A method for collecting data of a consumption, a physical or physico-chemical parameter and/or an operating state in a supply network for consumables. A measuring element of a local sensor provides elementary measuring units, which correspond to at least one physical or physico-chemical variable or at least one physical or physico-chemical parameter, as raw measurement data. In order to determine the measurement resolution of the sensor, the conditions for generating time stamps are determined in advance using a correlation model, time stamps of successive raw measurement data are generated in the sensor on the basis of the correlation model, and the time stamps are transmitted via a wired connection and/or via a radio path. The raw measurement data are reconstructed and evaluated based on the time stamps with the correlation model. The conditions for generating time stamps can be changed dynamically within the framework of the correlation model.

A transformer monitoring system that has one or more monitoring devices coupled to respective distribution transformers, and the monitoring devices each have a network device. The network devices monitor operational data of their respective distribution transformer and perform a monitoring device action based upon the operational data monitored. Further, the monitoring device transmits operational data and data indicative of the monitoring device action via the network device. The system also has a central computing device communicatively coupled to the one or more monitoring devices via the network devices and there is a processor resident on the central computing device that receives the operational data and the data indicative of the monitoring device action, interprets the received data, and performs an action based upon the operational data and the data indicative of the monitoring device action.

A configured mode of operation of a wireless sensor node unit can selectively activate a first subset of sensor channels of data and selectively deactivate a second subset of sensor channels of data. The configured mode of operation customizes the sensor functionality in the wireless sensor node unit in support of the delivery of data streams to customers.

An infrastructure and methods for the analysis of flow in pipe systems. In a preferred form, the infrastructure and methods account for energy status of a sensor device and wear cost functions. The infrastructure comprises a controller and a plurality of sensor devices coupled to the pipe system to collect measurements related to one or more of the following: vibration, magnetic field, fluid pressure, temperature, humidity, chemical composition of the fluid, fluid flow or fluid throughput. The controller has access to a database containing one or both of—(i) current energy status of a sensor device and/or (ii) a cost allocation relating to use of a sensor device and assigns workloads using energy status and/or cost.

The disclosed method reconstructs a topology of an electrical distribution network. An ohmic matrix model is generated as a function of consumption measurements provided by smart meters in the network. A tree table of nodes to which the smart meters are connected is defined. A branch in exploration is defined in the table and the nodes of the branch meeting preestablished relations are entered in the table as a function of connection values derived from resistive quantities in the matrix model. One of the relations determines a junction of the branch in exploration with a branch already explored connectable to a root to which a distribution transformer of the distribution network is connected. The topology is reconstructed by iteratively proceeding with sequences of decreasing values derived from the resistive quantities.

A quasi-real-time data collection system for a competitive power market includes a distributed data collection unit, a centralized data collection unit, and a main collection station, where the distributed data collection unit is connected to an intelligent watt-hour meter by using an internal downlink communication module of the distributed data collection unit, and configures data item collection parameters and task execution parameters by using an internal collection task and scheme configuration module of the distributed data collection unit; the centralized data collection unit is connected to the main collection station by using an internal file conversion and uplink communication module of the centralized data collection unit; and the centralized data collection unit is connected to multiple distributed data collection units by using a local high speed power line carrier communication (HPLC) network.

A transmission method for transmitting measurements is taken by a fluid meter during successive measurement periods, each subdivided into successive time intervals. The measurements comprise first measurements, each representative of a quantity of fluid distributed during a respective one of the time intervals. The transmission method includes, for each measurement period, the step of producing and then transmitting at least one measurement frame such that: when the number of first measurements that are equal to zero is strictly less than a predetermined number during said measurement period, then the measurement frame is a normal measurement frame; otherwise the measurement frame is a compact measurement frame that, when there is at least one first measurement that is not equal to zero, comprises both preliminary data comprising identification data for identifying active time intervals and also compact first measurement data comprising only said non-zero first measurements ordered in a predefined order.

Systems and methods include a computer-implemented method for monitoring fire water networks. A fire water network (FWN) is monitored for leaks in real-time. Current instrument readings are received from instruments in the FWN. A leak signature associated with the FWN is generated in real-time using the current instrument readings. The leak signature is configured to identify the presence or absence of leaks in the FWN. The leak signature is compared, in real-time, to historical leak signatures associated with historical leaks. A determination is made, based on the comparing, the presence or the absence of a leak in the FWN. Upon determining the presence of the leak, a notification of the leak is automatically provided. Upon determining the absence of the leak, monitoring of the FWN for leaks is continued.

A utility meter reporting network is disclosed. In one embodiment, an end-point reporting device is configured to collect utility usage data and to convey the utility usage data to a gateway device via a first Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) radio communication link using a first ISM transceiver operable in the 902 MHz to 928 MHz range. The network further comprises a gateway device comprising a second ISM transceiver for receiving the utility usage data from the end point and a wireless transceiver which is configured to send the utility usage data via an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 compliant wireless communication link. The network further comprises a utility office which receives the utility usage data from said gateway device via said IEEE 802.11 compliant wireless communication link.

Disclosed are techniques to conserve battery of an endpoint device. Example techniques include adjusting the size of messages transmitted by an endpoint device and/or adjusting the transmission rate of an endpoint device. In some configurations, the one or more criteria are used by an endpoint device to determine what data fields to include within a message and/or adjust a transmission rate associated with the transmission of messages by the endpoint device. For instance, the one or more criteria may include the battery level of the device, the time of year, whether the data has already been transmitted by the endpoint device, whether the data has been acknowledged as received by another device, whether the endpoint device has been instructed by another device to reduce the message size and/or adjust the transmission rate, and the like.