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 subscriber side of a service switch;
- monitoring a circuit internal to the subscriber side of the service switch to detect whether a condition is present in the circuit internal to the subscriber side of the service switch, wherein monitoring the circuit internal to the subscriber side of the service switch comprises:
- applying a direct current (DC) voltage from a utility service side of the service switch to the circuit internal to the subscriber side of the service switch;
- and
- measuring a resultant voltage or a resultant impedance of the circuit internal to the subscriber side of the service switch when the DC voltage is applied;
- and
- determining whether or not to connect electricity service to the subscriber side of the service switch 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 subscriber side of the service switch responsive to commands received by the communication module;
- and
- a safety mechanism configured to monitor a circuit internal to the subscriber side of the service switch to detect a condition of the circuit, and to prevent the service switch from connecting electricity service to the subscriber side of the service switch while the condition is detected, wherein the safety mechanism comprises:
- a rectifier to convert alternating current (AC) supplied to an exterior of the site into direct current (DC) to be applied to the circuit internal to the subscriber side of the service switch;
- and
- a monitor to detect a resultant voltage and/or a resultant impedance of the circuit internal to the site when the DC is being applied.
An electricity meter comprising:
- a service switch configured to selectively connect or disconnect electricity service to a subscriber side of the service switch;
- metrology to measure electricity usage at the subscriber side of the service switch;
- and
- a safety mechanism configured to monitor a circuit internal to the subscriber side of the service switch to:
- detect a potentially unsafe condition in which a main electricity breaker of the subscriber side of the service switch is closed and a load is detected on the circuit, and
- prevent the service switch from connecting electricity service to the subscriber side of the service switch while the potentially unsafe condition is detected;
- wherein the safety mechanism comprises:
- a rectifier to convert alternating current (AC) supplied to an exterior of the site into direct current (DC) to be applied to the circuit internal to the subscriber side of the service switch;
- and
- a monitor to detect a resultant voltage and/or a resultant impedance of the circuit internal to the site when the DC is being applied.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.