A water meter system and method may provide inline flow monitoring and leak detection that may track real-time water usage. The water meter system and method may utilize one or more dual pressure sensors and/or ultrasonic sensors to detect leaks quickly and automatically turn off a valve. A spool may be utilized that may provide the dual pressure sensors on opposite sides of a ball valve to separate upstream and downstream pressure zones when the valve is closed.

Embodiments relate to a closed loop communication system. The system can include a consumer mobile device configured with a mobile application to identify its load consumption pattern and communicate the identified load consumption pattern to a utility device. The mobile device also sets a limit for maximum energy consumption through the mobile application. The system can also include the utility device that receives the identified load consumption pattern, and configured to send a short message service (SMS) alert to the mobile device to alert the mobile device to read meter energy consumption reading from energy meter and share with utility device due to direct connection failure with an energy meter. The system can also include an energy meter configured to communicate with the utility device, wherein the utility device attempts to receive the meter energy consumption reading from the energy meter.

A system for resource monitoring and engagement, the system comprising: a resource monitor, disposed within radio range of resource meters that transmit radio signals indicative of meter identifiers and readings, the resource monitor configured to: determine whether the radio signals are of a fixed frequency or frequency hopping transmission protocol by scanning each of a plurality of channels for a time period and counting hits of desired meter identifiers within the each of the plurality of channels; decode the radio signals according to a determined transmission protocol to obtain corresponding meter identifiers and readings; and transmit the corresponding meter identifiers and readings over an Internet; and a server, configured to: receive the corresponding meter identifiers and readings; employ the meter identifiers and readings to detect an unusual pattern of resource consumption; and send an alert that corresponds to the unusual pattern of resource consumption.

A system for resource monitoring and engagement, the system comprising: a resource monitor, disposed within radio range of resource meters that transmit radio signals indicative of meter identifiers and readings, the resource monitor configured to: determine whether the radio signals are of a fixed frequency or frequency hopping transmission protocol by scanning each of a plurality of channels for a time period and counting hits of desired meter identifiers within the each of the plurality of channels; decode the radio signals according to a determined transmission protocol to obtain corresponding meter identifiers and readings; and transmit the corresponding meter identifiers and readings over an Internet; and a server, configured to: receive the corresponding meter identifiers and readings; employ the meter identifiers and readings to detect an unusual pattern of resource consumption; and send an alert that corresponds to the unusual pattern of resource consumption.

The subject disclosure provides a communications architecture for managing/relaying utility information, such as energy, water or gas information. In one aspect, the system includes a hub having a first communications interface for receiving consumption data of a predetermined energy load and a second communications interface for communicating with a metering device. The second communications interface is configured to transmit the consumption data to the metering device and to receive control signals from the metering device where the consumption data is communicated using a first protocol and wherein the control signals are communicated using a second protocol.

A system for resource monitoring includes: resource monitors, each disposed within radio range of corresponding resource meters that transmit corresponding radio signals indicative of corresponding meter identifiers and current readings, where the each of the resource monitors receive and decode one or more of the corresponding radio signals to obtain one or more of the corresponding meter identifiers and current readings, and where the each of the resource monitors transmit the one or more of the corresponding meter identifiers and current readings over the internet cloud; and a resource server, operatively coupled to the resource monitors via the internet cloud, configured to receive the one or more of the corresponding meter identifiers and current readings from the each of the resource monitors, and configured to employ the corresponding current readings to detect unusual patterns of resource consumption, and configured to send alerts corresponding to the unusual patterns of resource consumption.

A system for resource monitoring includes: a resource server that monitors use of a resource, the server including: a meter reading processor, that communicates with resource monitors disposed within radio range of resource meters, where the resource meters transmit radio signals indicative of meter identifiers and current readings, and where the each of the resource monitors receives and decodes one or more of the radio signals to obtain one or more of the meter identifiers and current readings, and where the each of the resource monitors transmits the one or more of the meter identifiers and current readings over the internet cloud, and where the meter reading processor updates corresponding records in a resource database that indicate resource consumption of corresponding facilities; and an engagement processor, that causes alerts to be transmitted to client devices based on analyses of resource consumption that notify users of the unusual patterns of consumption.

A method is provided for determining and monitoring gas consumption in a gas network under pressure or under vacuum. The gas network may include a sensor(s) capable of recording the state or status of a source(s), consumers, consumer areas or applications. The method includes: a start-up phase, during which the aforementioned sensors are calibrated before use; an optional leak quantification phase, in which unrecorded consumers or leaks are quantified on the basis of measurements from the aforementioned sensors; an operational phase, in which the flow and/or gas volume consumed by each consumer, consumer areas, application or possibly the leak/non-registered consumer is calculated or determined using a cumulative algorithm and a predefined, adjustable time horizon; an output phase, in which the calculated or determined flow and/or gas volume consumed by each consumer, consumer area, application or possibly the leak/non-registered consumer is displayed.

An intelligent electronic device (IED) includes an image capture module configured for capturing images or video in a location of the IED. The IED may also include a heat sensor for sensing heat inside or outside a housing of the IED. In one application, these techniques are implemented in IEDs such as electrical power and energy meters and used to control access to reset, configuration, billing, communication, and data acquisition/processing functions of the meters. Additionally, image processing techniques are employed by the IED to detect events in an electrical distribution system and implement control functions thereof.

A utility metering system configured to provide flow rate information is described that includes a utility meter and a utility metering endpoint. The utility meter is configured to generate and report a flow rate as a percentage of the maximum flow rate of the meter.