Meter reading device and system
First Claim
1. A system for reading a meter that includes a display area covered by a display cover, the system comprising:
- a remote unit including;
an electronics assembly retained in a housing for communicating with the display cover of the meter, the electronics assembly including an image sensor for capturing images of the display area of the meter, and a remote unit communications module configured to transmit, over a broadband communications channel, image data derived from the images captured by the image sensor, anda fastening member for coupling the electronics assembly to the meter by passing a top portion of a cover of the housing through a hollow section of the fastening member so as to bring a base member of the housing into communication with the display cover, such that a lens of the image sensor is aligned with an aperture of the housing to view the display area of the meter through the aperture; and
a server remotely located from the remote unit, the server configured to;
receive the transmitted image data from the remote unit communications module over the broadband communications channel, andcompare an identifier of the meter, extracted from the received image data by processing the image data, with a stored identifier associating the remote unit with the meter.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A remote unit includes an electronics assembly, a housing, and a fastening member. The electronics assembly includes a communications module and an image sensor, having a lens with a field of view, that captures images of a display of a meter. The housing includes a cover coupled to a base member. The base member couples to the meter and includes an aperture. The electronics assembly is retained between the base member and the cover, such that the lens aligns with the aperture. The fastening member receives a portion of the housing in a hollow section. A mechanism of the fastening member attaches to a portion of the meter, maintaining the display in the field of view. The communications module transmits image data, derived from the captured images, to a hub unit. The hub unit processes the image data, and forwards information extracted from the image data to a remote server.
13 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for reading a meter that includes a display area covered by a display cover, the system comprising:
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a remote unit including; an electronics assembly retained in a housing for communicating with the display cover of the meter, the electronics assembly including an image sensor for capturing images of the display area of the meter, and a remote unit communications module configured to transmit, over a broadband communications channel, image data derived from the images captured by the image sensor, and a fastening member for coupling the electronics assembly to the meter by passing a top portion of a cover of the housing through a hollow section of the fastening member so as to bring a base member of the housing into communication with the display cover, such that a lens of the image sensor is aligned with an aperture of the housing to view the display area of the meter through the aperture; and a server remotely located from the remote unit, the server configured to; receive the transmitted image data from the remote unit communications module over the broadband communications channel, and compare an identifier of the meter, extracted from the received image data by processing the image data, with a stored identifier associating the remote unit with the meter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for reading a meter that includes a display area covered by a display cover, the method comprising:
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deploying a remote unit, the remote unit including a housing having an electronics assembly retained therein, the electronics assembly including an image sensor, the deploying including passing a top portion of a cover of the housing through a hollow section of a fastening member so as to bring a base member of the housing into communication with the display cover, such that a lens of the image sensor is aligned with an aperture of the housing to view the display area of the meter through the aperture; capturing, by the image sensor, at least one image of the display area of the meter; receiving image data at a server remotely located from the remote unit, the image data derived from the at least one image captured by the image sensor; and comparing an identifier of the meter, extracted from the received image data, with a stored identifier associating the remote unit with the meter. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system for reading a plurality of meters, each meter including a display area covered by a display cover, the system comprising:
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a plurality of remote units, each remote unit corresponding to a different respective meter and including; an electronics assembly retained in a housing, the electronics assembly including an image sensor for capturing images of the display area of the meter, and a remote unit communications module configured to transmit, over a broadband communications channel, image data derived from the images captured by the image sensor, and a fastening member for coupling the electronics assembly to the meter by passing a top portion of a cover of the housing through a hollow section of the fastening member so as to bring a base member of the housing into communication with the display cover, such that a lens of the image sensor is aligned with an aperture of the housing to view the display area of the meter through the aperture; and a server remotely located from the remote units, the server configured to; receive the transmitted image data from each of the remote unit communications modules over the broadband communications channel, and for each of the remote units, compare an identifier of the meter, extracted from the received image data, with a stored identifier associating the remote unit with the meter.
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Specification