IP Library Granted Patent US 8,810,421
Granted Patent B2
US 8,810,421 · App. 13/114,622 · Granted Aug 19, 2014

System, device and method for providing power outage and restoration notification

Inventors: Brian J. Deaver, Sr. (Fallston, MD); David S. Yaney (Poolesville, MD)
Assignee: Current Technologies, LLC
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,810,421
App. No.
13/114,622
Granted
Aug 19, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system, computer program product and method to provide information related to a power distribution system based on information provided by a plurality of network elements electrically connected to a plurality of power lines of the power distribution system at a plurality of locations is provided. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving a notification from a group of network elements that have detected a voltage signature indicating an imminent power outage, determining location information of the power outage, outputting the location information of the power outage, receiving a live notification from a first network element of the group of network elements indicating a first power restoration at a location of the first network element, determining location information of the first power restoration, and outputting the location information of the first power restoration.

Claims (52)

1. A method of using a computer system to provide information related to a power distribution system based on information provided by a plurality of network elements, comprising:

receiving one or more outage notifications from one or more network elements connected to the power distribution system;

determining location information of the power outage based on the one or more outage notifications;

outputting data of the location information of the power outage;

receiving a first restoration notification from a first network element of the one or more network elements providing the one or more outage notifications;

wherein the restoration notification indicates a first power restoration at a location of the first network element;

determining location information of the first power restoration based, at least in part, on the live notification; and

outputting data of the location information of the first power restoration.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said outputting data of the location information of the power outage comprises displaying the location of the power outage on a map on a display.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein said outputting data of the location information of the first power restoration comprises displaying the location of the power restoration on the map on the display.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said outputting data of the location information of the first power restoration comprises displaying the location of the power restoration on a map on a display.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a second restoration notification indicating a second power restoration from a second network element of the one or more network elements;

determining location information of the second power restoration; and

outputting data of the location information of the second power restoration.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the outage notifications indicate a power outage of a medium voltage power line, which is detected by the one or more network elements by a reduction in a measurement of a voltage of a low voltage power line below a threshold voltage.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the outage notifications indicate a power outage of a low voltage power line.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said first power restoration is not a restoration of the entire power outage, the method further comprising:

displaying on a map one or more areas of the power outage concurrently with one or more areas of the first power restoration.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least some of the one or more outage notifications are received via a communication path that includes a wireless link.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the wireless link comprises a mobile telephone network link.

11. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium encoding a computer program for executing on a computer system to provide a computer process for providing information related to a power distribution system, the computer program product comprising:

a first code segment to receive an outage notification from one or more network elements;

a second code segment to determine location information of the power outage based on a received outage notification;

a third code segment to output location information of the power outage;

a fourth code segment to receive a restoration notification from a first network element of the one or more network elements indicating a first power restoration at a location of the first network element;

a fifth code segment to determine location information of the first power restoration; and

a sixth code segment to output the location information of the first power restoration.

12. The computer program product according to claim 11 , wherein said third code segment is configured to display the location of the power outage on a map on a display.

13. The computer program product according to claim 12 , wherein said sixth code segment is configured to display the location of the power restoration on the map on the display.

14. The computer program product according to claim 11 , wherein the outage notification indicates a power outage of a medium voltage power line which is detected by the one or more network elements by a reduction in a measured voltage of a low voltage power line below a threshold voltage.

15. The computer program product according to claim 11 , wherein the outage notification indicates a power outage of a low voltage power line.

16. The computer program product according to claim 11 , wherein at least some of the one or more outage notifications to be received are received via a communication path that includes a wireless link.

17. The computer program product according to claim 14 , wherein the wireless link comprises a mobile telephone network link.

18. A method of using a computer system to provide information related to a power distribution system, comprising:

receiving a first notification from a first network element that indicates a first power outage on the power distribution system;

determining location information of the first power outage;

outputting data of the location information of the first power outage;

receiving a restoration notification from the first network element indicating a first power restoration;

determining location information of the first power restoration; and

outputting the location information of the first power restoration.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein said first power restoration is not a restoration of an entire power outage, the method further comprising:

displaying on a map one or more areas of first power outage concurrently with one or more areas of the first power restoration.

20. The method according to claim 18 , further comprising:

receiving a restoration notification from a second network element indicating a second power restoration;

determining location information of the second power restoration; and

outputting data of the location information of the second power restoration.

21. The method according to claim 18 , wherein said outputting the location information of the first power outage comprises outputting addresses of one or more power customers.

22. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the first network element determines the first power outage by detecting a reduction in a measurement of a voltage below a threshold voltage.

23. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the first network element determines the first power outage from a failure to communicate with at least one automated power meter.

24. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the first notification is received via a communication path that includes a wireless link.

25. The method according to claim 24 , wherein the wireless link comprises a mobile telephone network link.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 27, 2011
From: DEAVER, BRIAN J., SR.; YANEY, DAVID S.
To: CURRENT TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 026354/0044 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 12354523 · Jan 15, 2009
Provisional Application 61022462 · Jan 21, 2008
Provisional Application 61022348 · Jan 20, 2008
Related Publication 20110221603A1 · Sep 15, 2011