Reverse flow detection and annunciation

1. A method for detecting a reverse flow condition in a meter, the method comprising the steps of:

accumulating, by a microcontroller in the meter, an amount of reverse flow in the meter over a time period;

determining, by the microcontroller, whether the accumulated amount of reverse flow over the time period exceeds a threshold value; and

upon determining that the accumulated amount of reverse flow over the time period exceeds the threshold value, providing, by the microcontroller, a reverse flow alert,

wherein accumulating the amount of reverse flow in the meter over the time period comprises periodically determining a reverse pulse count indicating a number of reverse flow pulses that occurred since a last measurement and adding an amount of flow represented by the reverse pulse count to a backflow accumulator in the microcontroller.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the number of reverse flow pulses that occurred since the last measurement are maintained by a pulse counting unit of the microcontroller.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a measurement of forward flow in the meter resets the accumulated amount of reverse flow and the time period.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller is implemented in a solid-state register of a water meter assembly.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein providing the reverse flow alert comprises:

providing, by the microcontroller, a signal to a display in the solid-state register to display a message indicating the reverse flow condition; and

displaying, by the display, the message.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein providing the reverse flow alert comprises:

providing, by the microcontroller, a signal to an interface in the solid-state register to include a flag in an automatic meter reading message indicating the reverse flow condition; and

including, by the interface, the flag in the automatic meter reading message.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the time period and the threshold value are configurable in the microcontroller.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of threshold values are configured in the microcontroller, and wherein the microcontroller provides a different reverse flow alert based upon which of the plurality of threshold values are exceeded by the accumulated amount of reverse flow over the time period.

9. A computer-readable storage medium having processor-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processing unit, cause the processing unit to:

accumulate an amount of reverse flow through a meter over a time period;

determine whether the accumulated amount of reverse flow over the time period exceeds a first threshold value;

upon determining that the accumulated amount of reverse flow over the time period exceeds the first threshold value, providing a first reverse flow alert indicating a reverse flow condition;

determine whether the accumulated amount of reverse flow over the time period exceeds a second threshold value; and

upon determining that the accumulated amount of reverse flow over the time period exceeds the second threshold value, providing a second reverse flow alert.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein accumulating the amount of reverse flow in the meter over the time period comprises periodically determining a reverse pulse count indicating a number of reverse flow pulses that occurred since a last measurement and adding an amount of flow represented by the reverse pulse count to a backflow accumulator.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , having additional processor-executable instructions stored thereon that cause the processing unit to:

detect forward flow in the meter; and

upon detecting forward flow in the meter, reset the backflow accumulator and the time period.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein providing the first reverse flow alert comprises providing a signal to a display to cause the display to display a message indicating the reverse flow condition.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein providing the first reverse flow alert comprises providing a signal to an interface to cause the interface to include a flag in an automatic meter reading message indicating the reverse flow condition.

14. A system comprising:

a measuring chamber of a meter assembly, the measuring chamber containing a measuring device; and

a solid-state register implemented in the meter assembly, the solid-state register magnetically coupled to the measuring device and comprising a microcontroller, the microcontroller configured to

accumulate an amount of reverse flow through the measuring chamber over a time period,

determine whether the accumulated amount of reverse flow over the time period exceeds a threshold value, and

upon determining that the accumulated amount of reverse flow over the time period exceeds the threshold value, providing a reverse flow alert indicating a reverse flow condition,

wherein accumulating the amount of reverse flow in the meter over the time period comprises periodically determining a reverse pulse count indicating a number of reverse flow pulses that occurred since a last measurement and adding an amount of flow represented by the reverse pulse count to a backflow accumulator in the microcontroller.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the microcontroller is further configured to:

detect forward flow through the measuring chamber; and

upon detecting forward flow in the meter, reset the backflow accumulator and the time period.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein providing the reverse flow alert comprises providing a signal to a display of the solid-state register to cause the display to display a message indicating the reverse flow condition.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein providing the reverse flow alert comprises providing a signal to an interface of the solid-state register to cause the interface to include a flag in an automatic meter reading message indicating the reverse flow condition.