System and Method for Determining a Phase Conductor Supplying Power to a Device

1 . A method of using a system to determine one of a plurality of power line conductors to which a first remote device is electrically connected and wherein each power line conductor carries a different phase of power having a zero crossing of the alternative current (AC) voltage at a different point in time, the method comprising:

transmitting a data beacon;

determining a relative time period associated with each power line conductor that comprises a time period between a zero crossing of the voltage of the power line conductor and the transmission of the data beacon;

storing in a memory the relative time period associated with each power line conductor;

with the first remote device, receiving the data beacon;

with the first remote device, determining a first time period comprising a time period between reception of the data beacon and a zero crossing of a voltage at the first remote device;

with the first remote device, transmitting data of the first time period to a remote computer system;

with the computer system, receiving the data of the first time period;

with the computer system, determining that the first time period satisfies a similarity threshold with a relative time period associated with a first power line conductor; and

with the remote computer system, storing in a memory information associating the first remote device with the first power line conductor.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising with the computer system:

receiving a plurality of time periods transmitted from a plurality of remote devices connected to different power line phase conductors of the plurality of power line phase conductors.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said determining whether the first time period satisfies a similarity threshold comprises:

comparing the first time period with the relative time period of each power line conductor.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first remote device comprises a electric power meter.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said transmitting the data beacon comprises wirelessly transmitting.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said determining that the first time period satisfies a similarity threshold comprises:

selecting the relative time period that is closest to the first time period.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said transmitting data of the first time period comprises wirelessly transmitting data of the first time period.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of power line conductors comprises medium voltage phase conductors and the first remote device is electrically connected to one of the medium voltage phase conductors via a low voltage power line and a distribution transformer.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of power line conductors comprises low voltage phase conductors and the first remote device is electrically connected to one of the low voltage phase conductors.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising outputting information identifying the first power line conductor as the power line conductor to which the first remote device is electrically connected.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first time period comprises the time period between reception of the data beacon and a subsequent zero crossing of the voltage at the first remote device.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first time period comprises the time period between reception of the data beacon and a prior zero crossing of the voltage at the first remote device

13 . A system to determine one of a plurality of power line conductors to which a remote device is electrically connected and wherein at least some of the power line conductors have a zero crossing of an AC voltage of the power carried by the power line conductor at a different point in time, the system comprising:

a communication device configured to transmit a phase identifier message;

a controller configured to determine a relative time period associated with each power line conductor that comprises a time period between a zero crossing of the voltage of the power line conductor and the transmission of the phase identifier message;

a memory configured to store the relative time period associated with each power line conductor;

a remote device configured to monitor a voltage of a low voltage power line and to receive the phase identifier message;

wherein said remote device is configured to determine a first time period comprising a time period between a the zero crossing of the voltage and the reception of the phase identifier message;

wherein said remote device is configured to transmit a notification that includes information of the first time period to a computer system and information identifying the remote device;

said computer system configured to select a first power line conductor having an associated relative time period that that satisfies a similarity threshold with the first time period; and

wherein said computer system is configured to output information identifying the first power line conductor.

14 . The system according to claim 13 , wherein the first time period comprises the time period between reception of the phase identifier message and a prior zero crossing of the voltage at the first remote device.

15 . The system according to claim 13 , wherein the first time period comprises the time period between reception of the phase identifier message and a subsequent zero crossing of the voltage at the first remote device.

16 . The system according to claim 13 , wherein said remote device comprises a controller in communication with a memory and a modem.

17 . The system according to claim 13 , wherein said communication device is configured to wirelessly transmit the phase identifier message.

18 . The system according to claim 13 , wherein said computer system is configured to select a first power line conductor having an associated relative time period that that satisfies a similarity threshold with the first time period by selecting the power line conductor having an associated relative time period that is closest to the first time period.

19 . The system according to claim 13 , wherein said computer system is configured to select a first power line conductor having an associated relative time period that that satisfies a similarity threshold with the first time period by comparing the first time period with the relative time period of each power line conductor.

20 . The system according to claim 13 , wherein the first remote device comprises a electric power meter.

21 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein the plurality of power line conductors comprises medium voltage power line conductors and said remote device is electrically connected to one of the medium voltage power line conductors via a low voltage power line and a distribution transformer.

22 . A method of using a computer system to determine one of a plurality of power line conductors to which a remote device is electrically connected and wherein at least some of the power line conductors have a zero crossing of an AC voltage of the power carried by the power line conductor at a different point in time, the method comprising:

transmitting a phase identifier message;

determining a relative time period associated with each power line conductor that comprises a time period between a zero crossing of the voltage of the power line conductor and the transmission of the phase identifier message;

storing in a memory the relative time period associated with each power line conductor;

with a first remote device, receiving the phase identifier message;

with the first remote device, determining a first time period comprising a time period between reception of the phase identifier message and a zero crossing of a voltage at the first remote device;

with the first remote device, transmitting data of the first time period to a remote computer system;

with the computer system, receiving the data of the first time period;

with the computer system, accessing the memory to determine that the first remote device is electrically connected to a first power line conductor based on:

(a) the relative time period associated with the first power line conductor; and

(b) the data of the first time period.

23 . The method according to claim 22 , further comprising with the computer system, outputting information indicating that the first remote device is electrically connected to the first power line conductor.

24 . The method according to claim 22 , wherein the relative time period associated with each power line conductor comprises the time period between a zero crossing of the voltage of the power line conductor and a subsequent transmission of the phase identifier message.

25 . The method according to claim 22 , further comprising:

with a second remote device, receiving the phase identifier message;

with the second remote device, determining a second time period comprising a time between reception of the phase identifier message and a zero crossing of a voltage at the second remote device;

with the second remote device, transmitting data of the second time period to the remote computer system;

with the computer system, receiving the data of the second time period;

with the computer system, accessing the memory to determine that the second remote device is electrically connected to a second power line conductor based on:

(a) the relative time period associated with the second power line conductor; and

(b) the data of the second time period.

26 . The method according to claim 25 , wherein said computer system is configured to access the memory to determine that the first remote device is electrically connected to a first power line by selecting the power line conductor having an associated relative time period that is closest to the first time period.

27 . The method according to claim 22 , wherein said transmitting a first phase identifier message comprises wirelessly transmitting.

28 . The method according to claim 22 , wherein the relative time period associated with each power line conductor comprises the time period between a zero crossing of the voltage of the power line conductor and a prior transmission of the phase identifier message.

29 . The method according to claim 22 , wherein said computer system is configured to access the memory to determine that the first remote device is electrically connected to a first power line by comparing the first time period with the relative time period of each power line conductor.