Wireless terminal for checking the amount used of gauge and a gauge management system using a wireless communication network

• US 20020180615A1
• Filed: 05/10/2002
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 2WG Company Limited
• Original Assignee: 2WG Company Limited, Jae Min Kim
• Inventors: Kim, Jae Min, Kim, Tae Hoon
• Granted Patent: US 7,064,678 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/008 Modifications to installed utility meters to enable remote reading
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/063 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

The present invention discloses a wireless terminal for checking the amount used of gauge and a gauge management system using a wireless communication network which checks the amount used of electricity, tap water, and gas by a wireless terminal. A wireless terminal established in a front of gauge, senses image of a figure at gauge, transmit data of the amount used with a wireless communication network. So, management of collecting rates of electricity, tap water, and gas are achieved easily.

Claims

1. A wireless terminal for reading a meter, comprising:

a jointing member formed on the base of a case for combining the wireless terminal with the meter;

a power supply section for supplying power to each component;

a data transceiver section for receiving a meter-reading command and transmitting the read data by communicating with a wireless communication network in a bi-directional manner;

a slave controller section for decoding/encoding the data to/from the data transceiver section;

an image sensor for generating digital information of the consumed amount by sensing the image on the meter and by compressing the sensed data;

a memory for storing temporary data or a program for operation; and

a master controller section for controlling the data transceiver section, for driving the image sensor in response to the meter-reading command decoded from the slave controller section, and for controlling the digital information of the consumed amount provided from the image sensor to be temporarily stored in the memory and to be output after encoded by the slave controller section.

2. The wireless terminal according to claim 1, wherein the power supply section is constituted so as to supply DC power to each component by using AC power source or a rechargeable battery.

3. The wireless terminal according to claim 2, wherein the power supply section comprises:

DC power supply means for converting AC power into a DC voltage of a specific level;

a circuit for charging the rechargeable battery with the power output from the DC power supply means;

voltage output means for outputting a voltage for a normal operation when either one of voltages supplied from the DC power supply means or the rechargeable battery is normal;

a circuit for charging the rechargeable battery with the power output from the DC power supply means; and

charging voltage output means for outputting the power of the rechargeable battery to the means for determining power failure.

4. The wireless terminal according to claim 3, wherein the master controller section is constituted so as to detect the current passing through the circuit for charging in order to determine if power failure occurs, and to output the determined information through the slave controller section.

5. The wireless terminal according to claim 3, wherein the master controller section is constituted so as to detect the output of the rechargeable battery in order to determine if the rechargeable battery is short-circuited, and to output the determined information through the slave controller section.

6. The wireless terminal according to claim 1, wherein the image sensor is constituted so as to carry out a first compression for composing image data with a bit of data representing bright and dark states by pixels, a second compression for reducing the size of the image data by eliminating unnecessary regions, and a third compression for converting the image data into binary data corresponding to a decimal number.

7. A meter-reading management system using a wireless communication network, comprising:

a wireless communication network;

a central station system for sending a meter-reading command and for receiving meter-reading data;

a billing management system for receiving the meter-reading data from the central station system to calculate the rate to be charged; and

a wireless terminal, including a jointing member formed on the base of a case for combining the wireless terminal with the meter, and constituted so as to image-sense the consumed amount on the meter in response to the meter-reading command supplied through the wireless communication network, to generate the meter-reading data in accordance with the image sensing, and to transmit the meter-reading data through the wireless communication network.

8. The meter-reading management system of claim 7, wherein the wireless terminal comprises:

a power supply section for supplying power to each component;

a data transceiver section for receiving an meter-reading command and transmitting the read data by communicating with a wireless communication network in a bi-directional manner;

a slave controller section for decoding/encoding the data to/from the data transceiver section;

an image sensor for generating digital information of the consumed amount by sensing the image on the meter and by compressing the sensed data;

a memory for storing temporary data or a program for operation; and

a master controller section for controlling the data transceiver section, for driving the image sensor in response to the meter-reading command decoded from the slave controller section, and for controlling the digital information of the consumed amount provided from the image sensor to be temporarily stored in the memory and to be output after encoded by the slave controller section.

9. The meter-reading management system according to claim 8, wherein the power supply section is constituted so as to supply DC power to each component by converting AC power source or using a rechargeable battery.

10. The meter-reading management system of claim 8, wherein the power supply section comprises:

DC power supply means for converting the AC power into a DC voltage of a specific level;

a circuit for charging the rechargeable battery with the power output from the DC power supply means;

voltage output means for outputting a voltage for a normal operation when either one of voltages supplied from the DC power supply means or the rechargeable battery is normal;

a circuit for charging the rechargeable battery with the power output from the DC power supply means; and

charging voltage output means for outputting the power of the rechargeable battery to the means for determining power failure.

11. The meter-reading management system according to claim 10, wherein the master controller section is constituted so as to detect the current passing through the circuit for charging in order to determine if power failure occurs, and to output the determined information through the slave controller section.

12. The meter-reading management system according to claim 10, wherein the master controller section is constituted so as to detect the output of the rechargeable battery in order to determine if the rechargeable battery is short-circuited, and to output the determined information through the slave controller section.

13. The meter-reading management system according to claim 8, wherein the image sensor is constituted so as to carry out a first compression for composing image data with a bit of data representing bright and dark states by pixels, a second compression for reducing the size of the image by eliminating unnecessary regions, and a third compression for converting the image data into binary data corresponding to a decimal number.