Outage notification device and method
An outage notification system for detecting a power outage at a customer location is provided. The outage notification system comprises a first outage notification device operably coupled to a first circuit at the customer location, a second device operably coupled to a second circuit at the customer location. The first device is operable to determine a status of power supply to the first circuit and communicate the status of power supply to the first circuit to the second device. The second device is operable to determine a status of power supply to the second circuit (or other desired parameter in an alternative embodiment) and notify, via a network, a receiving system associated with the electric utility of a power outage at the customer location based at least in part on the statuses of power supply to the first and/or second circuits.
1. An outage notification system for detecting a power outage at a customer location, the system comprising:
a first device operably coupled to a first circuit at the customer location;
a second device operably coupled to a second circuit at the customer location;
wherein the first device is operable to:
determine a status of power supply to the first circuit; and
communicate the status of power supply to the first circuit to the second device;
wherein the second device is operable to:
determine a status of power supply to the second circuit; and
notify, via a network, a receiving system associated with the electric utility of a power outage at the customer location based at least in part on the statuses of power supply to the first and second circuits.
2. The outage notification system of claim 1 , further comprising the receiving system and wherein the receiving system is operable to notify the electric utility of the power outage when the statuses of power supply to the first and second circuits indicate that power supply is unavailable in both the first and second circuits.
3. The outage notification system of claim 1 , further comprising the receiving system and wherein the receiving system is operable to notify at least one representative of a customer of the power outage when the statuses of power supply to the first and second circuits indicate that power supply is unavailable in at least one of the first and second circuits.
4. The outage notification system of claim 3 , wherein the receiving system is operable to notify the at least one representative of the customer by transmitting an email to at least one email address associated with the at least one representative.
5. The outage notification system of claim 3 , wherein the receiving system is operable to notify the at least one representative of the customer by transmitting a facsimile to at least one facsimile number associated with the at least one representative.
6. The outage notification system of claim 3 , wherein the receiving system is operable to notify the at least one representative of the customer by transmitting a voice message to at least one telephone number associated with the at least one representative.
7. The outage notification system of claim 3 , wherein the receiving system is operable to notify the at least one representative of the customer by transmitting a page to at least one pager number associated with the at least one representative.
8. The outage notification system of claim 1 , further comprising a third device operably coupled to a third circuit, the third device operable to: determine a status of power supply to the third circuit; and communicate the status of power supply to the third circuit to the second device.
9. The outage notification system of claim 8 , wherein the second device is operable to notify the receiving system of a power outage at the customer location based at least in part on the statuses of power supply to the first, second and third circuits.
10. The outage notification system of claim 9 , further comprising the receiving system and wherein the receiving system is operable to notify the electric utility of the power outage when the statuses of power supply to the first, second and circuits indicate that power supply is unavailable in each of the first, second and third circuits.
11. The outage notification system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second devices each include a wireless transceiver and wherein the first device is adapted to communicate the status of power supply to the first circuit to the second device via the wireless transceiver.
12. The outage notification system of claim 1 , wherein the second device includes a network interface operably coupled to the network for communicating with the receiver system via the network.
13. The outage notification system of claim 12 , wherein the network includes a cable network.
14. The outage notification system of claim 12 , wherein the network includes a telephone network.
15. The outage notification system of claim 14 , wherein the receiver system includes integrated voice response (IVR) system coupled to the telephone network and wherein the second device is adapted to communicate with the IVR system via the telephone network using at least one dual-tone multifrequency (DTMF) signal.
16. The outage notification system of claim 14 , wherein the receiver system includes a modem data server coupled to the telephone network and wherein the network interface includes a modem chipset for communicating with the modem data server via the telephone network.
17. The outage notification system of claim 1 , wherein the first device includes an alternating current (AC) adaptor operably connectable to an outlet associated with the first circuit and wherein the first device is adapted to determine the status of power supply to the first circuit based at least in part on an output of the AC adaptor.
18. The outage notification system of claim 17 , wherein the second device includes an alternating current (AC) adaptor operably connectable to an outlet associated with the second circuit and wherein the second device is adapted to determine the status of power supply to the second circuit based at least in part on an output of the AC adaptor of the second device.