F O R M 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
5 &
The Patents Rules, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See section 10; rule 13)
10
1. Title of the invention. -: R- SPOT: A MOBILE PHONEBASED
‘ON SPOT’ ENERGY CONSUMPTION BILLING AND
REVENUE MANAGEMENT APPLICATION
15
2. Applicant(s)
20 (a) NAME : RELIANCE INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED
(b) NATIONALITY : An Indian company
(c) ADDRESS : Devidas Lane, Borivali (West), Mumbai 400092,
25 Maharashtra, India
3. PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION
30
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in
35 which it is to be performed
2
CROSS-REFERENCE OF THE RELATED APPLICATION
[001] The present application claims priority form and is a patent of addition
application for the Indian Patent Application 1841/MUM/2015 titled “R- SPOT: A
MOBILE PHONE- BASED ON SPOT ENERGY CONSUMPTION 5 BILLING AND
REVENUE MANAGEMENT APPLICATION,” dated May 08, 2015.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[002] The present subject matter described herein, in general, relates to energy
10 billing of retail energy consumers, and more particularly to a system and method for an
on spot energy billing of retail electricity consumers and the management of revenue.
The other areas where the present invention can be used are metered supplies such as
water connections, gas supply, sewerage disposal, and the like.
15 BACKGROUND
[003] Spot billing is a revolutionary solution devised with an intention to
enable the power distribution and water distribution companies to streamline and
implement an effective metering and billing system, improve cash flows and to make
the processes customer-centric. Spot billing is being used in various domains like soft
20 drink supply companies, telecom companies and also in public transportation systems
where tickets are generated using spot billing solutions.
[004] Conventionally, the spot billing of electricity consumers used to be
undertaken using handheld spot billing machines (SBM) with inbuilt printer. For
example, till one year back, spot billing of electricity consumers used to be undertaken
25 using handheld spot billing machines (SBM) with inbuilt printer by engaging numerous
outside agencies (third parties) in the two electricity distribution companies in the state
of Bihar, viz., North Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited (NBPDCL) and South
Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited (SBPDCL), or Bihar discoms for short.
However, in due course of time, it was realized that the billing procedure was not only
30 lengthy but having several demerits/ bottlenecks.
3
[005] There was severe dependency on numerous agencies for every change in
tariff/ bill printing, etc., because they used their own custom- built software. There was
involvement of intermediate hardware(s) and software(s) at the beginning of every
billing cycle to collect data from discoms’ IT centers, process data for payment postings
and other transitional updates, convert data into the format suited 5 for downloading to
SBMs, download data to SBMs, upload data from SBMs after billing and transfer to
discoms’ IT centers after conversion to the desired format. There was always a threat to
security due to multiple manual operations on the part of the billing agencies. There was
a total lack of proper validations. The process was time consuming and manual. Data
10 upload to the billing server used to be done once only, and that too at the end of
completion of billing of all consumers falling in a meter reading unit or MRU (a set of
consumers). Since data used to be uploaded by the agencies in batch mode, sometimes
well beyond the due dates, the process was not at all suitable for online payment
collection. Apart from the above, SBMs and the inbuilt printers were prone to frequent
15 breakages because of heavy wear and tear.
[006] The inventors of the present invention have done extensive research in
this field and have come across applications for energy consumption billing techniques.
The prior- art document, “New Development in Energy Meter Reading System” by
Manisha V Shinde and Pradip W Kulkarni, Electronics and Telecommunication Dept.,
20 NBN Sinhgad School of Engineering Pune, India (International Journal of Scientific
Research and Management Studies, Volume 1, Issue 4, pg. 124-129), deals with
automatic and remote acquisition of meter readings and their transfer to a central server
for analysis. Thus, this article deals mainly with AMR or automatic meter reading.
[007] The prior- art document, “Android Based Meter Reading Using OCR” by
25 Rohit Dayama, Anil Chatla, Heena Shaikh, Medha Kulkarni, PVPP College of
Engineering, Sion, Mumbai, India (International Journal of Computer Science and
Mobile Computing, Vol.3, Issue3, March. 2014, pg. 536-539), deals with the meter
reading mechanism by the use of OCR or optical character recognition technique which
has its own drawbacks.
30 [008] The prior-art document, “Mobile Based Electricity Billing System
(MoBEBIS)” by M.R.M.S.B. Rathnayaka (I.D.S.), Jayasinghe, Enit Jayanth, S.I.
4
Swarnajith, M.A.S.C. Manamendra and G. Wimalaratne, Department of IT, Faculty of
Computing, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology, Malabe (International
Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 3, Issue 4, April 2013), deals
with the energy billing mechanism by the use of OCR or optical character recognition
technique which has 5 its own drawbacks.
The prior-art document, "Privacy-- Preserving Smart Metering" by
Alfredo Rial of the Dept. of Electrical Engineering (ESAT)'s Computer Security and
Industrial Cryptography (COSIC) under the Interdisciplinary Institute for Broadband
Technology (IBBT) at Katholike Universiteit Leuven, Belgium and George Danezis of
10 Microsoft Research, Cambridge, United Kingdom, deals with the current smart grid
proposals which threaten users’ privacy by disclosing fine- grained consumption data to
utility providers, primarily for billing. The paper proposes a privacy- preserving
protocol for billing and for performing general calculations on fine- grained meter
readings obtained through smart grids.
15 [009] In view of the aforesaid demerits and to improve security, usefulness and
operational efficiency, there exists a dire need to provide a mechanism to enable spot
energy consumption billing with the help of a hand- held electronic device. The
mechanism must improve security, usefulness and operational efficiency.
20 SUMMARY
[0010] The following presents a simplified summary of the invention in order to
provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This summary is not an
extensive overview of the present invention. It is not intended to identify the key/
critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole
25 purpose is to present some concept of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to
a more detailed description of the invention presented later.
[0011] First and foremost object of the present invention is to overcome the
disadvantages/ drawbacks of the known art.
[0012] A basic object of the present invention is to provide a mobile phone30
based spot billing system, coupled with cloud- based analytics and reporting system.
5
The system has been developed in order to overcome the aforesaid demerits, and to
improve security, usefulness and operational efficiency.
[0013] Another object of the present invention is to provide an end- to- end
energy consumption billing solution. The present invention spans the entire revenue
cycle, right from energy billing till collection, analysis and monitoring. 5 Bills are
generated on the spot. To start with, a photograph of meter reading is taken by meter
reader with the camera present in the mobile phone. This is mandatory. The meter
reader cannot proceed further, otherwise. Meter reading is entered in the mobile phone
subsequently. The GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude) of the consumer are also
10 captured automatically in the mobile phone. The information is sent to the middleware
through Web service instantaneously. The information is further communicated to the
billing (SAP) server where the billing software resides. The mobile phones do not carry
any billing logic/ software. The bill is processed in the SAP server. The billed
information is conveyed from the SAP server to the mobile phone, through the
15 middleware and Web service in real time. The bill is printed through a Bluetooth
thermal printer that is coupled to the mobile phone and served to the consumer. Besides,
the photograph of meter reading is printed on the bills. This photograph is also
conveyed to the middleware in real time. The photographs are used for purpose of
cross- checking and analysis later on.
20 [0014] Another object of the present invention is to provide pre- billing data in
downloadable form to the mobile phones from remote server. In the present invention,
each area is assigned to a particular meter reader. Besides, each meter reader is allotted
a specific mobile phone. The meter readers are granted access to the mobile phones only
after proper authentication by the remote server. This authentication is done by using
25 the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) of the mobile phones. It is
mandatory to take the photograph of the meter reading before generating a bill. The
photograph is taken from the camera in the mobile phone. The photograph is also
printed on the bill. The billed record is transmitted in real time from the remote server to
the mobile phone. This facilitates instant monitoring and helps consumers in making
30 online payments as well.
6
[0015] Accordingly, in one implementation, a method for collecting, monitoring
and analyzing energy consumption is disclosed. The method comprises: receiving a
unique consumer credential on a screen of an electronic device; displaying on the
screen, if the unique consumer credential is valid, the consumer information, thereby
activating a capturing means of the electronic device configured to enable 5 capturing of
an image of a meter associated with the energy consumption; selecting, upon capturing
the image, a status of the meter, and based on the status, receiving, on the screen, a
current reading of the meter; transmitting the same to the SAP server; calculating, in the
server, a bill based on the billing data; transmitting simultaneously, by the server, a
10 billed data to the electronic device; and printing, using a printer paired with the
electronic device, the bill comprising the image of the meter.
[0016] In one implementation, the present invention provides an energy
consumption recording method for collecting, monitoring and analyzing energy
consumption. The energy consumption recording method comprising: receiving a
15 unique consumer number on a screen of an electronic device; displaying on the screen,
if the unique consumer number is valid, the consumer information, thereby activating a
capturing means of the electronic device configured to capture an image of a meter
associated with the energy consumption; selecting, upon capturing the image, a status of
the meter, and based on the status, receiving, on the screen, a current reading of the
20 meter; retrieving at least the GPS coordinates of the electronic device; transmitting,
based on an availability of at least a communication network, the current reading of the
meter received and the GPS coordinates retrieved to at least one billing processing
engine; receiving at least one bill calculated, by the billing processing engine, based on
the current reading and the GPS coordinates; and printing, using a printer paired with
25 the electronic device, the bill comprising the image of the meter.
[0017] In one implementation, an electronic device for collecting, monitoring
and analyzing energy consumption is disclosed. The electronic device comprises a
receiving means configured to input a unique consumer number on a screen of the
electronic device; a display module configured to display, if the unique consumer
30 number is valid, the consumer information on the screen; an image capturing means
configured to enable capturing of an image of a meter associated with the energy
7
consumption, wherein the image capturing means is a camera; a selection module
configured to select, upon capturing the image, a status of the meter; the receiving
means configured to input, based on the status, a current reading of the meter on the
screen; a transmitting module configured to transmit a meter reading to the discoms’
server; a receiving module configured to receive the billed data (bill) 5 from the discoms’
server; and a pairing module configured to pair with at least one printer configured to
print the bill comprising the image of the meter. The bill is printed only after the image
of the meter is captured.
[0018] In one implementation, an electronic device for collecting, monitoring
10 and analyzing energy consumption is disclosed. The electronic device comprises a
receiving means, a display module, an image capturing means, a selection module, a
location capturing means, a transmitting module, and a pairing module. The receiving
means is configured to receive a unique consumer number on a screen of the electronic
device. The display module is configured to display, if the unique consumer number is
15 valid, the consumer information on the screen. The image capturing means is configured
to capture an image of a meter associated with the energy consumption, wherein the
image capturing means is a camera. The selection module is configured to select, upon
capturing the image, a status of the meter. The receiving means is configured to receive,
based on the status, a current reading of the meter on the screen as an input. The
20 location capturing means is configured to retrieve at least the GPS coordinates of the
electronic device. The transmitting module is configured to transmit, based on an
availability of at least a communication network, the current reading of the meter
received and the GPS coordinates retrieved to at least one billing processing engine. The
receiving means is configured to receive at least one bill calculated, by the billing
25 processing engine, based on the current reading and the GPS coordinates. The pairing
module is configured to pair with at least one printer configured to print the bill
comprising the image of the meter, wherein the bill is printed only after the image of the
meter is captured.
[0019] In one implementation, a system for collecting, monitoring and analyzing
30 energy consumption, comprising an electronic device and the discoms’ server, is
disclosed. The system is characterized by the electronic device comprising: a receiving
8
means configured to receive an input of a unique consumer number on a screen of the
electronic device; a display module configured to display, if the unique consumer
number is valid, the consumer information on the screen; a image capturing means
configured to enable capturing of an image of a meter associated with the energy
consumption, wherein the image capturing means is a camera; 5 a selection module
configured to select, upon capturing the image, a status of the meter, wherein, the status
of the meter is at least one option selected from meter running (OK), defective meter
(MD), premises locked (PL), or reading not available (RN); the receiving means
configured to input, based on the status, a current reading of the meter on the screen; a
10 transmitting module configured to transmit a meter reading/ status to the discoms’
server; a receiving module configured to receive the billed data (bill) from the discoms’
server, wherein, when the billed data is received from the discoms’ server, the billed
data and meter photo are analyzed to make a judgement like: meter number mismatch,
lock/ inaccessible, wrong/ defective meter, theft detected, suspected theft, meter/ glass
15 damage, no seal/ seal damage, no terminal cover, no meter box, irrelevant, images not
clear, suppressed reading, reading mismatch, others, or ok, etc.; a pairing module
configured to pair with at least one printer configured to print the bill comprising the
image of the meter. The bill is printed only after the image of the meter is captured,
wherein, the printer is selected from at least one of an Analogics thermal printer or a
20 Zebra thermal printer or an Epson thermal printer or any other make of a printer having
compatible specification.
[0020] In one implementation, a system for collecting, monitoring and analyzing
energy consumption is disclosed. The system comprises an electronic device and a
discoms’ server. The electronic device comprises a receiving means configured to
25 receive an input of a unique consumer number on a screen of the electronic device; a
display module configured to display, if the unique consumer number is valid, the
consumer information on the screen; an image capturing means configured to enable
capturing of an image of a meter associated with the energy consumption, wherein the
image capturing means is a camera; a selection module configure to select, upon
30 capturing the image, a status of the meter, wherein, the status of the meter is at least one
option selected from meter running (OK), defective meter (MD), premises locked (PL),
9
or reading not available (RN); the receiving means configured to receive, based on the
status, a current reading of the meter on the screen as an input; a location capturing
means configured to retrieve at least the GPS coordinates of the electronic device; a
transmitting module configured to transmit, based on an availability of at least a
communication network, the current reading of the meter received 5 and the GPS
coordinates retrieved to at least one billing processing engine residing in at least one of
the discoms’ server, wherein the current reading and image of the meter are analyzed to
draw an inference like meter number mismatch, lock/ inaccessible, wrong/ defective
meter, theft detected, suspected theft, meter/ glass damage, no seal/ seal damage, no
10 terminal cover, no meter box, irrelevant, images not clear, suppressed reading, reading
mismatch, others, or ok, etc; the receiving means configured to receive at least one bill
calculated, by the billing processing engine, based on the current reading and the GPS
coordinates; and a pairing module configured to pair with at least one printer configured
to print the bill comprising the image of the meter, the bill being printed only after the
15 image of the meter is captured, wherein, the printer is selected from at least one of an
Analogics thermal printer or a Zebra thermal printer or an EPSON thermal printer.
[0021] In one implementation, when the billed data is transmitted from the
discoms’ server, the billed data and meter photo are analyzed to make a judgment like
meter number mismatch, lock/ inaccessible, wrong/ defective meter, theft detected,
20 suspected theft, meter/ glass damage, no seal/ seal damage, no terminal cover, no meter
box, irrelevant, images not clear, suppressed reading, reading mismatch, others, ok, or
any combination thereof for corrective action. This provides an effective tool for
revenue management of discoms. In one implementation, system also provides for
cross- checking of meter reading data through authorized supervisor for better revenue
25 management.
[0022] In one implementation, the present invention provides an end- to- end
solution. The present invention spans through the entire revenue cycle, right from
energy billing till analysis and monitoring. The bills are generated on the spot. To start
with, a photograph of meter reading is taken by meter reader with the camera present in
30 the mobile phone. This is mandatory. The meter reader cannot proceed further,
otherwise. Meter reading is entered in the mobile phone subsequently. The GPS
10
coordinates (latitude and longitude) of the consumer are also captured automatically in
the mobile phone. The GPS coordinates help in tracking the movement of the meter
readers. They are also used by the discoms outside this application as inputs for the
geographical information system (GIS) mapping of the locations of the consumers’
premises. The information is sent to the middleware through 5 Web service
instantaneously. The information is further communicated to the billing (SAP) server.
The bill is processed in the SAP server. The billed information is conveyed from the
SAP server to the mobile phone, through the middleware and Web service in real time.
The bill is printed by the Bluetooth thermal printer paired to the mobile phone and
10 served to the consumer. Besides, the photograph of meter reading is printed on the bills.
This photograph is also conveyed to the middleware in real time. The photographs are
used for purpose of cross- checking and analysis later on.
[0023] Capturing image of meter reading and its cross- checking/ analysis: In
the existing system, different types of meters are installed at the consumer premises.
15 There are still plenty of electro- mechanical and electrostatic meters existing and having
reading counter/ needles or digital displays. The number of digits of the meter reading
display is also varied. Therefore, OCR (optical character recognition) system of
capturing meter readings cannot be employed. Replacement of the meter reading
displays of all the 2.5 million consumers’ meters with digital display is not cost20
effective.
[0024] The meter readings are taken manually by meter readers. In the absence
of cross- checking of meter readings by discoms’ officials, there are lot of deficiencies
and irregularities such as:
(i) ‘Wrong reading’ or ‘no reading’ by the meter readers
25 (ii) Manipulation by meter readers in connivance with consumers
(iii) ‘Table reading’ by meter readers without visiting the site
(iv) Lack of proper cross- checking system of meter readings
[0025] To overcome above, an innovative system has been developed in which
capturing the photograph of meter readings is mandatory while generating the spot bills.
30 It is possible to print the bills only after the meter reader has taken a photograph of the
meter reading. The captured readings are cross- checked with the billing data and
11
corrective action is taken on detection of wrong reading, wrong status of meter, meter
number mismatch, etc. These actions also ensure that the meter readers actually visit
consumers’ premises. The following procedures are involved:
(i) After verifying the consumer name, etc., from the database in the mobile
phone, meter reader is to 5 activate camera.
(ii) After taking meter photo, the application prompts for saving or discarding
the photograph. If the photo quality is not proper, meter reader can discard
photo and click again.
(iii) Only after the photo is saved, the application permits for capturing other
10 details like, meter status, meter details, etc. In- built validation checks are
provided to prevent entry of abnormal readings and the bills are printed
after passing through the validation checks. In case of abnormality in
reading and consumption, the meter reader is asked to re- enter the reading
or meter status code, as the case may be.
15 (iv) Photographs can be uploaded instantly along with the corresponding billed
data.
[0026] Further, according to the present invention, cross- checking of meter
readings with their photographs and their analysis is performed. The uploaded photos
are cross- checked with the corresponding meter readings by authenticated users.
20 [0027] Other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the invention will
become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description,
which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses exemplary
embodiments of the invention.
25 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain exemplary
embodiments of the present invention will be more apparent from the following
description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
[0028] Figure 1 illustrates a network implementation of a system for collecting,
30 monitoring and analyzing energy consumption, in accordance with an embodiment of
the present subject matter.
12
[0029] Figure 2 illustrates an electronic device, a meter, and a server for
collecting, monitoring and analyzing energy consumption, in accordance with an
embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0030] Figure 3 illustrates a method for collecting, monitoring and analyzing
energy consumption, in accordance with an embodiment of the present 5 subject matter.
[0031] Figure 4 illustrates a mobile phone- based spot billing system, in
accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0032] Figure 5 illustrates a scenario where the application installed on the
mobile phone is invoked, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject
10 matter.
[0033] Figure 6 illustrates that a user authentication is required to work in the
system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0034] Figure 7 illustrates a main page of the application, in accordance with an
embodiment of the present subject matter.
15 [0035] Figure 8 illustrates a setup used for downloading input data for billing, or
configuring a printer, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0036] Figure 9 illustrates a screen shot for downloading input data, in
accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0037] Figure 10 illustrates a user authentication screen for downloading input
20 data wherein the application asks that the user credentials (user ID/ password) be
entered for validation from server, in accordance with an embodiment of the present
subject matter.
[0038] Figure 11 illustrates a screenshot of the download confirmation screen, in
accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.
25 [0039] Figure 12 illustrates that a printer setup is required to bind specific
printer with application for printing, in accordance with an embodiment of the present
subject matter.
[0040] Figure 13 illustrates the screen where a MAC ID of the desired printer is
chosen, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.
13
[0041] Figure 14 illustrates the screen where a confirmation message of the
successful configuration of the desired printer is displayed, in accordance with an
embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0042] Figure 15 illustrates a billing main page, in accordance with an
embodiment of the present 5 subject matter.
[0043] Figure 16 illustrates a billing based on account number, in accordance
with an embodiment of the present subject matter. In the setup, the meter reader has
already chosen the active MRU. Here, he has to enter the contract account (CA)
number.
10 [0044] After entering the consumer no., the consumer information is displayed,
in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter (figure 17).
[0045] Figure 18 illustrates that after verifying the consumer name, etc. from the
database in the mobile phone, meter reader is to click on “Continue” button to activate
camera automatically, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject
15 matter.
[0046] Figure 19 illustrates a screen where the image is cropped in order to
retain only the relevant portion of the photograph, in accordance with an embodiment of
the present subject matter.
[0047] Figure 20 illustrates a meter status list, in accordance with an
20 embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0048] Figure 21 illustrates a screen to enter the current reading, in accordance
with an embodiment of the present subject matter. The current reading includes a
mandatory kWh reading besides an optional maximum demand and/ or power factor,
depending upon the category of the consumer.
25 [0049] Figure 22 illustrates a screen where the application tries to connect to the
remote server in order to send the meter readings to it and receive the billed data from it
through the middleware, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject
matter.
[0050] Figure 23 illustrates a screen shot of a confirmation message prompted
30 before printing, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.
14
[0051] Figure 24 exhibits a few sample bills, in accordance with an embodiment
of the present subject matter.
[0052] Figure 25 illustrates a screen that is chosen by the meter reader if billing
is to be done by entering the legacy number, in accordance with an embodiment of the
present 5 subject matter.
[0053] Figure 26 illustrates a screen for searching a consumer by entering the
meter number, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0054] Figure 27 illustrates a screen for selecting a consumer by following the
maintained sequence number, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject
10 matter.
[0055] Figure 28 illustrates that a duplicate bill can be printed by taping on the
from billing option menu and then entering the CA number for
which the duplicate bill is required, in accordance with an embodiment of the present
subject matter.
15 [0056] Figure 29 illustrates a synchronization screen for synchronizing bills or
consumers. The ‘Synchronize Bills’ option is used for billing those consumers who
could not be billed due to weak/ no network. Such consumers are billed subsequently
using this option once the meter reader reaches an area where network is available. The
missing consumers entered and not sent to server due to network failure are
20 synchronized (sent to server) through the ‘Synchronize Consumers’ option, in
accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0057] Figure 30 illustrates a screen for choosing the consumers whose bills are
to be synchronized, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0058] Figure 31 illustrates a screen for entering the missing consumers found in
25 the field, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0059] Figure 32 illustrates different reports to see the unbilled consumers/
outsorted consumers/ consumers whose billing process remains affected because of
network failure, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0060] Figure 33 illustrates a summary of unbilled consumers, in accordance
30 with an embodiment of the present subject matter.
15
[0061] Figure 34 illustrates unbilled consumers list, in accordance with an
embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0062] Figure 35 illustrates a list of outsorted consumers, in accordance with an
embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0063] Figure 36 illustrates a list of consumers whose billing 5 process remains
affected because of network failure, in accordance with an embodiment of the present
subject matter.
[0064] Figure 37 illustrates a screen shot of a billing summary, in accordance
with an embodiment of the present subject matter.
10 [0065] Figure 38 illustrates a screen shot to see the IMEI number of a handset,
in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0066] Figure 39 illustrates a photo- analysis technique, in accordance with an
embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0067] Figure 40 illustrates a consumer- wise analysis of the photo reading and
15 reading entered by meter readers, in accordance with an embodiment of the present
subject matter.
[0068] Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that elements in the figures are
illustrated for simplicity and clarity and may not have been drawn to scale. For example,
the dimensions of some of the elements in the figure may be exaggerated relative to
20 other elements to help to improve understanding of various exemplary embodiments of
the present disclosure. Throughout the drawings, it should be noted that like reference
numbers are used to depict the same or similar elements, features, and structures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
25 [0069] The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings
is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of exemplary embodiments of
the invention as defined by the claims and their equivalents. It includes various specific
details to assist in that understanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary.
[0070] Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various
30 changes and modifications of the embodiments described herein can be made without
16
departing from the protection scope of the invention. In addition, descriptions of wellknown
functions and constructions are omitted for clarity and conciseness.
[0071] The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not
limited to the bibliographical meanings, but, are merely used by the inventor to enable a
clear and consistent understanding of the invention. Accordingly, it 5 should be apparent
to those skilled in the art that the following description of exemplary embodiments of
the present invention are provided for illustration purpose only and not for the purpose
of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
[0072] It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include
10 plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
[0073] By the term “substantially” it is meant that the recited characteristic,
parameter, or value need not be achieved exactly, but that deviations or variations,
including for example, tolerances, measurement error, measurement accuracy
limitations and other factors known to those of skill in the art, may occur in amounts
15 that do not preclude the effect the characteristic was intended to provide.
[0074] Features that are described and/or illustrated with respect to one
embodiment may be used in the same way or in a similar way in one or more other
embodiments and/or in combination with or instead of the features of the other
embodiments.
20 [0075] It should be emphasized that the term “comprises/comprising” when
used in this specification is taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers,
steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other
features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.
[0076] While aspects describe an electronic device, a system, a method enabling
25 a mobile phone-based spot energy consumption billing may be implemented in any
number of different computing systems, environments, and/ or configurations. The
embodiments are described in the context of the following exemplary system.
[0077] This present invention provides an end-to-end solution. It spans the
entire revenue cycle, right from energy billing till collection, analysis and monitoring.
30 Bills are generated on the spot. Meter reading is entered in the mobile phone. The
information is sent to the middleware through Web service instantaneously. The
17
information is further communicated to the billing server where the billing software
resides. The mobile phones do not carry any billing logic/ software. The bill is
processed in the billing server. The billed information is conveyed from the billing
server to the mobile phone, through the middleware and Web service in real time. The
bill is printed through a Bluetooth thermal printer that is coupled to 5 the mobile phone.
[0078] Pre- billing data is downloaded to the mobile phones from remote server.
Each area is assigned to a particular meter reader. Besides, each meter reader is allotted
a specific mobile phone. The meter readers are granted access to the mobile phones only
after proper authentication by the remote server. This authentication is done by using
10 the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) of the mobile phones. It is
mandatory to take the photograph of the meter reading before generating a bill. The
photograph is taken from the camera in the mobile phone. The photograph is also
printed on the bill. The billed record is transmitted in real time from the remote server to
the mobile phone. This facilitates instant monitoring and helps consumers in making
15 online payments as well.
[0079] The methodology and techniques described with respect to the aforesaid
embodiments can be performed using a machine or other computing device within
which a set of instructions, when executed, may cause the machine to perform any one
or more of the methodologies discussed above. In some embodiments, the machine
20 operates as a standalone device. In some embodiments, the machine may be connected
(e.g., using a network) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the machine may
operate in the capacity of a server or a client user machine in a server-client user
network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network
environment. The machine may comprise a smartphone, server computer, a client user
25 computer, a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a laptop computer, a desktop
computer, a control system, a network router, switch or bridge, or any machine capable
of executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be
taken by that machine. Further, while a single machine is illustrated, the term "machine"
shall also be taken to include any collection of machines that individually or jointly
30 execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the
methodologies discussed herein.
18
[0080] The machine may include a processor (e.g., a central processing unit or
CPU, a graphics processing unit or GPU, or both), a main memory and a static memory,
which communicate with each other via a bus. The machine may further include a video
display unit (e.g., a liquid crystal display or LCD), a flat panel, a solid state display, or a
cathode ray tube or CRT). The machine may include an input device 5 (e.g., a keyboard)
or touch-sensitive screen, a cursor control device (e.g., a mouse), a disk drive unit, a
signal generation device (e.g., a speaker or remote control) and a network interface
device.
[0081] The disk drive unit may include a machine-readable medium on which is
10 stored one or more sets of instructions (e.g., software) embodying any one or more of
the methodologies or functions described herein, including those methods illustrated
above. The instructions may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the main
memory, the static memory, and/or within the processor during execution thereof by the
machine. The main memory and the processor also may constitute machine-readable
15 media.
[0082] Dedicated hardware implementations including, but not limited to,
application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays and other hardware
devices can likewise be constructed to implement the methods described herein.
Applications that may include the apparatus and systems of various embodiments
20 broadly include a variety of electronic and computer systems. Some embodiments
implement functions in two or more specific interconnected hardware modules or
devices with related control and data signals communicated between and through the
modules, or as portions of an application-specific integrated circuit. Thus, the example
system is applicable to software, firmware, and hardware implementations.
25 [0083] The present disclosure contemplates a machine readable medium
containing instructions, or that which receives and executes instructions from a
propagated signal so that a device connected to a network environment can send or
receive voice, video or data, and to communicate over the network using the
instructions. The instructions may further be transmitted or received over a network via
30 the network interface device.
19
[0084] While the machine-readable medium can be a single medium, the term
"machine-readable medium" should be taken to include a single medium or multiple
media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers)
that store one or more sets of instructions. The term "machine-readable medium" shall
also be taken to include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding 5 or carrying a
set of instructions for execution by the machine and that cause the machine to perform
any one or more of the methodologies of the present disclosure.
[0085] The term "machine-readable medium" shall accordingly be taken to
include, but not be limited to: tangible media; solid-state memories such as a memory
10 card or other package that houses one or more read-only (non-volatile) memories,
random access memories, or other re-writable (volatile) memories; magneto-optical or
optical medium such as a disk or tape; non-transitory medium or other self-contained
information archive or set of archives is considered a distribution medium equivalent to
a tangible storage medium. Accordingly, the disclosure is considered to include any one
15 or more of a machine-readable medium or a distribution medium, as listed herein and
including art-recognized equivalents and successor media, in which the software
implementations herein are stored.
[0086] In areas where mobile phone- based spot billing is yet to be
implemented, spot billing of consumers (except for those of high value, that is
20 consumers with contract demand equaling or exceeding 110 kVA) is being undertaken
using handheld spot billing machines (SBM) with inbuilt printer by engaging outside
agencies. The billing software resides in the spot billing machine itself. The software
has been developed by a third- party agency. The billing procedure is having certain
demerits/ bottlenecks such as but not limited to the below listed:
25 i. There is severe dependency on the agency that has developed the billing
software for every change in tariff/ bill printing, etc. because the agency
uses its own custom software.
ii. There is involvement of intermediate hardware and software at the end of
every billing cycle to download input data from discoms’ SAP servers to
30 SBMs and upload the same from SBMs after billing to the discoms’ SAP
servers.
20
iii. There is no provision to take photographs of meter readings.
iv. The process is time consuming and manual.
v. Though upload of billed from the SBMs to the SAP servers is supposed
to be a daily practice, the same is not strictly followed by all agencies.
vi. SBMs and the inbuilt printers are prone to frequent breakages 5 because of
heavy wear and tear.
[0087] In order to overcome the aforesaid demerits and other drawbacks, the
present invention provides a mobile phone- based spot billing system, coupled with a
monitoring and reporting system, to improve security, usefulness and operational
10 efficiency. The application can be invoked on the mobile phones through a link to the
middleware.
[0088] In one implementation, the present invention is an end- to- end solution.
It spans the entire revenue cycle, right from energy billing till analysis and monitoring.
Bills are generated on the spot. To start with, a photograph of meter reading is taken by
15 meter reader with the camera present in the mobile phone. This is mandatory. The meter
reader cannot proceed further, otherwise. Meter reading is entered in the mobile phone
subsequently. The GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude) of the consumer are also
captured automatically in the mobile phone. The information is sent to the middleware
through Web service instantaneously. The information is further communicated to the
20 billing (SAP) server. The bill is processed in the SAP server. The billed information is
conveyed from the SAP server to the mobile phone, through the middleware and Web
service in real time. The bill is printed by the Bluetooth thermal printer paired to the
mobile phone and served to the consumer. Besides, the photograph of meter reading is
printed on the bills. This photograph is also conveyed to the middleware in real time.
25 The photographs are used for purpose of cross- checking and analysis later on.
[0089] Figure 1 illustrates a network implementation of a system for collecting,
monitoring and analyzing an energy consumption for enabling a communication
between multiple devices which may be specialized device 102 configured to capture
energy consumption 102, and at least one server 104 via a network 106, in accordance
30 with an embodiment of the present subject matter.
21
[0090] In one implementation, although the present invention is explained
considering that it is implemented for enabling a communication between multiple
devices which may be specialized devices 102 configured to capture energy
consumption, and at least one server 104 via a network 106, it may be understood that
the present invention may also be implemented in a variety of computing 5 systems, such
as a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a notebook, a workstation, a mainframe
computer, a server, a network server, a smartphone, and the like. It will be understood
that the electronic device 102 may be accessed by multiple users (not shown in figure),
or applications residing on the electronic device 102. Examples of the electronic device
10 102 may include, but are not limited to, a portable computer, a personal digital assistant,
a handheld device, a smartphone, and a workstation. The electronic device 102 may be
communicatively coupled to one or other devices used by users and also to the server
104 using a network 106.
[0091] In one implementation, the network 106 may be a wireless network, a
15 wired network or a combination thereof. The network can be implemented as one of the
different types of networks, such as intranet, local area network (LAN), wide area
network (WAN), the internet, and the like. The network may either be a dedicated
network or a shared network. The shared network represents an association of the
different types of networks that use a variety of protocols, for example, Hypertext
20 Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP),
Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), GPRS, and the like, to communicate with one
another. Further the network may include a variety of network devices, including
routers, bridges, servers, computing devices, storage devices, and the like.
[0092] Figure 2 illustrates an electronic device 102, a meter 200, and a server
25 104 for collecting, monitoring and analyzing energy consumption, in accordance with
an embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0093] In one implementation, as shown in figure 2, a system for collecting,
monitoring and analyzing energy consumption comprises an electronic device 102 and
the discoms’ server 104. The electronic device 102 may include at least one processor
30 202; an input/ output (I/O) interface 204, and a memory 206. At least one processor 202
may be implemented as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers,
22
microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, state machines,
logic circuitries, and/or any devices that manipulate signals based on operational
instructions. Among other capabilities, at least one processor 202 is configured to fetch
and execute computer- readable instructions that may be stored in the form of module/s
5 in the memory 206.
[0094] The I/O interface 204 may include a variety of software and hardware
interfaces, for example, a web interface, a graphical user interface, and the like. The I/O
interface 204 may allow the electronic device 102 to interact with a user directly or
through the user/ client devices (not shown). Further, the I/O interface 204 may enable
10 the electronic device 102 to communicate with other computing devices, such as web
servers and external data servers (not shown). The I/O interface 204 can facilitate
multiple communications within a wide variety of networks and protocol types,
including wired networks, for example, LAN, cable, etc., and wireless networks, such as
WLAN, cellular, or satellite. The I/O interface 204 may include one or more ports for
15 connecting a number of devices to one another or to another server.
[0095] The memory 206 may include any computer- readable medium known in
the art including, for example, volatile memory, such as static random access memory
(SRAM) and dynamic random access memory (DRAM), and/or non-volatile memory,
such as read only memory (ROM), erasable programmable ROM, flash memories, hard
20 disks, optical disks, and magnetic tapes. The memory 206 may include modules 208 and
database (not shown).
[0096] The modules 208 include routines, programs, objects, components, data
structures, etc., which perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data
types.
25 [0097] In one implementation, as shown in figure 2, the module 208 includes a
receiving means 210, a display module 212, an image capturing means 214, a selection
module 216, a location capturing means 224, a transmitting module 220, and a pairing
module 222.
[0098] In one implementation, a system for collecting, monitoring and analyzing
30 energy consumption, comprising an electronic device and the discoms’ server is
disclosed. The system is characterized by the electronic device comprising: a receiving
23
means (via i/o interface (204) configured to receive an input of a unique consumer
number on a screen of the electronic device; a display module configured to display, if
the unique consumer number is valid, the consumer information on the screen; an image
capturing means configured to enable capturing of an image of a meter associated with
the energy consumption, wherein the image capturing means is a camera; 5 a selection
module configured to select, upon capturing the image, a status of the meter, wherein,
the status of the meter is at least one option selected from meter running (OK), defective
meter (MD), premises locked (PL), or reading not available (RN); the receiving means
configured to input, based on the status, a current reading of the meter on the screen; a
10 transmitting module configured to transmit a meter reading/ status to the discoms’
server, wherein when the billed data is received from the discoms’ server, the billed data
and meter photo are analyzed to make a conclusion like meter number mismatch, lock/
inaccessible, wrong/ defective meter, theft detected, suspected theft, meter/ glass
damage, no seal/ seal damage, no terminal cover, no meter box, irrelevant, images not
15 clear, suppressed reading, reading mismatch, others, or ok, etc; a pairing module
configured to pair with at least one printer configured to print the bill comprising the
image of the meter, wherein the bill is printed only after the image of the meter is
captured, wherein, the printer is selected from at least one of an Analogics thermal
printer or a Zebra thermal printer or an EPSON thermal printer or any other make of a
20 printer having compatible specification.
[0099] In one implementation, an electronic device 102 for collecting,
monitoring and analyzing energy consumption is disclosed. The electronic device
comprises a receiving means configured to input a unique consumer credential on a
screen of the electronic device, a display module configured to display, if the unique
25 consumer credential is valid, the consumer information on the screen, an image
capturing means configured to enable capturing of an image of a meter associated with
the energy consumption, wherein the image capturing means is a camera, a selection
module configured to select, upon capturing the image, a status of the meter, the
receiving means configured to receive input, based on the status, a current reading of the
30 meter on the screen, a transmitting module configured to transmit a meter reading/
status to the discoms’ server, a receiving module configured to receive the billed data
24
(bill) from the discoms’ server, a pairing module configured to pair with at least one
printer configured to print the bill comprising the image of the meter, wherein the bill is
printed only after the image of the meter is captured.
[00100] In one implementation, the transmitting module is configured to transmit
a meter reading/ status to the 5 discoms’ server.
[00101] In one implementation, the bill is calculated based on the billing data
(meter reading/ status) in the electronic device (a smartphone).
[00102] In one implementation, the billed data is used to update a consumer
database stored at the discoms’ server.
10 [00103] In one implementation, the billing data comprises at least one of the
unique consumer credentials, the current reading entered, the image captured or any
combination thereof.
[00104] In one implementation, the image of the meter received at the discoms’
server is analyzed automatically and/or by authenticated supervisor(s).
15 [00105] In one implementation, said electronic device is allocated to a specific
area and a specific operator, wherein the specific operator is granted access to the
device only after authentication done by using an International Mobile Equipment
Identity (IMEI) of the device, by the discoms’ server.
[00106] In one implementation, the electronic device and/or system is configured
20 to store or discard the image of the meter captured, wherein, after storing, the current
reading of the meter is entered.
[00107] In one implementation, the status of the meter is at least one option
selected from meter running (OK), defective meter (MD), premises locked (PL), reading
not available (RN), or any combination thereof and is displayed on the screen.
25 [00108] In one implementation, when the billed data is received from the
discoms’ server, the billed data and meter photo are analyzed to draw an inference like
meter number mismatch, lock/ inaccessible, wrong/ defective meter, theft detected,
suspected theft, meter/ glass damage, no seal/ seal damage, no terminal cover, no meter
box, irrelevant, images not clear, suppressed reading, reading mismatch, others, ok, or
30 any combination thereof. This provides an effective tool for revenue management of
25
discoms. In one implementation, the system also provides for cross- checking of meter
reading data through authorized supervisor for better revenue management.
[00109] In one implementation, the printer is selected from at least one of an
Analogics thermal printer, a Zebra thermal printer, an EPSON thermal printer, or any
other make of a printer having compatible 5 specification.
[00110] In one implementation, the electronic device and/or system is configured
to prompt, on the screen, an abnormal reading indication if the energy consumption is
less than or more than 400% of historical energy consumption.
[00111] In one implementation, the electronic device and/or system is configured
10 to provide reports for at least one of unbilled consumers list, or outsorted consumers list,
or list of consumers whose billing process is affected because of network failure, or a
billing summary, or any combination thereof.
[00112] Referring again to figure 2, in one implementation, an electronic device
for collecting, monitoring and analyzing energy consumption. The electronic device
15 comprises a receiving means configured to receive a unique consumer number on a
screen of the electronic device; a display module configured to display, if the unique
consumer number is valid, the consumer information on the screen; an image capturing
means configured to capture an image of a meter associated with the energy
consumption, wherein the image capturing means is a camera; a selection module
20 configured to select, upon capturing the image, a status of the meter; the receiving
means configured to receive, based on the status, a current reading of the meter on the
screen as an input; a location capturing means 224 configured to retrieve at least the
GPS coordinates of the electronic device; a transmitting module configured to transmit,
based on an availability of at least a communication network, the current reading of the
25 meter received and the GPS coordinates retrieved to at least one billing processing
engine; the receiving means configured to receive at least one bill calculated, by the
billing processing engine, based on the current reading and the GPS coordinates; a
pairing module configured to pair with at least one printer configured to print the bill
comprising the image of the meter, wherein the bill is printed only after the image of the
30 meter is captured.
26
[00113] In one implementation, the present invention may have the following
features and benefits:
(i) Cloud- based operations: The application and data storage are cloud- based
so as to support online invoking and retrieval.
(ii) Agency and user authentication: All agencies engaged in 5 the spot billing
assignment and users (meter readers, supervisors, etc.) are allocated
specific user IDs and passwords with relevant privileges.
(iii) Instant download of input data: Input data and billing application can be
downloaded on to the mobile phones directly from the SAP servers/
10 middleware.
(iv) Instant upload of output data: Output data is uploaded directly to the
website through middleware after the accomplishment of billing.
(v) Mandatory photography of meter readings: The software makes it
compulsory to take photographs of meter readings.
15 (vi) Printing of reading image and QR (quick response) code on the bill:
Images of meter reading and QR code can be printed on bills with the help
of thermal printer paired with mobile phone through Bluetooth
connectivity.
(vii) Instant data availability for payment collections: Due to instant upload of
20 billing data to the website, bills are immediately available for online
payment collection.
(viii) Analysis of meter readings and their photographs: Innovatively developed
software application enables efficient analysis of meter readings and helps
detect anomalies.
25 (ix) Analytics and reporting tool: The application has an inbuilt and robust
analytics module. This facilitates control, monitoring and management of
entire operations on real time basis. It also has a custom- built reporting
feature.
[00114] In one implementation, the display module is further configured to
30 display at least one error message on the screen of the electronic device if the
communication network is unavailable, and store the current reading of the meter in the
27
electronic device. Furthermore, the transmitting module is configured to transmit, on
availability of the communication network, the current reading of the meter received
and the GPS coordinates retrieved to at least one billing processing engine.
[00115] Figure 3 illustrates a method for collecting, monitoring and analyzing
energy consumption, in accordance with an embodiment of the present 5 subject matter.
In one implementation, the method may be described in the general context of computer
executable instructions. Generally, computer executable instructions can include
routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, procedures, modules,
functions, etc., that perform particular functions or implement particular abstract data
10 types. The method may also be practised in a distributed computing environment where
functions are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a
communications network. In a distributed computing environment, computer executable
instructions may be located in both local and remote computer storage media, including
memory storage devices.
15 [00116] The order in which the method is described is not intended to be
construed as a limitation, and any number of the described method blocks can be
combined in any order to implement the method or alternate methods. Additionally,
individual blocks may be deleted from the method without departing from the protection
scope of the subject matter described herein. Furthermore, the method can be
20 implemented in any suitable hardware, software, firmware, or combination thereof.
However, for ease of explanation, in the embodiments described below, the method may
be considered to be implemented in the above described system, electronic device 102
or a combination thereof.
[00117] At block 302, unique consumer credentials are received. In one
25 implementation, consumer credentials may include but are not limited to the consumer
name, account number, consumer ID. To do billing, the meter reader/user has to choose
this option. In the setup, where the meter reader has already chosen an active MRU, he
has to enter the consumer no.
[00118] At block 304, the consumer information is displayed on the screen of the
30 electronic device. The information is displayed only if the consumer is a valid
consumer.
28
[00119] At block 306, when the consumer information is displayed on the
electronic device, the capturing means associated with the electronic device gets
activated. In one implementation, the capturing means may be a camera which may be
inbuilt with the electronic device. After the activation of capturing means, the image of
the meter is captured. In one implementation, the image of the meter 5 may be saved in
the device or may be discarded. If the image of the meter is saved, the status associated
with the meter is selected. The status may be selected automatically or may have to be
selected by the meter reader. In one example, the status of the meter is at least one
option selected from meter running (OK), defective meter (MD), premises locked (PL),
10 reading not available (RN), or any combination thereof, and is displayed on the screen
of the electronic device.
[00120] At block 308, after selecting the status of the meter, the reading related to
the consumption of the energy shown in the meter is entered on the screen of the
electronic device. After the meter reading associated with the meter is entered, the
15 system/ device will prompt for any abnormal readings (for example, if the consumption
is less than or more than 400% of previous consumption). If the meter reading is OK,
step 318 is performed.
[00121] At block 318, at least the coordinates of the electronic device is retrieved.
The GPS location may be retrieved by means of the inbuilt GPS tracker or any of third
20 party application available online.
[00122] At block 320, based on an availability of at least a communication
network the current reading of the meter is received and the GPS coordinates retrieved
are transmitted to at least one billing processing engine/server. Billing calculation is
performed in the server and the billed details (bill) are transmitted back to the electronic
25 device.
[00123] At block 322, at least one bill is calculated based on the current reading
and the GPS coordinates, and is received from the billing processing engine.
[00124] At block 316, the bill comprising the image of the meter is printed using
a printer paired with the electronic device.
30 [00125] Figure 4 illustrates a mobile phone- based spot billing system, in
accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter. The smartphone is used
29
to capture the meter reading and then transmit the meter reading/ status to the remote
server. The bill is calculated in the remote server and transmitted back to the
smartphone. The billed data are analyzed and monitored by distribution officers and
escalated where necessary. The billing details and other transactional data are used to
prepare the input data for subsequent month’s billing and accordingly 5 the same details
are downloaded by the smartphone from the remote server through the middleware.
[00126] In the existing system, different types of meters are installed at the
consumer premises. There are still plenty of electro- mechanical and electrostatic meters
existing and having reading counter/ needles or digital displays. The digits of the meter
10 reading display are also varied. Therefore, OCR (optical character recognition) system
of capturing meter readings cannot be employed. Replacement of the meter reading
displays of all the 2.5 million consumers’ meters with digital display is not costeffective.
[00127] Since the meter readings are taken manually by meter readers and in the
15 absence of cross checking of meter readings by discoms’ officials, there have been lot
of deficiencies and irregularities such as:
(i) Wrong reading or no reading by the meter readers
(ii) Manipulation by meter readers in connivance with consumers
(iii) Table reading by meter readers without visiting the site
20 (iv) Lack of proper cross- checking system of meter readings
(v) Absence of electronic data downloading system
[00128] In one implementation, to overcome above, an innovative system has
been developed in which capturing photograph of meter is made mandatory while
generation of spot bills. The bill is allowed to be printed only after the meter reader has
25 taken a photograph of the meter. The captured readings are cross- checked with the
billing data and corrective action is taken on detection of wrong reading, wrong status
of meter, meter number mismatch, etc. This action also ensures automatically about the
visit of the meter reader at the consumers’ premises.
[00129] In one implementation, the present invention may follow some of the
30 standard operating procedures as mentioned below; however, these may not be the
mandatory steps and shall be considered only as an exemplary / understanding purpose.
30
The application can be installed by copying the MobileSpotbilling.apk to the mobile
phone and then tapping on the apk file. Referring now to figure 5, the application gets
invoked by tapping on the application icon, BMB (B1.59) on the screen of the mobile
phone. Note: BMB is the application and B1.59 is the version of the application. The
version gets changed after new amendments are made in 5 the application.
[00130] The login screen appears on the screen as shown in figure 6. The mobile
phone’s IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number is mapped with a user
ID. The user ID and password are shared with the meter reader by the division officer.
First time, the user ID and password get authenticated from middleware and after
10 successful authentication, the user is allowed to get into the application. After successful
authentication, the main page of the application appears. The login information gets
stored in the local database of the mobile phone after the first authentication.
Authentication happens in the local database of the mobile phone in subsequent logins.
[00131] Figure 7 illustrates a main page of the application, in accordance with an
15 embodiment of the present subject matter. As shown in the figure the button
is to be tapped to do billing.
[00132] Figure 8 illustrates a setup for downloading input data, or configuring a
printer, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter. The
button is tapped in order to download the input data for billing.
20 [00133] Figure 9 illustrates the fact that downloading input data erases all the
user login information and billed data from the mobile phone and downloads the input
data for latest assigned MRU from server.
[00134] Again for downloading, the application asks to enter the user credentials
(user ID/ password) for validation (figure 10).
25 [00135] Figure 11 shows that a download screen appears after successful
authentication. The button is tapped to download the data. After successful
download, a message appears on the screen: ‘N number of input data downloaded.’
[00136] Figure 12 illustrates a printer setup required to bind specific printer with
application for printing, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject
30 matter. First, the Bluetooth printer is paired with the mobile phone. The printer is
31
configured by choosing the ‘Configure Printer’ option and the printer to be used is
selected.
[00137] After choosing the printer model, the MAC ID of the device is chosen.
This MAC ID is already displayed while pairing the printer (figure 13).
[00138] Figure 14 shows that the input data is downloaded 5 and printer is
configured. The GPRS connection is to be checked. It is to be switched ‘on’ to do
billing.
[00139] Figure 15 illustrates a billing main page, in accordance with an
embodiment of the present subject matter. The button is to be tapped
10 to do billing by using the consumer CA (contract account) number.
[00140] Figure 16 illustrates a billing based on contract account, in accordance
with an embodiment of the present subject matter. To do billing the meter reader/ user
has to choose this option. In the setup, after the meter reader has chosen the active
MRU, he has to enter the contract account.
15 [00141] After entering the contract account, the consumer information is
displayed as shown in figure 17. These include name and address of the consumer,
meter number, tariff code, connected load, previous meter status and mobile phone
number. The mobile phone number will be subject to corrections, if any. Besides, the
electrical address (pole number) of the consumer is also to be entered. The
20 button is to be tapped to proceed for billing. After tapping the button, the
camera gets activated.
[00142] As shown in figure 18, the meter reader has to take the photograph of the
meter. After taking meter photo, the application prompts for cropping or discarding the
photograph. If the photo quality is not proper, meter reader can discard photo and click
25 again.
[00143] Figure 19 shows that after the <_> icon is tapped, the cropping option
gets activated. After cropping, the button is tapped to save the cropped photo. By
choosing “OK” option, meter reader can save photographs. The same are saved in the
folder ‘sbDocs\Photos\Sdo_cd\MRU.’ The ‘Sdo_cd’ and ‘MRU’ in the folder path are
30 specific for the respective sub- division and MRU. Photographs can be uploaded
32
instantly when network is available. In case of unavailability of network, the
photographs are uploaded later on by synchronization.
[00144] After saving the photograph, a meter status is chosen from a list. Figure
20 illustrates a meter status list, in accordance with an embodiment of the present
subject matter. The status of the meter is at least one option selected 5 from meter running
(OK), defective meter (MD), premises locked (PL), reading not available (RN). The
purpose of providing these remarks is that they determine the basis of calculation of the
bill. Bills are calculated on actual for OK meter. The meter is considered defective when
a defective status is chosen. The bills are calculated on provisional basis in case of
10 locked premises or when meter readings are not available because an obstacle is
encountered, or for any other reason.
[00145] In one implementation, after the meter status is chosen as , the
meter reader has to enter the current reading. Figure 21 illustrates a screen to enter the
current reading, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter. If the
15 consumer is having a demand based category, then maximum demand input gets
activated. In other categories, it is disabled. Similarly power factor is also to be entered
for the applicable categories. If maximum demand and power factor are not to be
entered, then only current reading (kWh) is to be entered and the maximum demand and
power factor fields are to be left as they are. Inbuilt validation checks are provided to
20 prevent entry of abnormal readings, In case of abnormality in reading and
consumptions, the meter reader is asked to re-enter the reading. After entering the
reading inputs, the button is to be tapped to send the reading inputs to SAP
server and download the billed data from SAP server through middleware.
[00146] Figure 22 shows the status when the application attempts to connect to
25 the remote server.
[00147] In one implementation, after entering the reading, the bill is calculated in
the remote server. It prompts for any abnormal readings (if the consumption is less than
or more than 400% of previous consumption). If the billed data is received, then the
printing dialogue gets activated, as shown in figure 23. The button is tapped to
30 print the bill.
33
[00148] The sample bills in figure 24 are shown for exemplary purpose. The GPS
coordinates (latitude and longitude) of the mobile device are captured at the time of
billing, and sent to server for further analysis and reporting.
[00149] In figure 25, the option is to be chosen by the meter reader if billing is to
be done by entering the legacy number. All other steps 5 are the same.
[00150] Figure 26, shows that a consumer can be searched and billed by entering
the meter number.
[00151] Figure 27 shows the option that can be chosen to do billing by following
the maintained sequence number.
10 [00152] Figure 28 shows that duplicate bill printing can be done by taping on the
from billing option menu and then entering the CA number for
which the duplicate bill is required.
[00153] Figures 29- 31 illustrate various synchronization modes as available in
the present invention. While doing billing, if there is no network, the meter reading
15 details are entered and a printing note, “The bill could not be generated now due to
some technical problem. You can collect the bill from NBPDCL/ SBPDCL website
after 2 days.” with current reading (kWh) is served to consumer. Those consumers not
billed due to weak network/ no network can be billed later when the meter reader comes
to an area where network is available.
20 [00154] As shown in figure 29, the meter reader has to tap on the button. The consumers to be synchronized are shown in the screen.
[00155] As shown in figure 30, here the meter reader has to select the consumer
by tapping on the / button. Then the button is to be
tapped to pull the data from server. After the billed data is received from server, a
25 printing dialogue appears to print the bill.
[00156] The missing consumers entered and not sent to server due to network
failure are synchronized (sent to server) by choosing the
option. The missing consumers found in field can be entered through this screen. The
details can be entered by entering either CA number or legacy number followed by
30 other details like name, pole number and mobile number, as shown in figure 31.
34
[00157] In one implementation, the system is also capable of monitoring the
performance by individual meter reader and supervisor in respect of each MRU, section,
sub- division, division, circle, discom as a whole. The classifications of MIS generated
are as follows:
(a) Cumulative day-wise 5 billing summary
(b) Progress of billing
(c) Category- wise units billed
(d) Category- wise amount (Rs.) billed
[00158] In one implementation, the present invention also provides a provision of
10 custom- built generation of reports. Each report is hyperlinked to reach micro- level
reports.
[00159] Figure 32 illustrates different reports to see the unbilled consumers/
outsorted consumers/ consumers whose billing process is affected because of network
failure, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.
15 [00160] Figure 33 illustrates unbilled consumers list, in accordance with an
embodiment of the present subject matter. The unbilled consumer list can be checked by
tapping on the button. The unbilled summary is displayed.
[00161] The detailed consumer list can be seen by tapping on the summary as
shown in figure 34.
20 [00162] Figure 35 shows a screen displaying a list of outsorted consumers.
[00163] Figure 36 shows a screen displaying a list of consumers whose billing
process remains affected because of failure of network.
[00164] Figure 37 illustrates a screen shot of a billing summary, in accordance
with an embodiment of the present subject matter.
25 [00165] In one implementation, the present invention also enables to provide
help/ online assistance to the meter reader (figure 38). The IMEI number of the handset
is also displayed here,
Internet Status To see the Internet availability
sign means Internet not available
30 sign means Internet is available
35
Server Status To see the discoms’ server availability
sign means server is not reachable
means trying to connect to server
sign means server is available
[00166] Uploaded photos are analyzed by authenticated users 5 centrally. After
invoking application and approaching to photo analysis tool, the ‘sub- division’ and
‘MRU’ is chosen for which analysis is to be done along with ‘bill month’ It displays all
the consumer’s details, meter status (meter reading note), the GPS coordinates (latitude
and longitude), billing date, billing time and reading taken along with the photographs.
10 For suiting to read the meter reading and the meter number from the photograph,
magnifying tool is provided. The exemplary photo analysis procedure is shown in figure
39. It illustrates a photo analysis technique, in accordance with an embodiment of the
present subject matter, and figure 40 illustrates consumer- wise analysis of the photo
reading and reading entered by meter readers, in accordance with an embodiment of the
15 present subject matter. In one implementation, consumer- wise analysis of the photo
reading and reading entered by meter readers are cross- checked and accordingly
appropriate inference is drawn. The inferences could be OK, wrong/ defective meter,
meter glass broken, body seal broken, negative reading, reading not taken, box seal
broken, terminal seal broken, round complete, meter changed, meter number mismatch,
20 reading not clear, house lock, or any combination thereof, etc.
[00167] In one implementation, various reports may be generated based on the
analysis of the photo. The report may include meter number mismatch, lock/
inaccessible, wrong/ defective meter, theft detected, suspected theft, meter/ glass
damage, no seal/ seal damage, no terminal cover, no meter box, irrelevant, images not
25 clear, suppressed reading, reading mismatch, others or OK.
[00168] Conventionally, in the method adopted by the spot billing agencies
(SBAs), billed data was not available for payment collection since SBAs used to
provide the output data at the end of the month. There was no mechanism to validate
output data. As a result loads of anomalies were found in the output data provided by
30 SBAs.
36
[00169] By the use of present invention, the pre- billing data is downloaded to the
mobile phones from SAP servers through middleware. Each area, called meter reading
unit or MRU, is assigned to a particular meter reader by an authorized supervisor.
Besides, each meter reader is allotted a specific mobile phone by the authorized
supervisor. The meter readers are granted access to the mobile phones 5 only after proper
authentication by the remote server. This authentication is done by using the
International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) of the mobile phones. It is mandatory
to take the photograph of the meter reading. The photograph is shot by the camera in the
mobile phone. The meter reading is communicated to the SAP server through
10 middleware. The GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude) of the consumer and
photograph of the meter reading are captured in the mobile phone and conveyed to the
middleware in real time. The bill is calculated in the SAP server and communicated to
the mobile phone instantaneously through the middleware. This facilitates instant
monitoring and helps consumers in making online payments as well. The bill is printed
15 along with the photograph of the meter reading through a Bluetooth thermal printer
coupled to the mobile phone.
[00170] As discussed above, the following are the various modules in the system
(though the names may be used differently here, but a person skilled in the art may
understand that the functioning of these module as discussed above remains the same):
20 i. User authentication
ii. Meter reading entry
iii. Meter reading photo capture
iv. GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude) capture
v. Transmission of data and photo
25 vi. Middleware for super administrator, divisional user and supervisor
vii. Data validation
viii. SAP system for bill generation
ix. Bill printing
x. Analytics
30 [00171] In one implementation, there may be stringent validations in the system.
These prevent non- conforming/ junk data from getting uploaded:
37
i. Meter reading
ii. Consumption: Less than or more than 400 % of the previous consumption
iii. Bill outsort: Based on different amounts (in rupees) for different rate
categories
5 iv. Meter status
v. Tariff
[00172] Because data exchange happens in real time, in one implementation, all
the reports pertaining to mobile phone- based spot billing are instantaneous
representation of facts as they are at site. The following are the various reports already
10 available on the dashboard:
i. Real time report on billing progress: This report compares the number of
consumers provided to mobile phones for billing versus the number of
consumers actually billed.
ii. List of unbilled consumers.
15 iii. List of consumers whose bills are outsorted.
iv. List of consumers whose billing process remains affected because of
network failure.
[00173] The additional components that may be incorporated in the present
invention but not essentially required are:
20 i. OCR software: This can be incorporated in areas where the meters are
standardized with respect to meter reading display, number of digits in the
display, decimal placeholder, etc.
ii. RF (radio frequency) downloads of meter readings: This will help eliminate
manual punching of meter readings on the mobile phones’ touch screens.
25 iii. Bar/ QR code scanner: This will be required to facilitate onsite payments and
collections.
[00174] The technical benefits achieved by the present invention as compared to
the conventional technique are as provided below:
In conventional techniques:
38
i. There is severe dependency on the agency that has developed the billing
software for every change in tariff/ bill printing, etc. because the agency uses its
own custom software.
ii. There is involvement of intermediate hardware and software at the end of every
billing cycle to download input data from discoms’ SAP 5 servers to SBMs and
upload the same from SBMs after billing to the discoms’ SAP servers.
iii. There is no provision to take photographs of meter readings.
iv. The process is time consuming and manual.
v. Though upload of billed from the SBMs to the SAP servers is supposed to be a
10 daily practice, the same is not strictly followed by all agencies.
vi. SBMs and the inbuilt printers are prone to frequent breakages because of heavy
wear and tear.
The present invention as compared to the convention techniques:
i. Cloud- based operations: The application and data storage are cloud- based so as
15 to support online invoking and retrieval.
ii. Agency and user authentication: All agencies engaged in the spot billing
assignment and users (meter readers, supervisors, etc.) are allocated specific user
IDs and passwords with relevant privileges. This prevents the pre-/ post- billed
data from unauthorized access.
20 iii. Instant download of input data: Input data and billing application can be
downloaded on to the mobile phones directly from the SAP servers through
middleware.
iv. Instant upload of output data: Output data can be uploaded directly to the
website through middleware after the accomplishment of billing. Due to instant
25 upload of billing data to the server, bills are immediately available for online
payment collection.
v. Proper verification and validation of post- billed data becomes possible. Each
and every billed data uploaded by SBAs goes through a strong validation
process. This ensures that no junk data is posted and no anomaly exists in the
30 billing database.
39
vi. Mandatory photography of meter readings: The software makes it compulsory to
take photographs of meter readings.
vii. Printing of reading image and QR code on the bill: Images of meter reading and
QR code can be printed on bills with the help of thermal printer paired with
mobile phone through Bluetooth 5 connectivity.
viii. Analytics and reporting tool: Innovatively developed software application
enables efficient analysis of meter readings and helps detect anomalies. The
application has an inbuilt and robust analytics module. This facilitates control,
monitoring and management of entire operations on real time basis. It also has a
10 custom- built reporting feature.
BEST MODE OF WORKING THE INVENTION
[00175] In one implementation, the present invention may be implemented using
the following hardware components: Android- based mobile phone
15 (a) Mandatory requirements:
GSM, Android OS, Bluetooth, camera (preferably with flash) and touch screen
(b) Specifications:
Network and wireless connectivity
(i) 2G or higher
20 (ii) Wi- Fi
(iii) Bluetooth version 2.0 or higher
Operating system
(iv) Android Jelly Bean 4.1 or higher
Display
25 (v) 10.16 cm (4 inches) or more
(vi) Resolution 320 x 240 pixels or higher
Chipset
(vii) CPU 1.0 GHz or higher
Camera
30 (viii) Primary (rear) camera 2 MP or more (preferably with flash)
Connectors
40
(ix) USB 2.0 or higher
Memory
(x) Expandable memory: MicroSD up to 32 GB or more
(xi) Internal memory: RAM 512 MB or more
5 Battery
(xii) Standard battery 1,200 mAh (provided camera flash is not used) or more
Specifications for data plan
(a) 1 GB per month
(b) GPRS- enabled
10 (c) Voice- disabled
(d) Free SMS per month, 300 nos. (optional)
Bluetooth thermal printer
The following are the technical specifications/ accessories required of the thermal
printer
15 (a) Direct thermal printing
(b) Media width 2 inch or 3 inch (2 inch for R- APDRP, Bihar)
(c) Bluetooth (wireless) connectivity
(d) Resolution 203 dpi (minimum)
(e) Print speed 50 mm/ sec (minimum)
20 (f) Rechargeable battery, 1130 mAh (minimum)
(g) External charger
(h) Belt strap/ carrying case
(i) Software development kit (SDK) for Android OS
(j) Image printing capability (barcode/ QR code/ meter reading photograph)
25 (k) BIS certification (mandatory), IS 13252 (Part 1): 2010
(l) Drop test of 1.2 m or more (mandatory)
(m) IP rating of 42 or more (mandatory)
(n) A sample paper roll with each printer
Tested models
30 (a) Analogics Versa Print ATP- 500
(b) Epson TM- P60
41
(c) Zebra EZ- 320
Specifications of thermal paper (typical)
(a) Width: 58 mm (for 2 in. printer) or 80 mm (for 3 in. printer)
(b) Maximum media roll size: 40 mm (1.5 in.)
(c) Roll core inner diameter: 5 18 mm/ 0.7 inch
(d) Paper thickness: 2.5 mil/ 64 μm to 4.4 mil/ 114 μm
(e) Roll length: 20 m
[00176] The illustrations of arrangements described herein are intended to
provide a general understanding of the structure of various embodiments, and they are
10 not intended to serve as a complete description of all the elements and features of
apparatus and systems that might make use of the structures described herein. Many
other arrangements will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above
description. Other arrangements may be utilized and derived there from, such that
structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from
15 the scope of this disclosure. Figures are also merely representational and may not be
drawn to scale. Certain proportions thereof may be exaggerated, while others may be
minimized. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an
illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.
[00177] Thus, although specific arrangements have been illustrated and described
20 herein, it should be appreciated that any arrangement calculated to achieve the same
purpose may be substituted for the specific arrangement shown. This disclosure is
intended to cover any and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments and
arrangements of the invention. Combinations of the above arrangements, and other
arrangements not specifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in the
25 art upon reviewing the above description.
42
WE CLAIM:
1. An energy consumption recording method for collecting, monitoring and
analyzing an energy consumption, the energy consumption recording method
5 comprising:
receiving a unique consumer number on a screen of an electronic device;
displaying on the screen, if the unique consumer number is valid, the consumer
information, thereby
activating a capturing means of the electronic device configured to
10 capture an image of a meter associated with the energy consumption;
selecting, upon capturing the image, a status of the meter, and based on
the status, receiving, on the screen, a current reading of the meter;
retrieving at least the GPS coordinates of the electronic device;
transmitting, based on an availability of at least a communication
15 network, the current reading of the meter received and the GPS coordinates
retrieved to at least one billing processing engine;
receiving at least one bill calculated, by the billing processing engine,
based on the current reading and the GPS coordinates; and
printing, using a printer paired with the electronic device, the bill
20 comprising the image of the meter.
2. The energy consumption recording method as claimed in claim 1 further
comprises:
displaying at least one error message on the screen of the electronic device if the
25 communication network is unavailable; thereby
storing the current reading of the meter in the electronic device; and
transmitting, on availability of the communication network, the current reading
of the meter received and the GPS coordinates retrieved to at least one billing
processing engine.
30
43
3. The energy consumption recording method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
billing processing engine resides in at least one discoms’ server, the discoms’ server is
preferably located at a remote location.
4. The energy consumption recording method as claimed in 5 claim 1 comprises:
updating simultaneously, during printing, the bill to a consumer database stored at a
discoms’ middleware server, and thereby enabling online payment at the same instance.
5. The energy consumption recording method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the
10 bill is printed only after the image of the meter is captured.
6. The energy consumption recording method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the
billing data comprises at least one of the unique consumer number, the current reading
entered, the image captured or any combination thereof.
15
7. The energy consumption recording method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the
image of the meter received at the discoms’ server is analyzed automatically and/or by
authenticated supervisor(s).
20 8. The energy consumption recording method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
electronic device is a device allocated to a specific area and a specific operator, wherein
the specific operator is granted access to the device only after authentication done, by
using an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) of the device, by the discoms’
server.
25
9. The energy consumption recording method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the
consumer information is stored in the electronic device and/or consumer database stored
at the discoms’ server.
30 10. The energy consumption recording method as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
44
storing or discarding the image of the meter captured, wherein, after storing, the
current reading of the meter is entered; or
uploading instantaneously the image of the meter captured on the billing
processing engine.
5
11. The energy consumption recording method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the
status of the meter is at least one option selected from meter running (OK), defective
meter (MD), premises locked (PL), reading not available (RN), or any combination
thereof and is displayed on the screen of the electronic device.
10
12. The energy consumption recording method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when
the billed data is transmitted to the discoms’ server, the billed data and meter photo are
analyzed to draw a conclusion like meter number mismatch, lock/ inaccessible, wrong/
defective meter, theft detected, suspected theft, meter/ glass damage, no seal/ seal
15 damage, no terminal cover, no meter box, irrelevant, images not clear, suppressed
reading, reading mismatch, others, ok, or any combination thereof.
13. The energy consumption recording method as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
printing using at least one of the printers selected from an Analogics thermal printer, a
20 Zebra thermal printer, an EPSON thermal printer, or any combination thereof.
14. The energy consumption recording method as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
prompting, on the screen of the electronic device, an abnormal reading indication if the
energy consumption is less than or more than 400% of historical energy consumption.
25
15. The energy consumption recording method as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
providing remarks based on which said bill is calculated, wherein:
said remarks is at least one of meter running (OK), defective meter (MD),
locked premises (PL), obstacle, reading not available (RN), or any combination thereof;
30 and
said bills are calculated on actual for meter OK.
45
16. The energy consumption recording method as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
searching a consumer based on at least one of meter number or contract account of the
consumer, or an old account number, sequence number, or any combination thereof.
5
17. The energy consumption recording method as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
providing reports for at least one of meter change list or unbilled consumers list or new
consumers list, or reconnected consumers list or any combination thereof.
10 18. The energy consumption recording method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
capturing means is a camera.
19. An electronic device for collecting, monitoring and analyzing an energy
consumption, the electronic device comprising:
15 a receiving means configured to receive a unique consumer number on a screen
of the electronic device;
a display module configured to display, if the unique consumer number is valid,
the consumer information on the screen;
an image capturing means configured to capture an image of a meter associated
20 with the energy consumption, wherein the image capturing means is a camera;
a selection module configured to select, upon capturing the image, a status of the
meter;
the receiving means configured to receive, based on the status, a current reading
of the meter on the screen as an input;
25 a location capturing means configured to retrieve at least the GPS coordinates of
the electronic device;
a transmitting module configured to transmit, based on an availability of at least
a communication network, the current reading of the meter received and the GPS
coordinates retrieved to at least one billing processing engine;
30 the receiving means configured to receive at least one bill calculated, by the
billing processing engine, based on the current reading and the GPS coordinates; and
46
a pairing module configured to pair with at least one printer configured to print
the bill comprising the image of the meter, wherein the bill is printed only after the
image of the meter is captured.
20. The electronic device as claimed in 5 claim 19, wherein:
the display module is further configured to display at least one error
message on the screen of the electronic device if the communication network is
unavailable, and store the current reading of the meter in the electronic device;
and
10 the transmitting module configured transmit, on availability of the
communication network, the current reading of the meter received and the GPS
coordinates retrieved to at least one billing processing engine.
21. The electronic device as claimed in claim 19 wherein the billing processing
15 engine resides in at least one discoms’ server, the discoms’ server is preferably located
at a remote location.
22. The electronic device as claimed in claim 19 comprises a transmitting module
configured to transmit a meter reading to the discoms’ server.
20
23. The electronic device as claimed in claim 19, wherein, the billed data is used to
update a consumer database stored at the discoms’ middleware server.
24. The electronic device as claimed in claim 19, wherein, the billing data comprises
25 at least one of the unique consumer number, the current reading entered, the image
captured or any combination thereof.
25. The electronic device as claimed in claim 19, wherein, the image of the meter
received at the discoms’ server is analyzed automatically and/or by authenticated
30 supervisor(s).
47
26. The electronic device as claimed in claim 19 is a device allocated to a specific
area and a specific operator, wherein the specific operator is granted access to the
device only after authentication done, by using an International Mobile Equipment
Identity (IMEI) of the device, by the discoms’ server.
5
27. The electronic device as claimed in claim 19, wherein, the consumer information
is stored in the electronic device and/or consumer database stored at the discoms’
server.
10 28. The electronic device as claimed in claim 19 is configured to store or discard the
image of the meter captured, wherein, after storing, the current reading of the meter is
entered.
29. The electronic device as claimed in claim 19, wherein, the status of the meter is
15 at least one option selected from meter running (OK), defective meter (MD), reading
not available (RN), premises locked (PL), or any combination thereof and is displayed
on the screen.
30. The electronic device as claimed in claim 19, wherein, when the current reading
20 of the meter received and the GPS coordinates retrieved are transmitted to the discoms’
server, the current reading and the image of the meter are analyzed to draw an inference
like meter number mismatch, lock/ inaccessible, wrong/ defective meter, theft detected,
suspected theft, meter/ glass damage, no seal/ seal damage, no terminal cover, no meter
box, irrelevant, images not clear, suppressed reading, reading mismatch, others, ok, or
25 any combination thereof.
31. The electronic device as claimed in claim 19, wherein, the printer is selected
from at least one of an Analogics thermal printer, a Zebra thermal printer, an EPSON
thermal printer, or any combination thereof.
30
48
32. The electronic device as claimed in claim 19 is configured to prompt, on the
screen, an abnormal reading indication if the energy consumption is less than or more
than 400% of historical energy consumption.
33. The electronic device as claimed in claim 19, wherein, is configured 5 to provide
reports for at least one of meter change list or unbilled consumers list or new consumers
lists, or reconnected consumers list or any combination thereof.
34. A system for collecting, monitoring and analyzing an energy consumption, the
10 system comprising an electronic device and a discoms’ server, CHARACTERIZED
BY:
the electronic device comprising:
a receiving means configured to receive an input of a unique consumer
number on a screen of the electronic device;
15 a display module configured to display, if the unique consumer number
is valid, the consumer information on the screen;
an image capturing means configured to enable capturing of an image of
a meter associated with the energy consumption, wherein the image capturing
means is a camera;
20 a selection module configure to select, upon capturing the image, a status
of the meter, wherein, the status of the meter is at least one option selected from
meter running (OK), defective meter (MD), reading not available (RN), or
premises locked (PL);
the receiving means configured to receive, based on the status, a current
25 reading of the meter on the screen as an input;
a location capturing means configured to retrieve at least the GPS
coordinates of the electronic device;
a transmitting module configured to transmit, based on an availability of
at least a communication network, the current reading of the meter received and
30 the GPS coordinates retrieved to at least one billing processing engine residing
in at least one the discoms’ server, wherein the current reading and image of the
49
meter are analyzed to make a judgement like meter number mismatch, lock/
inaccessible, wrong/ defective meter, theft detected, suspected theft, meter/ glass
damage, no seal/ seal damage, no terminal cover, no meter box, irrelevant,
images not clear, suppressed reading, reading mismatch, others, or ok;
the receiving means configured to receive at least one bill 5 calculated, by
the billing processing engine, based on the current reading and the GPS
coordinates; and
a pairing module configured to pair with at least one printer configured
to print the bill comprising the image of the meter, the bill being printed only
10 after the image of the meter is captured, wherein, the printer is selected from at
least one of an Analogics thermal printer or a Zebra thermal printer or an
EPSON thermal printer.