Voltage pattern analysis system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10337885-B2
Application number	US-201514882778-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2015
Priority date	Oct 14, 2015
Publication date	Jul 2, 2019
Grant date	Jul 2, 2019

Abstract

A voltage pattern analysis system and method may automate aspects of the process of mapping or assigning utility meters to a specific transformer or other distribution node by identifying misassociated meters and correcting a system-wide transformer assignment or distribution node assignment. When a meter's voltage signal does not correlate well with other meters' voltage signals on the same transformer, the meter is likely misassociated to that transformer. A pairwise voltage signal correlation may be computed for all meters assigned to a transformer and a voltage signal correlation for every transformer in the system, or a subset thereof, may be imputed. Individual meter correlations may then be compared with the transformer correlation. For meters identified as misassociation candidates, transformers or other distribution nodes within a specified radius may be considered for reassignment of the meter.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method employing voltage pattern analysis, said method comprising:
receiving, by voltage pattern analysis (VPA) module operating on one or more computing devices, meter readings from each of a first plurality of meters assigned to a given distribution node in a set of distribution nodes in a metered utility distribution system over a given period of time, wherein the meter readings comprises a voltage time series for the given period of time for each meter of the first plurality of meters;
calculating, by the VPA module, a voltage signal correlation for each meter of the first plurality of meters assigned to the given distribution node in the set of distribution nodes;
imputing, by the VPA module, a voltage signal correlation for each distribution node in the set of distribution nodes;
performing, by the VPA module an outlier analysis by comparing an individual meter correlation with results of said imputing to identify a meter candidate for reassignment, wherein the voltage signal correlation between the meter candidate and the first plurality of meters exceeds a misassociation threshold; and
responsive, by the VPA module, to said performing, for a meter of the first plurality of meters identified as the meter candidate, identifying a different distribution node of the set of distribution nodes within a specified radius as a distribution node candidate;
reassign the meter candidate to the different distribution node, wherein the reassigning comprises:
imputing a modified voltage signal correlation between the meter candidate and the distribution node candidate; and
assigning the meter candidate to the distribution node candidate in response to determining that the modified voltage signal correlation between the meter candidate and the distribution node candidate is an improvement over the voltage signal correlation between the meter candidate and the given distribution node.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said imputing of the voltage correlation signal comprises computing summary statistics of a pairwise voltage signal correlation for each meters of the first plurality of meters assigned to a given distribution node.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said computing comprises quantifying how well each meter correlates with other meters on the given distribution node.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the metered utility distribution system is an electrical distribution utility, the distribution node corresponds to a transformer, and the distribution node candidate corresponds to a transformer candidate.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said reassigning comprises creating a meter-transformer candidate pair comprising the meter candidate and the transformer candidate.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said reassigning further comprises quantifying how well the meter candidate correlates with other meters assigned to the distribution node candidate.

7. A voltage pattern analysis system comprising computer hardware and a computer-readable storage medium and operative to:
receive meter readings from each of a first plurality of meters assigned to a particular transformer in a set of transformers in a metered utility distribution system over a given period of time, wherein the meter readings comprises a voltage time series for the given period of time for each meter of the first plurality of meters;
calculate a pairwise voltage signal correlation for each meter assigned to the particular transformer in the set of transformers;
impute a voltage signal correlation for each transformer in the set of transformers;
perform an outlier analysis by comparing an individual meter correlation with results of the imputed voltage signal correlation to identify a meter candidate for reassignment, wherein the voltage signal correlation between the meter candidate and the first plurality of meters exceeds a misassociation threshold;
responsive to the outlier analysis, for a meter identified as the meter candidate, identify a different transformer of the plurality of transformers within a specified radius as a transformer candidate; and
reassign the meter candidate to the transformer candidate, wherein the reassigning comprises:
imputing a modified voltage signal correlation between the meter candidate and the transformer candidate; and
assigning the meter candidate to the transformer candidate in response to determining that the modified voltage signal correlation between the meter candidate and the transformer candidate is an improvement over the voltage signal correlation between the meter candidate and the particular transformer.

8. The voltage pattern analysis system of claim 7 , wherein the system is further configured and operative to compute summary statistics of a pairwise voltage signal correlation for each of the meters assigned to the particular transformer.

9. The voltage pattern analysis system of claim 7 , wherein the system is further configured and operative to quantify how well the meter candidate correlates with other meters assigned to the transformer candidate.

10. A method employing voltage pattern analysis, said method comprising:
receiving, by voltage pattern analysis (VPA) module operating on one or more computing devices, meter readings from each of a first plurality of meters assigned to a particular transformer in a set of transformers in a metered utility distribution system over a given period of time, wherein the meter readings comprises a voltage time series for the given period of time for each meter of the first plurality of meters;
calculating, by the VPA module, a voltage signal correlation for each meter of the first plurality of meters assigned to the particular transformer in the set of transformers;
imputing, by the VPA module, a voltage signal correlation for each transformer in the set of transformers;
performing, by the VPA module, an outlier analysis by comparing an individual meter correlation with results of said imputing to identify a meter candidate for reassignment, wherein the voltage signal correlation between the meter candidate and the first plurality of meters exceeds a misassociation threshold; and
responsive, by the VPA module, to said performing, for a meter of the first plurality of meters identified as the meter candidate, reassigning the meter candidate to a transformer candidate of the set of transformers, wherein the reassigning comprises:
imputing a modified voltage signal correlation between the meter candidate and the transformer candidate; and
assigning the meter candidate to the transformer candidate in response to determining that the modified voltage signal correlation between the meter candidate and the transformer candidate is an improvement over the voltage signal correlation between the meter candidate and the particular transformer.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said reassigning comprises identifying the transformer candidate within a specified radius from the meter candidate.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said calculating comprises calculating a pairwise voltage signal correlation for each meter assigned to a transformer in a set of transformers in the metered utility distribution system.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein said reassigning comprises creating a meter-transformer candidate pair comprising the meter candidate and the transformer candidate.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein said reassigning further comprises quantifying how well the meter candidate correlates with other meters assigned to the transformer candidate.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the misassociation threshold is one standa

Assignees

• Windlogics Inc
• Inventus Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Micek Catherine
• Williams Ken
• Light Marc

Classifications

• G01D4/00 Primary

  Tariff metering apparatus (in taximeters G07B13/00; apparatus actuated by coins, cards or the like with meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas, or electricity G07F15/00) · CPC title

• G01D4/002 Primary

  Remote reading of utility meters · CPC title

• G01D2204/47

  Methods for determining the topology or arrangement of meters in a network · CPC title

• Y02B90/20

  Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector (smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00) · CPC title

• Y04S20/30

  Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading · CPC title