Abstract
Some existing methods for detecting power outages may rely on manual customer reports, which can be slow, or inaccurate, and may be unfeasible when communication networks are overwhelmed or damaged. A method is disclosed that can enable automatic outage detection by aggregating and analyzing the connectivity status of a large number of internet-connected devices (e.g., smart speakers, IoT appliances, network routers) across multiple locations. A simultaneous loss of communication from a high density of geolocated devices in a particular area may be used to infer an outage. By correlating signals from diverse devices and service providers, including, for example, those with battery backups and mobile phones switching to cellular data, the system may distinguish between power and network-specific failures. This approach can provide utility companies with a more rapid, detailed, and granular map of power outages without requiring direct user action, which may facilitate a more efficient emergency response.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Klein, Daniel and Bass, Mel, "Automatic Detection of Multi-Customer Power Outages Using Aggregated Device Connectivity", Technical Disclosure Commons, (July 14, 2025)
https://www.tdcommons.org/dpubs_series/8353