US 12,105,543 B2
Methods for safely restoring gas flow to a building from a remote location and related smart meters
Benjamin Inkrott, Cary, NC (US); Christopher Wykle, Wake Forest, NC (US); and Paul Honchar, DuBois, PA (US)
Assigned to Sensus Spectrum, LLC, Dublin (IE)
Filed by Sensus Spectrum, LLC, Morrisville, NC (US)
Filed on Nov. 23, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/533,399.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/120,371, filed on Dec. 2, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0171413 A1, Jun. 2, 2022
Int. Cl. G05D 7/06 (2006.01); G01F 15/00 (2006.01); G01F 15/063 (2022.01); G01M 3/28 (2006.01); G01D 4/00 (2006.01); G01D 18/00 (2006.01); G01F 25/10 (2022.01)
CPC G05D 7/0635 (2013.01) [G01F 15/005 (2013.01); G01F 15/063 (2013.01); G01M 3/2815 (2013.01); G01D 4/00 (2013.01); G01D 18/00 (2013.01); G01D 2204/26 (2021.05); G01D 2218/10 (2021.05); G01F 25/10 (2022.01); Y02B 90/20 (2013.01); Y04S 20/30 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of determining if it is safe to restore service to a gas meter remotely, the method comprising:
determining if any pre-existing conditions are present in the gas meter responsive to issuance of a restore command to restore service from a remote location, the pre-existing conditions indicating that safety test results are unreliable;
if it is determined that no pre-existing conditions are present, opening a valve on the gas meter to fill the gas meter with gas until gas in the gas meter reaches a predefined fill state;
determining if pressure in the gas meter is stable at the predefined fill state;
closing the valve on the gas meter if it is determined that the pressure is stabilized;
performing a pressure decay test after the valve on the gas meter is closed; and
opening the valve to restore gas flow in the gas meter if the pressure decay test passes,
wherein at least one of the determining, opening, determining, closing, performing and opening are performed by at least one processor.