External access to meter display

Abstract

A utility meter comprises a measurement circuit configured to measure consumption data, a memory configured to store meter data including the consumption data, and a receiver configured to receive a priority message from a source external to the utility meter. A meter display on the meter comprises a plurality of display segments. The meter display is configured to display the meter data according to a standard meter display routine. The meter display is further configured to display the priority message on at least a first portion of the plurality of display segments such that meter data normally displayed during the standard meter display routine is not displayed on the first portion of the plurality of display segments. A meter controller is configured to determine whether the standard meter display routine should be interrupted or overridden in order to display the remote message.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operating a utility meter including metrology circuitry and a meter display, the method comprising:
 a) displaying meter data on the meter display according to a standard meter display routine, the meter data including data from the metrology circuitry;   b) receiving a message and a password at the utility meter from a source external to the metrology circuitry;   c) setting a flag responsive to a determination based on the received password;   d) storing the message; and   e) interrupting or overriding the standard meter display routine responsive to a determination that the flag is set in order to display the received message on the meter display.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the message is a priority message that is unrelated to consumption or pricing. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the standard meter display routine comprises a series of display messages and the step of interrupting the standard meter display routine involves displaying the received message in the series of display messages. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising a step of returning to the standard meter display routine after a predetermined time of displaying the received message. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 determining whether an additional message is received within a predetermined time while displaying the received message; and 
 returning to the standard meter display routine if the additional message is not received within the predetermined time. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein none of the meter data is displayed on the meter display when the received message is displayed on the meter display. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the meter display comprises a plurality of display segments, and the plurality of display segments are all utilized when displaying the received message. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein step b) further comprises receiving display parameters, and wherein the received message is displayed on the meter display in a marquee fashion, responsive to the received display parameters. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least some of the meter data is displayed on the meter display when the received message is displayed on the meter display. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the meter display comprises a first plurality of display segments and a second plurality of display segments, and wherein the first plurality of display segments are utilized to display the received message and the second plurality of display segments are utilized to display the meter data. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the meter data comprises energy consumption data. 
     
     
         12 . A utility meter comprising:
 a measurement circuit configured to measure consumption and provide consumption data;   a memory configured to store meter data, the meter data including the consumption data;   a receiver configured to receive a message and a password from a source other than the measurement circuit;   a meter display;   a processing device configured to cause the meter display to display the meter data according to a standard meter display routine, the processing device further configured to, responsive at least in part to the received password, cause the meter display to display the received message in a location in which the meter data was previously displayed such that the received message replaces the meter data on the meter display.   
     
     
         13 . The utility meter of  claim 12 , wherein the processing device is further configured to determine, based on other information received by the receiver, whether the standard meter display routine should be interrupted or overridden in order to display the received message. 
     
     
         14 . The utility meter of  claim 12 , wherein the receiver is further configured to receive control parameters corresponding to the received message from an external source, the control parameters including information identifying a format for displaying the received message, and wherein the processing circuit is configured to display the received message in the format responsive to the received control parameters. 
     
     
         15 . A method of operating a utility meter including a meter display, the method comprising:
 a) establishing communications with the utility meter at a computing device remote from the utility meter;   b) displaying at the computing device information as displayed on the meter display;   c) receiving at the computing device user input comprising a message to be displayed on the meter display;   d) transmitting the message to the utility meter;   e) receiving at the computing device using the established communications updated information regarding the meter display; and   f) displaying at the computing device second information as displayed on the meter display, the second information based on the updated information, the second information including the message.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein:
 wherein the displayed information of step b) comprises a virtual display having at least a first section showing consumption information; and   wherein the displayed second information of step e) comprises the virtual display having the first section showing the message in place of the consumption information.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising receiving at the computing device second user input including a password associated with access to the meter display, and wherein step d) further comprises transmitting the password to the utility meter. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising receiving at the computing device third user input including at least one display parameter, the at least one display parameter identifying a display format for the message, and wherein step d) further comprises transmitting the at least one display parameter to the utility meter. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising receiving at the computing device further user input including at least one display parameter, the at least one display parameter identifying a display format for the message, and wherein step d) further comprises transmitting the at least one display parameter to the utility meter.