THE FOLLOWING SPECIFICATION PARTICULARLY DESCRIBES THE NATURE OF THE INVENTION

COVER TAMPER DETECTION DEVICE FOR ENERGY
METER
A) TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention generally relates to metering devices such as electrical energy meter or watt hour meter used in domestic and industrial applications to measure the electrical energy consumed in home and in industry. The present invention particularly relates to a tamper detection device used for sensing the tampering event in the energy meter. The present invention more particularly relates to a tamper detection device used for sensing the break opening or the tampering of the cover installed on a utility meter like electrical energy meter, etc., using an electronic circuit.
B) BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] An electric meter or energy meter is a device that measures the amount of electrical energy supplied to a residence or business. The most common type is more properly known as a (kilo)watt-hour meter or a joule meter. The most common unit of measurement on the electricity meter is the kilowatt-hour which is equal to the amount of energy used by a load of one kilowatt over a period of one hour, or 3,600,000 joules. The demand is normally measured in watts, but averaged over a period, most often a quarter or half hour.

[0003] The meters for measuring single phase energy are also available. It also provides capabilities like Maximum demand with date & time and kWh Backups. The modem electricity meters operate by continuously measuring the instantaneous voltage (volts) and current (amperes) and finding the product of these two to give an instantaneous electrical power (watts) which is then integrated against time to compute the total energy used (in joules, kilowatt-hours etc). The meters fall into two basic categories, like electromechanical meter and electronic meter.
[0004] The most common type of electricity meter is the electromechanical induction meter. The electromechanical induction meter operates by counting the revolutions of an aluminum disc which is made to rotate at a speed proportional to the power. The number of revolutions is thus proportional to the energy usage. It consumes a small amount of power, typically around 2 watts.
[0005] The metallic disc is acted upon by two coils. One coil is connected in such a way that it produces a magnetic flux in proportion to the voltage and the other produces a magnetic flux in proportion to the current. This produces eddy currents in the disc and the effect is such that a force is exerted on the disc in proportion to the product of the instantaneous current and voltage. A permanent magnet exerts an opposing force proportional to the speed of rotation of the disc so that the rotation of the disc is stopped, when power is not supplied. As a result, the disc is rotated at a speed proportional to the power being used. The type of meter described above is used on a

single-phase AC supply. The different phase configurations are fonned by using the additional voltage and current coils.
[0006] Some of the electricity meters are solid state type and they display the power used on an LCD module, while the electronic meters can be read automatically. In addition to the measurement of the electrical power consumption, the solid state meters may also record other parameters of the load and supply such as maximum demand, power factor and reactive power used etc. They may also include the electronic clock mechanisms to compute a value, rather than an amount, of electricity consumed, with the pricing varying of by the time of day, day of week, and seasonally
[0007] The AMR (Automatic Meter Reading) and RMR (Remote Meter Reading) describe various systems that allow meters to be checked by without the need to send a meter reading personnel out. This may be effectively achieved using the off-site metering technology. The electronic meter is placed at the junction point where all the connections originate, inaccessible to the end-user, and it relays the readings via the AMR technology to the utility.
[0008] The meters may be manipulated so as to make them under-register or even run backwards, effectively allowing usage of power without paying for it. There are several forms of tampering that are effectively done on inductive meters. The magnets above 0.5 tesla can saturate the magnetic circuits, causing the loss of registration. Some industry

traditionally inserts rectifiers in Ught-bulb sockets to induce DC loads. The grounded disconnected or reversed terminals also cause misregistration. Some industries historically alternated the inductive motors and capacitive loads (such as arc-smelters) to alternately run the meters forward then backward.
[0009] Sometimes the cover of the meters is tampered to induce the malfunctioning of the meters to reduce the power consumption levels. The terminal cover is removed to interfere with the connections or to apply a bridge or to remove the case to interfere with the working of the meter. The internal pressure switch may be fit inside the case to detect the cover tampering event.
[0010] Sometimes the neutral supply to the meter is interrupted. A sensor may be fit to detect the voltage loss or alternatively to detect the imbalances in the live and neutral circuits.
[0011] A black box may be used to run the meter backwards. At present the electronic meters are provided with a circuit to indicate the reverse running of the energy meters.
[0012] In some cases the energy meter is completely by passed or tapped into the cutout or the wiring from a location which is far ahead of the meter location.

[0013] The anti-tamper techniques are well-known in the industry. The owner of the meter normally secures the meter against the tampering of the meters. The meters are usually sealed so that the connections and the mechanism may not be tampered without breaking the seal. The meters may also measure VAR-hours (the reflected load), neutral and DC currents (elevated by most electrical tampering), ambient magnetic fields, etc. Even simple mechanical meters may have mechanical flags that are dropped by magnetic tampering or large DC currents.
[0014] The old electromechanical meters may be replaced with solid-state ones to improve the meter accuracy. An added benefit is that the solid-state meters are more tamper resistant. They will register energy usage appropriately even if they are mmed upside-down, because the solid state meters have less moving parts. With the advent of solid-state metering, the traditional means of tampering, as employed with mechanical meters, are waning. As the "eyes in the field" are reduced by AMR/AMI systems, the utilities can expect to see an increase in diversion by bypassing the meter. Proactively analyzing the meter data will help keep the problem in check.
[0015] The new computerized meters usually have counter-measures against the tampering. The Automated Meter Reading (AMR) meters often have sensors that may report the opening of the meter cover, the magnetic anomalies, the extra clock setting, the glued buttons, the reversed or switched phases etc. These features are normally present in computerized meters used in the regions especially where the tampering act is

culturaUy accepted. The regulatory agencies permit the meters because they are more accurate for honest subscribers.
[0016] Even though the energy meters are provided with the tamper resistance facility, some fraud perpetrators bypass the meter, wholly or in part, to use the power without it being recorded at their individual metering unit. This kind of act normally causes an increase in neutral current at the meter, which is detected and billed at normal rates by the standard tamper-resistant meters.
[0017] Even if the meter's neutral connector is completely disconnected, and the building's neutral is grounded to the phantom loop, causing an unsafe house or building, the metering operation at the substation may alert the operator towards the detected tampering event. The substations, interties and transformers normally have a high-accuracy meter for the area served. The power supply generation and distribution companies normally investigate the discrepancies between the total billed and the total generated values, in order to find and fix the power distribution problems. These t)^es of investigations are an effective method of discovering the tampering event.
[0018] The introduction of advanced meters in residential areas has produced additional privacy issues that may affect even ordinary customers. These meters are often capable of recording energy usage very frequendy, usually once in every 15 minutes or hour. In an IEEE research paper published in 1989, it was shown that readings of this sort can

reveal information about the electrical loads being used within the home. A more detailed and recent analysis of this issue was performed by the Illinois Security Lab, as discussed on the Attested Metering project website.
[0019] The US patent number 6852935 discloses a tilt switch. It includes tamper detection and tilt sensing of electrical or electromechanical devices. The tilt switch normally operates in open circuit condition and detects the tampering of the meter, when the switch is closed. The tilt sensor indicates the meter tampering event, when the meter is moved.
[0020] The US patent number 4571691 discloses a watt-hour meter with fiber optics tamper detection. A watt-hour meter tamper detector characterized by a fiber optic link that extends between a microprocessor of a load management terminal and mounting means for maintaining a watt-hour meter cover intact, and which fiber optic link signals an attempted opening of the mounting ring to the microprocessor when the fiber optic link is severed.
[0021] The US patent number 7247791 discloses a security barrier for an electronic circuitry. An enclosure provided to protect a portion of a printed circuit board includes a top and bottom cover. The outer and the inner conductive layers are electrically connected to a voltage source to form tamper detection circuits. The enclosure further includes cover switches to detect attempts to lift or remove the covers and a thermal sensor/switch for indicating the increase in temperature inside the enclosure due to a

tamper event. The detection circuit generates and transmits a signal to erase sensitive information contained in the electronic components provided on the circuit board, when a tamper event is detected.
[0022] Thus none of the prior art devices provide a solid state based fool proof cover tamper detection system. Hence there is a need to develop a solid state device or a tamper detection system provided with an electronic circuit to detect the cover tamper event reliably and to provide a visual alarm to indicate the tampering of the cover in energy meter. Also there is a need to provide a permanent proof of the cover tamper event for future reference.
C) OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
[0023] The primary object of the present invention is to provide a system and method to detect the tampering of the cover in the energy meter.
[0024] Another object of the invention is to provide a tamper detection system and method to provide a visual alarm to indicate the opening of the top cover in the energy meter.
[0025] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a tamper detection system and method to record the tampering event permanendy to provide proof of the tamper event for future reference.

[0026] Yet another object of the present invention is to a tamper detection system to sense and record the unauthorized opening of the cover of energy meter reliably and accurately even during the power supply failure condition.
[0027] These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings
D) SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0028] The abovementioned shortcomings, disadvantages and problems are addressed herein and which will be understood by reading and studying the following specification.
[0029] The various embodiments of the present invention provide a micro controller based tamper detection system and a method to sense the opening of the top cover in the electrical energy meter. The cover tampering event is detected and stored in a permanent memory with a time stamp so that the stored detection data is retrieved on demand through Infra Red (IR) serial port. A visual display indicating the detected tamper detection event is provided through a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) device. The detection event is flagged by displaying a text on the LCD display unit.
[0030] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the detection system is provided with a switch actuator which is operated by an electronic circuit. The switch actuator is installed in a device housing which accommodates an energy meter. The device housing includes a cover and a base for supporting the energ)' meter so that the

cover is releasably connected to the base. The switch actuator is kept in protruded condition in the housing and is made to contact the top cover, when the top cover is kept in closed condition in the energy meter. Thus the switch is kept in Normally Open (NO) condition, when the top cover is kept in closed condition so that the switch contact is in open condition. When the top cover is tampered and opened, the switch contact is closed (NC) to trigger a micro controller.
[0031] The micro controller is normally kept in low power mode unless it is activated. The micro controller is triggered by the switch activator to output a detection signal to record the detected cover tampering event in a permanent memory with a time stamp so that the stored detection data may be downloaded through a device connected to the IR serial port at any time in future for fiature reference or for proof. The micro controller activates a display device such as LCD device to alert the user regarding the detected cover tamper event in the energy meter.
[0032] A visual alarm is provided on the LCD display by exhibiting the text, "tOP OPEn," when a tamper detection event is detected. The detection data may be stored in the permanent memory for 100 years. The text, "tOP OPEn," is displayed on the LCD display to indicate the detected cover tamper event so that the person / authority viewing from the outside of the energy meter may easily view the display to confirm whether any tamper event is happened or not, without even downloading the data through the IR serial port.
[0033] A customized computer software is executed to format the raw detection data to display a user friendly data on the display screen to indicate the tamper detection event

widi a time stamp. The tamper detection data and the measured regular energy parameters are displayed alternately on the display screen.
[0034] The complete electronic detection circuit is powered by the electrical power supplied from a rechargeable battery. The rechargeable battery is charged with the current supplied from the AC main power supply. The cover tamper event is detected reliably and accurately even in the absence of main AC power as the detection circuit is powered from the electrical energy supplied from the rechargeable battery. The micro controller consumes very little power in sleeping mode so that life of the battery is extended.
[0035] The microcontroller in the detection circuit is coupled to a main controller in the energy meter to transmit the tamper detection data and record to the main controller for further action. The main controller records the received tamper detection data in a memory such as EEPROM for 100 years. The main controller forwards the received tamper detection data to the user to able the user to take suitable remedial action.
[0036] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a cover tamper detection method is provided. According to the embodiment, a switch actuator is installed in the device housing accommodating the energy meter. The housing includes a cover and a base to support the energy meter. The meter is arranged inside the housing in such a manner that the switch actuator is normally protruded to touch the inner surface of the top cover, when the cover is kept in closed condition. Thus the switch actuator circuit is kept in open condition, when the cover is kept in closed condition. When the cover is tampered to open, the switch actuator is in closed condition to

activate a micro controller in the detection circtoit. The switch actuator outputs a wake up intermpt signal to activate the micro controller which is normally in sleep mode, when the cover is tampered and opened.
[0037] The micro controller receives and records the tamper detection signal with a time stamp in a memory such as EEPROM for 100 years. The micro controller also counts the number of such tamper detection events and frequency for storage in the memory. The micro controller activates a liquid crystal display device to indicate the detected cover tamper detection event visually to the user by displaying a text, "tOP OPEn". The micro controller is communicatively connected to a main controller in the energy meter to transmit the tamper detection data.
[0038] The main controller stores the received tamper detection data in a memory for 100 years for future reference. The main controller also informs the tamper detection data to the user with a time stamp to take suitable remedial action. The tamper detection data may be down loaded through an Infra Red (IR) serial port provided in the device.
[0039] Thus the various embodiments of the tamper detection system senses the cover tamper event reliably and efficiendy with and without the main power supply and provides a visual alarm to indicate the detected tamper event. The system also stores the detection data for future reference and for proof The detection device prevents the cover tampering of the energy meter reliably and helps to stop the energy theft reliably.
[0040] These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description.

E) BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0041] The other objects, features and advantages will occur to those skilled in the art from the following description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings in which:
[0042] FIGURE. 1 illustrates a functional block diagram of a cover tamper detection system for energy meter according to one embodiment of the present invention.
[0043] FIGURE. 2 illustrates a flow chart explaining the operation of a micro controller in the tamper detection circuit for energy meter according to one embodiment of the present invention.
[0044] FIGURE. 3 illustrates a flow chart explaining the operation of a main controller in the energy meter according to one embodiment of the present invention.
[0045] Although specific features of the present invention are shown in some drawings and not in others. This is done for convenience only as each feamre may be combined with any or all of the other features in accordance with the present invention.
F) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0046] In the following detailed description, a reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which the specific embodiments which may be

practiced is shown by way of illustration. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments and it is to be understood that the logical, mechanical and other changes may be made without departing from the scope of the embodiments. The following detailed description is therefore not to be taken in a limiting sense.
[0047] The various embodiments of the present invention provide a system and method for detecting the tampered opening condition of a cover in energy meter, a switch activator is provided to detect the opening of the cover and to activate a micro controller The micro controller records and stores the detected cover tampering event in a permanent memory with a time stamp so that the stored detection data is retrieved on demand through Infra Red (IR) serial port. A visual display indicating the detected tamper detection event is provided through a LCD display. The detection event is flagged by displaying a text on the LCD display unit.
[0048] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a tamper detection system is provided for detecting the unauthorized opening of the cover in an energy meter. According to the embodiment of the present invention, the detection system has a device housing to accommodate an energy meter. The device housing has a cover and a base for supporting the energy meter in the housing so that the cover is releasably connected to the base. A switch actuator is provided in the device housing and is operated by an electronic circiait. The switch actuator is installed in the housing in such a manner that the switch actuator is normally kept in protruded condition to contact the top cover. The switch actuator is protruded to contact the top cover, when the top cover is kept in closed condition in the energy meter. Thus the switch is kept in Normally

[0058] The main controller stores the received tamper detection data in a memory for 100 years for future reference. The main controller also informs the tamper detection data to the user with a time stamp to take suitable remedial action. The tamper detection data may be down loaded through an Infra Red (IR) serial port provided in the device.
[0059] Thus the various embodiments of the tamper detection system senses the cover tamper event reliably and efficiently with and without the main power supply and provides a visual alarm to indicate the detected tamper event. The system also stores the detection data for future reference and for proof The detection device prevents the cover tampering of the energy meter reliably and helps to stop the energy theft reliably.
[0060] The FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a functional block diagram of a cover tamper detection system for energy meter. The cover tamper detection system has a switch actuator arranged inside a device housing provided to accommodate an energy meter. The device housing has a cover and a base for supporting the energy meter in the housing so that the cover is releasably connected to the base. The switch actuator with contacts is provided in the device housing and is operated by an electronic circuit. The switch actuator is installed in the housing in such a manner that the switch actuator is normally kept in protruded condition to contact the top cover. The switch actuator is protruded to contact the top cover, when the top cover is kept in closed condition in the energy meter. Thus the switch is kept in Normally Open (NO) condition, when the top cover is kept in closed condition so that the switch contact is in open condition always. When the top cover is tampered and opened, the switch contact is closed (NC) to trigger a micro controller in the sensing circuit.

[0061] The output of the switch actuator is trimmed by a signal level conditioning circuit so that the signal level of the switch actuator is within range of the micro controller at the sensing circuit.
[0062] The micro controller is normally kept in sleep mode unless it is activated. The micro controller is triggered by the switch activator to output a detection signal. The micro controller records and stores the detected cover tampering event with a time stamp in a permanent memory such as electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) for future evidence and records. The memory stores the detected tamper event for 100 years. The micro controller activates a display device such as liquid crystal display device to out put a visual alarm to the user, when the cover tampering operation is detected. The display device exhibits a text, "tOP OPEn" to indicate the detected cover tampering event. The micro controller in the detection circuit is communicatively coupled to a main controller provided in the energy meter to forward the tamper detection data to the main controller in the energy meter.
[0063] The main controller counts and records the frequency of the cover tamper event. The computed cover tamper detection data are stored in a memory such as EEPROM for 100 years. The Main controller forwards the received cover tamper detection data with a time stamp to user for perusal and suitable further action. The stored detection data may be downloaded through a device by connecting the device to the Infra red (IR) serial port at any time in future for future reference or for proof

[0064] A visual display indicating the detected tamper detection event is provided through the display device such as Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) device. The detection event is flagged by displaying a text on the LCD device. A text, "tOP OPEn", is displayed on the LCD Display device to alert the user regarding the detected cover tamper event. The person/authority viewing from outside can easily see the display if any such event happened with out down loading the data.
[0065] The text, "tOP OPEn," is displayed on the LCD display to indicate the detected cover tamper event so that the person / authority viewing from the outside of the energy meter may easily view the display to confirm whether any tamper event is happened or not, without even downloading the data through the IR serial port.
[0066] A customized computer software is executed to format the raw detection data to display a user friendly data on the display screen to indicate the tamper detection event with a time stamp. The tamper detection data and the measured regular energy parameters are displayed alternately on the display screen.
[0067] The complete electronic detection circuit is powered by the electrical power supplied from a rechargeable battery. The rechargeable battery is charged with the current supplied from the AC main power supply. The cover tamper event is detected reliably and accurately even in the absence of main AC power as the detection circuit is powered from the electrical energy supplied from the rechargeable battery. Hence the system may detect the cover tamper condition even during the power supply cut off period. The micro controller consumes very litde power in sleeping mode so that life of the battery is extended.

[0068] The microcontroller in the detection circuit is coupled to a main controller in the energy meter to transmit the tamper detection data and record to the main controller for further action. The main controller records the received tamper detection data in a memory such as EEPROM for 100 years. The main controller forwards the received tamper detection data to the user to able the user to take suitable remedial action.
[0069] The FIG.2 shows a flow chart explaining the operation of a micro controller at the sensing circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention. The micro controller initializes the global and local variables for monitoring and measuring the consumption of electrical power at a utility. The micro controller is normally in a sleep mode or stand by mode thereby consuming litde power. The micro controller is power by the electrical power supplied from the battery. The battery may be a rechargeable battery like Lithium ion battery. The rechargeable battery is charged with the power supplied from the AC mains supply. Since the micro controller is in sleep mode to consume very litde battery power, the life of the battery may be increased.
[0070] The micro controller continues to be in sleep mode until a wake up interrupt signal is received from the switch actuator provided in the housing. The switch actuator circuit is closed when the cover of the energy meter is tampered open. When the switch actuator circuit is closed, a wake up interrupt signal is output to the micro controller to indicate the detected tamper detection event.
[0071] When the wake up interrupt signal is received, the micro controller counts the tamper detection events and records the counted frequency with a time stamp in a

memory such as EEPROM. The micro controller forwards a high output signal to the main controller in the energy meter, when the cover tampering operation is detected. The micro controller judges whether the input signal is high or not. When the input signal is not high, the micro controller judges again and again whether the input signal is high or not. When the input signal is judged to be high, the micro controller continues to be sleep mode. Thus the micro controller detects a cover tampering event in the energy meter reliably using a switch actuator with contacts.
[0072] The FIG. 3 shows a flow chart explaining the operation of a main controller in the energy meter according to one embodiment of the present invention. The main controller in the energy meter usually performs the normal metering operations to calculate and record the electrical power consumption level. The level of the signal output from the input pin is judged to be whether high or low. When the level of the output signal from the input pin is high, the main controller is continued to be operated in sleep mode to carry out the regular metering functions. When the level of the signal from the input pin is low, then a cover tamper detection event is recorded with a time stamp on a log. The tamper detection event is also counted. The recorded event is stored with a time stamp in a memory like EEPROM for 100 years, after setting the level of the output pin into high-level. Then the main controller is continued to be operated in sleep mode to execute the regular metering operations to calculate and record the energy consumption levels in a utility like home or industry.

G) ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
[0073] The embodiments of the present invention provide a micro controller based cover tamper detection system and method to detect the opening of the top cover in the energy meter reliably and efficiently. The opening of the cover during the power supply period and during the absence of AC main power is detected efficiendy and effectively. The cover detection event is detected and time stamped for future reference and evidence. A visual alert is provided on the LCD display to indicate the detected cover tamper event to indicate the cover tamper condition reliably to an authority or to an inspecting person easily without having the need to download the stored detection data. The detection data may be downloaded at any time in future through the device connected to the IR serial port. The cover tamper detection data may be stored with a time stamp in a permanent memory for 100 years. The system prevents the cover tampering of the energy meter reliably. The system helps to stop the energy theft reliably.
[0074] Although the invention is described with various specific embodiments, it will be obvious for a person skilled in the art to practice the invention with modifications. However, all such modifications are deemed to be within the scope of the claims.
[0075] It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the present invention described herein and all the statements of the scope of the invention which as a matter of language might be said to fall there between.

CLAIMS
WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A cover tamper detection device for energy meter, comprising:
A device housing for accommodating energy meter;
A base arranged in said device housing to support said energy meter;
A cover arranged in said device housing and releasably coupled to said base;
A switch actuator accommodated in said device housing so that said switch actuator is normally kept protruded to contact said cover, when said cover is kept in closed condition; and
A micro controller;
Wherein said switch actuator activates said micro controller to output cover open detection signal, when cover is opened in an unauthorized manner.
2. The cover tamper detection device for energy meter according to claim 1, wherein the switch is projected to touch the inner surface of the cover, when the cover is kept in closed condition.

3. The cover tamper detection device according to claim 1, wherein the switch circuit is normally kept in open condition when the cover is kept in closed condition.
4. The cover tamper detection device according to claim 1, wherein the switch circuit is kept in closed condition, when the cover is kept in open condition.
5. The cover tamper detection device according to claim 1, wherein the switch circuit is kept in closed condition, when the cover is tampered open.
6. The cover tamper detection device according to claim 1, wherein the switch circuit activates said micro controller, when the switch circuit is kept in closed condition.
7. The cover tamper detection device according to claim 1, wherein the micro controller is normally in sleep mode.
8. The cover tamper detection device according to claim 1, wherein the switch outputs a wake up interrupt to activate said micro controller, when the switch circuit is closed.
9. The cover tamper detection device according to claim 1, wherein the micro controller records the detected cover tampering event with a time stamp.
10. The cover tamper detection device according to claim 1, further comprises a memory to store the detected covet tampering event with a time stamp.

11. The cover tamper detection device according to claim 10, wherein the memory is electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM).
12. The cover tamper detection device according to claim 10, wherein the memory stores the said tamper detection record for 100 years.

13. The cover tamper detection device according to claim 1, fbrther comprises a display device to visually indicate and alert the user with the detected cover tampering event.
14. The cover tamper detection device according to claim 13, wherein the display device is a liquid crystal display device.

15. The cover tamper detection device according to claim 1, further comprises a battery to supply power to said micro controller and said switch actuator so that the cover detection operation is detected even during the power supply failure period.
16. The cover tamper detection device according to claim 15, wherein the battery is a rechargeable battery.
17. The cover tamper detection device according to claim 16, wherein the rechargeable battery is charged with the power supplied from the AC mains supply.
18. The cover tamper detection device according to claim 1, wherein the micro controller is communicatively connected to a main controller provided in a metering circuit arranged in said energy meter to transmit the detected tampering event.

19. The cover tamper detection method in energy meter, the method comprising
Installing a switch actuator in device housing which accommodates an energy meter and includes a cover and a base;
Communicatively coupling a microcontroller with said switch actuator;
Wherein the said switch actuator activates said micro controller to record tamper detection event and to alert user visually, when cover is tampered open.
20. The cover tamper detection method according to claim 19, wherein the switch actuator is arranged in the housing in such a manner that the switch actuator is protruded to touch the cover, when the cover is kept in closed condition.
21. The cover tamper detection method according to claim 19, wherein the switch actuator is protruded to touch the inner svirface of the cover, when the cover is kept in closed condition.
22. The cover tamper detection method according to claim 19, wherein the switch circuit is normally kept in open condition when the cover is kept in closed condition.
23. The cover tamper detection method according to claim 19, wherein the switch circiait is kept in closed condition, when the cover is kept in open condition.

24. The cover tamper detection method according to claim 19, wherein the switch circuit is kept in closed condition, when the cover is tampered open.
25. The cover tamper detection method according to claim 19, wherein the switch circuit activates said micro controller, when the switch circuit is kept in closed condition.
26. The cover tamper detection method according to claim 19, wherein the micro controller is normally operated in sleep mode.
27. The cover tamper detection method according to claim 19, wherein the switch outputs a wake up interrupt signal to activate said micro controller, when the switch circuit is closed.
28. The cover tamper detection method according to claim 19, wherein the micro controller
records the detected cover tampering event with a time stamp.
29. The cover tamper detection method according to claim 28, wherein the micro controller
stores the detected cover tampering event with a time stamp in a memory.
30. The cover tamper detection method according to claim 28, wherein the detected cover
tampering event is stored in an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM).
31. The cover tamper detection method according to claim 28, wherein the memory stores
the said tamper detection record for 100 years.

32. The cover tamper detection method according to claim 19, further comprising of
visually indicating and alerting the user with the detected cover tampering event using a
display device.
33. The cover tamper detection method according to claim 32, wherein the display device is
a liquid crystal display device.
34. The cover tamper detection method according to claim 19, wherein the micro controller
is communicatively connected to a main controller provided in a metering circtiit
arranged in said energy meter to transmit the detected tampering event.
35. The cover tamper detection method according to claim 19, wherein the said micro
controller and said switch actuator are supplied with the power from a battery so that the cover tamper operation is detected even during the power supply failure period.
36. The cover tamper detection method according to claim 35, wherein the said micro
controller and said switch actuator are supplied with the power from a rechargeable
battery.