GB2605363A - Detecting state change in utilities infrastructure - Google Patents

Detecting state change in utilities infrastructure Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2605363A
GB2605363A GB2103931.8A GB202103931A GB2605363A GB 2605363 A GB2605363 A GB 2605363A GB 202103931 A GB202103931 A GB 202103931A GB 2605363 A GB2605363 A GB 2605363A
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United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
component
infrastructure
record
sensor
state
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
GB2103931.8A
Other versions
GB202103931D0 (en
Inventor
Di Cairano-Gilfedder Carla
Conway Anthony
Gould Alan
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
British Telecommunications PLC
Original Assignee
British Telecommunications PLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by British Telecommunications PLC filed Critical British Telecommunications PLC
Priority to GB2103931.8A priority Critical patent/GB2605363A/en
Publication of GB202103931D0 publication Critical patent/GB202103931D0/en
Publication of GB2605363A publication Critical patent/GB2605363A/en
Pending legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04Q—SELECTING
    • H04Q9/00—Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
    • H04L67/01—Protocols
    • H04L67/12—Protocols specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01M—TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G01M3/00—Investigating fluid-tightness of structures
    • G01M3/02—Investigating fluid-tightness of structures by using fluid or vacuum
    • G01M3/26—Investigating fluid-tightness of structures by using fluid or vacuum by measuring rate of loss or gain of fluid, e.g. by pressure-responsive devices, by flow detectors
    • G01M3/28—Investigating fluid-tightness of structures by using fluid or vacuum by measuring rate of loss or gain of fluid, e.g. by pressure-responsive devices, by flow detectors for pipes, cables or tubes; for pipe joints or seals; for valves ; for welds
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J13/00—Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
    • H02J13/00002—Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network characterised by monitoring
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L43/00—Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
    • H04L43/04—Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J3/00—Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
    • H02J3/001—Methods to deal with contingencies, e.g. abnormalities, faults or failures
    • H02J3/0012—Contingency detection
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04Q—SELECTING
    • H04Q2209/00—Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems
    • H04Q2209/60—Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Computing Systems (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Medical Informatics (AREA)
  • Data Mining & Analysis (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Management, Administration, Business Operations System, And Electronic Commerce (AREA)

Abstract

A computer implemented method, possibly carried out with monitor 206, detects a change of state of an infrastructure component 200 (e.g. a pipe, cable or pylon) as part of a transmission network for a utility service, which may be a power, gas, water, sewage and communications service. The method comprises: accessing a record of characteristics 218 of the infrastructure component, characteristics possibly including location, configuration, type, situation, operation state or performance of the component; receiving a set of data items 204 from each of one or more sensors 202 collocated with the component, the sensors being adapted to sense component characteristics; extracting, possibly with a machine learning algorithm, one or more features 214 of at least one characteristic of the component from each data item in the set; comparing the extracted features with the record of characteristics; and, responsive to identification of an anomaly between the extracted features and the record, generating an indication of a change of state of the component. A remediation process may also be triggered to transition the component to a state indicated by the record. The sensors may include robot mounted, LIDAR, image, temperature, ground-penetrating radar, electromagnetic, electro-optical and sound sensors.

Description

Detecting State Change in Utilities Infrastructure The present invention relates to the detection of changes of state of infrastructure components in a deployed utilities infrastructure.
Utility service providers have transmission networks for the transport, provision, communication or conveyance of a utility such as power (including electricity), gas (including natural gas), liquid (including water), sewage and communications facilities (including fixed-line and/or mobile telephony and network connections such as broadband services). Transmission networks are comprised of network infrastructure including means and mechanisms for the transmission of the utility. Such infrastructure includes infrastructure components that can be categorised into component types. One categorisation can include, for example, a nature of a location, installation or fitment of an infrastructure component such as: above-ground; under-ground; or affixed to another element such as a building or the like. Other or enhanced categorisations of infrastructure component types can include types according to a nature of a component such as a conduit, transmission wire, emitter or receiver or the like. Infrastructure components can include, for example, a duct, conduit, pipe, cable, pole, pylon, tower, and other transmission network infrastructure components as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
Utility service providers are increasingly subject to infrastructure sharing obligations which require the provision of access to physical infrastructure such including infrastructure components to third parties. For example: ducts and poles can be shared; power can be shared; and infrastructure site access can be shared. These obligations on infrastructure owners introduces an additional requirement for effective infrastructure design, deployment and maintenance.
Accordingly, utility service providers require accurate and up-to-date records of the nature, 25 state and arrangement of utility infrastructure components, and need to ensure the state of utilities infrastructure is acceptable.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer implemented method of detecting a change of state of an infrastructure component as part of a transmission network for a utility service, the method comprising: accessing a record of characteristics of the infrastructure component; receiving one or more data items as a set of data items from each of one or more sensors collocated with the infrastructure component, the sensors being adapted to sense at least a subset of characteristics of the infrastructure component; extracting one or more features of at least one characteristic of the infrastructure component from each data item in the set; comparing the extracted features with the record of characteristics; and responsive to an identification of an anomaly between the extracted features and the record of characteristics, generating an indication of a change of state of the infrastructure component.
Preferably, the sensors include one or more of: a robot mounted sensor; a light detection 5 and ranging (LIDAR) sensor; an image sensor for generating an image of at least part of the infrastructure component; a temperature sensor; a radar sensor; a ground-penetrating radar sensor; an electromagnetic sensor; and electro-optical sensor; and a sound sensor.
Preferably, the characteristics of the infrastructure component include one or more of: a location of the component; a configuration of the component; a type of the component; a 10 situation of the component; an environmental factor affecting the component; a state of operation of the component; and a performance of the component.
Preferably, the features of the at least one characteristic of the infrastructure component are extracted by a machine learning algorithm trained to classify sensed data to one or more characteristics of the infrastructure component.
Preferably, the step responsive to an identification of an anomaly between the extracted features and the record of characteristics claim further comprises triggering a remediation process to transition the infrastructure component to a state indicated by the record of characteristics.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is a provided a computer system including a processor and memory storing computer program code for performing the steps of the method set out above.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is a provided a computer system including a processor and memory storing computer program code for performing the steps of the method set out above.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a block diagram a computer system suitable for the operation of embodiments of the present invention; Figure 2 is a component diagram of an arrangement to detect a change of state of an 30 infrastructure component as part of a transmission network for a utility service in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 3 is a flowchart of a method to detect a change of state of an infrastructure component as part of a transmission network for a utility service in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 1 is a block diagram of a computer system suitable for the operation of embodiments of the present invention. A central processor unit (CPU) 102 is communicatively connected to a storage 104 and an input/output (I/O) interface 106 via a data bus 108. The storage 104 can be any read/write storage device such as a random-access memory (RAM) or a non-volatile storage device. An example of a non-volatile storage device includes a disk or tape storage device. The I/O interface 106 is an interface to devices for the input or output of data, or for both input and output of data. Examples of I/O devices connectable to I/O interface 106 include a keyboard, a mouse, a display (such as a monitor) and a network connection.
Figure 2 is a component diagram of an arrangement to detect a change of state of an infrastructure component 200 as part of a transmission network for a utility service in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. A record of component characteristics 218 is constituted as a data store, data record or records, one or more computer readable documents or files or similar as will be understood by those skilled in the art. The record of component characteristics 218 includes indications of characteristics of the infrastructure component 200 such as, inter alia: a type of component including one or more of a duct, a conduit, a pipe, a cable, a pole, a pylon, and a tower; one or more materials of manufacture of the component; one or more configurations of the component such as an operational configuration, a placement, orientation, state or extent of activation; a deployment feature of the component such as being laid or hung; a specification of the component such as a quantity, volume, number or extent of one or more resources provided by, in or for the component; capacity information for the component such as a used, available or total capacity of the component according to a measure of capacity dependent on the type of component; a state of repair of the component; a location of the component; a situation of the component; an environmental factor affecting the component; a state of operation of the component; a performance of the component; and other characteristics as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
The infrastructure component 200 is susceptible to sensing by sensors 202 such as, inter alia: a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor; an image sensor for generating an image of at least part of the infrastructure component; a temperature sensor; a radar sensor; a ground-penetrating radar sensor; an electromagnetic sensor; and electro-optical sensor; and a sound sensor. The sensors 202 are collocated with the infrastructure component 200, such as by being immediately adjacent the component, mounted on, with or adjacent the component or located some distance from the component such that the component is still sensed by the sensor. For example, in some embodiments at least some of the sensors 202 are provided as part of, our mounted to, an autonomous or remotely controlled maintenance device such as a robot, maintenance vehicle or the like. For example, a sensor 202 can be a moveable sensor provided in a vicinity of the component 200 once moved into such vicinity, such as sensors specifically adapted to traverse parts of the transmission network to come into a vicinity of the infrastructure component 200 such as pipe-traversing sensors. Thus, the sensors 202 are adapted to sense at least a subset of the characteristics of the infrastructure 10 component 200, at least when suitably located.
The sensors 202 thus generate sensor data items 204 as sensor output such as images from an image sensor, audio records from a sound sensor, LI DAR data from a LIDAR sensor and so on. Some portion of the sensor data items 204 thus constitute data items relating to the infrastructure component 200, such as data items 204 arising from sensors 202 located within a sensing range of the infrastructure component 200.
An infrastructure monitor component 206 is provided as a hardware, software, firmware or combination component arranged to monitor the state of the infrastructure component and detect a change of state. The monitor 206 includes an extractor component 212 as a hardware, software, firmware or combination component arranged to extract features 214 from the sensor data items 204. The extracted features 214 relate to characteristics of the infrastructure component 200 such that characteristics of the component 200 are determinable based thereon. For example, sensed image data of the component 200 can be used to determine a colour, model, type, orientation, configuration or other features of the component 200. In some embodiments, the extracted features 214 of the characteristics of the infrastructure component 200 are extracted by a machine learning algorithm trained to classify sensed data to one or more characteristics of the infrastructure component 200.
The monitor 206 further includes a comparer component 216 as a hardware, software, firmware or combination component operable to compare the extracted features 214 of characteristics of the infrastructure component 200 with the record of component characteristics 218 to identify anomalies between the extracted features and the record of characteristics 218. VVhere such an anomaly is detected, the sensed data in the data items 204 indicates that the characteristics of the infrastructure component 200 have deviated from the record of component characteristics 218 constituting a change of state of the component 200. Accordingly, an alert component 220 is provided as a hardware, software, firmware or combination component arranged to generate an indication, such as an alert, of a change of state of the infrastructure component 200.
In some embodiments, on detection of an anomaly between the extracted features 214 and the record of characteristics 218, the alert component 220 or the monitor 206 is further operable to triggering a remediation process to transition the infrastructure component 200 to a state indicated by the record of characteristics 218, such as by way of instructing an autonomous device such as a maintenance robot to undertake an intervention in respect of the component 200.
Figure 3 is a flowchart of a method to detect a change of state of an infrastructure component 200 as part of a transmission network for a utility service in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Initially, at step 300, the method accesses the record of component characteristics 218 for the infrastructure component. At step 302, the method receives data items 204 from the sensors 202. At step 306 the method extracts features of one or more characteristics of the infrastructure component 200 from the data items 204. At step 308 the method compares the extracted features 214 with the record of characteristics 218. At step 310 the method determines if there is an anomaly between the extracted features 214 and the record of characteristics 218, and where there is an anomaly the method generates an indication of a change of state of the infrastructure component at step 312.
Insofar as embodiments of the invention described are implementable, at least in part, using a software-controlled programmable processing device, such as a microprocessor, digital signal processor or other processing device, data processing apparatus or system, it will be appreciated that a computer program for configuring a programmable device, apparatus or system to implement the foregoing described methods is envisaged as an aspect of the present invention. The computer program may be embodied as source code or undergo compilation for implementation on a processing device, apparatus or system or may be embodied as object code, for example.
Suitably, the computer program is stored on a carrier medium in machine or device readable form, for example in solid-state memory, magnetic memory such as disk or tape, optically or magneto-optically readable memory such as compact disk or digital versatile disk etc., and the processing device utilises the program or a part thereof to configure it for operation. The computer program may be supplied from a remote source embodied in a communications medium such as an electronic signal, radio frequency carrier wave or optical carrier wave. Such carrier media are also envisaged as aspects of the present invention.
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, although the present invention has been described in relation to the above described example embodiments, the invention is not limited thereto and that there are many possible variations and modifications which fall within the scope of the invention.
The scope of the present invention includes any novel features or combination of features disclosed herein. The applicant hereby gives notice that new claims may be formulated to such features or combination of features during prosecution of this application or of any such further applications derived therefrom. In particular, with reference to the appended claims, features from dependent claims may be combined with those of the independent claims and features from respective independent claims may be combined in any appropriate manner and not merely in the specific combinations enumerated in the claims.

Claims (7)

  1. CLAIMS1. A computer implemented method of detecting a change of state of an infrastructure component as part of a transmission network for a utility service, the method comprising: accessing a record of characteristics of the infrastructure component; receiving one or more data items as a set of data items from each of one or more sensors collocated with the infrastructure component, the sensors being adapted to sense at least a subset of characteristics of the infrastructure component; extracting one or more features of at least one characteristic of the infrastructure component from each data item in the set; comparing the extracted features with the record of characteristics; and responsive to an identification of an anomaly between the extracted features and the record of characteristics, generating an indication of a change of state of the infrastructure component.
  2. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensors include one or more of: a robot mounted sensor; a light detection and ranging (LI DAR) sensor; an image sensor for generating an image of at least part of the infrastructure component; a temperature sensor; a radar sensor; a ground-penetrating radar sensor; an electromagnetic sensor; and electro-optical sensor; and a sound sensor.
  3. 3. The method of any preceding claim wherein the characteristics of the infrastructure component include one or more of: a location of the component; a configuration of the component; a type of the component; a situation of the component; an environmental factor affecting the component; a state of operation of the component; and a performance of the component.
  4. 4. The method of any preceding claim wherein the features of the at least one characteristic of the infrastructure component are extracted by a machine learning algorithm trained to classify sensed data to one or more characteristics of the infrastructure 30 component.
  5. 5. The method of any preceding wherein the step responsive to an identification of an anomaly between the extracted features and the record of characteristics claim further comprises triggering a remediation process to transition the infrastructure component to a 35 state indicated by the record of characteristics.
  6. 6. A computer system including a processor and memory storing computer program code for performing the steps of the method of any preceding claim.
  7. 7. A computer program element comprising computer program code to, when loaded 5 into a computer system and executed thereon, cause the computer to perform the steps of a method as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5.
GB2103931.8A 2021-03-22 2021-03-22 Detecting state change in utilities infrastructure Pending GB2605363A (en)

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Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20160356666A1 (en) * 2015-06-02 2016-12-08 Umm Al-Qura University Intelligent leakage detection system for pipelines
US20190281371A1 (en) * 2018-03-07 2019-09-12 Michael Edward Klicpera Water Meter and Leak Detection System having Communication with a Smart Central Hub Listening and Speaking Apparatus, Wireless Thermostat and/or Home Automation System
CN110985892A (en) * 2019-12-12 2020-04-10 上海邦芯物联网科技有限公司 Water supply pipe network monitoring system and method

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20160356666A1 (en) * 2015-06-02 2016-12-08 Umm Al-Qura University Intelligent leakage detection system for pipelines
US20190281371A1 (en) * 2018-03-07 2019-09-12 Michael Edward Klicpera Water Meter and Leak Detection System having Communication with a Smart Central Hub Listening and Speaking Apparatus, Wireless Thermostat and/or Home Automation System
CN110985892A (en) * 2019-12-12 2020-04-10 上海邦芯物联网科技有限公司 Water supply pipe network monitoring system and method

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