuit for detecting a first phase relation between the wiring phase at the reference location and the wiring phase at a relay location;
• and
• a circuit adapted to communicate with said remote location in detecting a second phase relation between a wiring phase voltage at said relay location and a wiring phase voltage at said remote location;
• and
• a circuit for transmitting said detected first phase relation towards said remote location.