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Meter having a communication interface for receiving and interfacing with a communication device

  • US 10,260,903 B2
  • Filed: 08/05/2011
  • Issued: 04/16/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2004
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An apparatus comprising:

  • a housing having an interior space and an interface opening in a wall of the housing, the interface opening configured to receive at least one removable communication device provided externally from the housing such that the at least one removable communication device is at least partially disposed in the housing;

    a measurement module disposed in the interior space of the housing, the measurement module configured to measure electrical energy parameters;

    a first processor disposed in the interior space of the housing and coupled to the measurement module, the first processor configured to process the measured electrical energy parameters;

    a display having a face viewable from an exterior space outside the housing, the display configured to receive control signals from the first processor to display energy consumption data to an operator;

    a memory disposed in the interior space of the housing, the memory configured to store application software capable of being executed by the first processor;

    a communication interface disposed in the interior space of the housing and coupled to the first processor, the communication interface comprising a port adaptor externally accessible from the housing via the interface opening;

    a plurality of removable communication devices, each removable communication device comprising a connection port disposed thereon and configured for physically and removably coupling with the port adaptor of the communication interface, each removable communication device further comprising a second processor programmed with a communication protocol that is different from the communication protocols of the other removable communication devices, and each removable communication device further comprising communication circuitry configured to transmit data to a remote computing device via the respective communication protocol over a predetermined infrastructure having one or more communication networks;

    wherein, once one of the removable communication devices providing externally from the housing is disposed in the interface opening, the connection port of the removable communication device connects to the port adapter of the communication interface and the removable communication device is removable from the housing without opening the housing to expose the interior space of the housing; and

    wherein the communication interface is configured to communicate the electrical energy parameters to the removable communication device coupled to the communication interface for further transmission to the remote computing device via the one or more communication networks.

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