Systems and methods for collecting, analyzing, billing, and reporting data from intelligent electronic devices

Abstract

Systems and methods for collecting, analyzing, billing and reporting data from intelligent electronic devices are provided. Also, systems and methods for managing sensor data are provided. In some embodiments, a system for managing sensor data may include intelligent electronic devices, a server, a plurality of client devices, and a network. Each of the intelligent electronic devices is configured to obtain sensor data related to power parameters distributed to a load. The server is configured to receive the sensor data from the plurality of intelligent electronic devices and store the sensor data in a database. Each client device is configured to retrieve the sensor data from the database. The network enables communication among the server, the plurality of intelligent electronic devices, and the plurality of client devices.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for managing sensor data, the system comprising:
 a plurality of intelligent electronic devices, each intelligent electronic device configured to obtain sensor data related to power parameters distributed to a load;   a server configured to receive the sensor data from the plurality of intelligent electronic devices, the server further configured to store the sensor data in a database;   a plurality of client devices, each client device configured to retrieve the sensor data from the database; and   a network enabling communication among the server, the plurality of intelligent electronic devices, and the plurality of client devices.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor data at least comprises six channels, wherein three channels are voltage phases and three channels are current phases. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the database comprises a plurality of tables and the server is configured to store each channel of the sensor data for each intelligent electronic device in a different table in the database. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the database comprises a channel reference table that specifies the channel contained in each table. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the server is configured to store the sensor data in a plurality of databases and is configured to store each channel of the sensor data for each intelligent electronic device in different tables in multiple databases. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein each database comprises a channel reference table that specifies the tables contained in the database. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the server is configured to condense groups of data records of the sensor data into single records. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein each group of data records is sensed during a specific time period. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the specific time period is a day. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the specific time period is a month. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the server executes at least one of a first software program that stores the sensor data in the database and a second software program that condenses the groups of data records into single records. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a database server configured to condense groups of data records of the sensor data into single records. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the server is configured to receive the sensor data in a push operation. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the server is configured to receive the sensor data in a pull operation. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the server receives the sensor data in a burst operation. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor data is time-stamped. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the database is a flat file database. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the database is a relational database. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a database interface configured to enable storage of sensor data in different types of databases. 
     
     
         20 . A server for managing sensor data, the server comprising:
 a processing device;   a database;   a network interface in communication with a network to enable communication with at least one intelligent electronic device and at least one client device;   wherein the network interface is configured to receive sensor data from the at least one intelligent electronic device, the sensor data related to power parameters distributed to a load;   wherein the processing device is configured to store the sensor data in the database;   wherein the network interface is configured to transmit the sensor data from the database to the at least one client device.