Automated on-site meter registration confirmation using a portable, wireless computing device

The invention is directed to a method and system for verifying an installation of an meter, for example, an electric power meter. The inventive method includes identifying the electric power meter to a central computer using a mobile computing device. The electric power meter receives computer-executable instructions from the central computer via the mobile computing device, and transmits meter information (e.g., power consumption readings, meter identification information, and meter location) to the central computer. The meter information received from the central computer is compared with meter information available at the electric power meter. The comparison may be accomplished visually by reading the meter and comparing the readings with the information received on the mobile computing device. Also, the comparison may be accomplished automatically by the mobile computing device based on the information it receives from the central computer and the information it receives from the electric power meter.

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What is claimed is:

1. A method of verifying an installation of a meter, comprising: identifying said meter to a central computer using a mobile computing device; verifying that said meter is incommunication with said central computer; inputting to said meter computer-executable instructions received from said central computer via said mobile computing device; transmitting meter information to said central computer from said meter; andcomparing said meter information received to said mobile computing device via said central computer with meter information available at said meter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said computer-executable instructions allow said mobile computing device to receive said meter information from said central computer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said meter is at least one of the following: an electric power meter, a gas meter, and a water meter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said computer-executable instructions allow said meter to communicate with said central computer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said computer-executable instructions identify data collection requirements to said meter.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said data collection requirements comprise at least one of the following: data collection types and data collection intervals.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said computer-executable instructions are an updated version of previous computer-executable instructions.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said computer-executable instructions include meter firmware.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said computer-executable instructions update data collection requirements to said meter.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving installation instructions from said central computer to said mobile computing device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving external data to said mobile computing device.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said external data comprises at least one of the following: global positioning data, latitude and longitude data, and bar code reader data.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying installation-specific information to said central computer using said mobile computing device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said installation-specific information comprises at least one of the following: current transformer ratio, power transformer ratio, and meter location.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving said meter information available at said meter from said meter to said mobile computing device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising storing in said mobile computing device said meter information available at said meter.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said comparing comprises automatically analyzing said stored meter information with said received meter information.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said comparing comprises visually analyzing said meter information available at said meter with said received meter information.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein said meter information includes at least one of the following: power consumption readings, meter identification information, and meter location.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein meter identification information includes at least one of the following: a directory number of said meter, a type of said meter, a manufacturer of said meter, a serial number of said meter, and a mobileidentification number of said meter.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying comprises receiving a query at said mobile computing device from said central computer.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying comprises providing at least one of the following to said central computer: a directory number of said meter, a type of said meter, a manufacturer of said meter, a serial number of said meter,and a mobile identification number of said meter.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein said mobile computing device initiates communication with said central computer.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a validation request from said central computer.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising inputting to said meter other computer-executable instructions received from said central computer.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein based on said comparing, said mobile computing device receives a signal from said central computer.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said signal comprises at least one of the following: a verification message indicating proper installation, a request message requiring additional data be transmitted to said central computer, a textualinstruction message, and a reinstallation message requiring that said computer-executable instructions be re-inputted to said meter.

28. A method of verifying an installation of a meter, comprising: receiving identification data for said meter from a mobile computing device; transmitting computer-executable instructions based on said meter to said mobile computing device; receiving meter performance information from said meter; and transmitting said meter performance information to said mobile computing device via said central computer.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising storing said meter performance information.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising storing said identification data.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein said meter is at least one of the following: an electric power meter, a gas meter, and a water meter.

32. The method of claim 28, further comprising transmitting installation instructions based on said meter to said mobile computing device.

33. The method of claim 28, further comprising receiving meter performance information from said mobile computing device.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising comparing said meter performance information received from said meter with said meter performance information received from said mobile computing device.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising transmitting additional installation instructions to said mobile computing device based on said comparison.

36. The method of claim 28, further comprising receiving meter performance information from directly from said meter.

37. A method of installing a meter, comprising: selecting a meter; coupling said meter to an electric power line; establishing communication with a central computer using a mobile computing device; establishing communication with said meterusing said mobile computing device; providing meter data to said central computer using said mobile computing device; receiving at said mobile computing device computer-executable instructions from said central computer, based on said meter data; providing said computer-executable instructions to said meter using said mobile computing device; establishing communication between said central computer and said meter; receiving meter information at said mobile computing device via said centralcomputer; and comparing said received meter information with meter information available at said meter.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said selecting of the meter includes at least one of the following: identifying meter configuration, identifying installation location, and identifying installation date.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein said comparing is conducted automatically by said mobile computing device.

40. The method of claim 37, further comprising providing installation instructions to said mobile computing device via said central computer, when said received meter information is sufficiently different from said meter information available atsaid meter.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein said meter is at least one of the following: an electric power meter, a gas meter, and a water meter.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein said installation instructions include at least one of the following: replace said meter, receive and install additional computer-executable instructions, provide additional meter data to said centralcomputer, and reinstall said meter data.

43. The method of claim 37, further comprising verifying proper installation of said electric meter when said received meter information is substantially similar to said meter information available at said meter.

44. The method of claim 37, wherein said computer-executable instructions perform at least one of the following: allowing said mobile computing device to receive said meter information from said central computer, allowing said meter tocommunicate with said central computer, identifying data collection requirements to said meter, and updating data collection requirements to said meter.

45. A system for verifying an installation of a meter, comprising: a central database, wherein said central database stores computer-executable instructions for installing said meter; a central computer server in communication with said centralcomputer database; a meter in communication with said central computer server over a communication network; and a mobile computing device in communication with said central computer server over said communication network and with said meter, whereinsaid mobile computing device identifies said meter to said central computer server and inputs to said meter computer-executable instructions received from said central computer.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein said mobile computing device compares meter information received from said central computer with meter information received from said meter.

47. The system of claim 45, wherein said communication network is the Internet.

48. The system of claim 45, wherein said communication network is wireless.

49. The system of claim 45, wherein said meter is at least one of the following: an electric power meter, a gas meter, and a water meter.

50. The system of claim 45, wherein said mobile computing device is a personal digital assistant.

51. The system of claim 45, wherein said mobile computing device is a laptop computer.

52. The system of claim 45, wherein said mobile computing device is a wireless telephone.

53. The system of claim 45, further comprising a global positioning system in communication with said mobile computing device.

54. The system of claim 45, further comprising a global positioning system in communication with said meter.

55. The system of claim 45, wherein said central computer server and said central database each comprise a plurality of computing components.

56. The system of claim 55, wherein said plurality of computing components include at least one of the following: an automatic meter reading system, a Web server, a work management system, an asset management system, a customer servicerepresentative system, a customer information system, and a customer billing system.

57. The system of claim 45, wherein said mobile computing device communicates with said meter via an optical probe.

58. The system of claim 45, wherein said central database stores installation instructions for said meter.

59. The system of claim 45, wherein said a meter is in communication with said central computer via the handheld computer.

60. The system of claim 45, wherein said a meter is in direct communication with said central computer.