System and method for wireless automatic meter reading
First Claim
1. (Amended) A system for wirelessly and remotely reading an integrating meter, the integrating meter reading system having a user-side remote meter reading unit for receiving a meter value displayed on a display of the integrating meter in the form of an image, recognizing the meter value and wirelessly transmitting the meter value, and a meter reading center for receiving and processing numeric code data transmitted by the user-side remote meter reading unit and transmitting a timing code for execution of a wireless remote reading operation, the user-side remote meter reading unit comprising:
- an image sensor module installed in a predetermined portion of said integrating meter for scanning the display of said meter, said image sensor module including an image sensor for picking up an image of a numeral displayed on said display and converting the picked-up image into an electrical signal;
an optical character reader module comprised of a dynamic random access memory for storing data of the numeral image picked-up by said image sensor a digital signal processor for performing a preprocessing operation for the numeral image data stored in said dynamic random access memory to extract only components necessary to numeral recognition therefrom, and a main processor unit for comparing data extracted by said digital signal processor with a recognition library stored in an electrically erasable and programmable read only memory, generating a numeric code corresponding to said numeral image in accordance with the compared result and storing the generated numeric code in a flash read only memory, and adapted to recognize the meter value picked up by the image sensor module;
a radio frequency module for transmitting numeric code data stored in said flash read only memory and/or code data of a numeral currently displayed on said display to the meter reading center for a predetermined period of time and receiving a command from said meter reading center; and
a synchronous time controller for performing a sleep mode operation at a normal state and, only when the current time is in accord with a timing code of the command received by said radio frequency module, supplying power from a power supply to the optical character reader module and said radio frequency module to minimize power consumption.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for wireless automatic meter reading which can wirelessly and remotely read integrated amounts of consumed electric power, water, gas and the like. An image sensor module (1) is installed in a predetermined portion of an integrating meter for picking up an image of a numeral displayed on a display of the integrating meter and converting the picked-up image into an electrical signal. A main processor unit (7) generates a numeric code corresponding to the numeral image. A radio frequency module (13) transmits the generated numeric code wirelessly to a meter reading center (16).
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. (Amended) A system for wirelessly and remotely reading an integrating meter, the integrating meter reading system having a user-side remote meter reading unit for receiving a meter value displayed on a display of the integrating meter in the form of an image, recognizing the meter value and wirelessly transmitting the meter value, and a meter reading center for receiving and processing numeric code data transmitted by the user-side remote meter reading unit and transmitting a timing code for execution of a wireless remote reading operation, the user-side remote meter reading unit comprising:
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an image sensor module installed in a predetermined portion of said integrating meter for scanning the display of said meter, said image sensor module including an image sensor for picking up an image of a numeral displayed on said display and converting the picked-up image into an electrical signal;
an optical character reader module comprised of a dynamic random access memory for storing data of the numeral image picked-up by said image sensor a digital signal processor for performing a preprocessing operation for the numeral image data stored in said dynamic random access memory to extract only components necessary to numeral recognition therefrom, and a main processor unit for comparing data extracted by said digital signal processor with a recognition library stored in an electrically erasable and programmable read only memory, generating a numeric code corresponding to said numeral image in accordance with the compared result and storing the generated numeric code in a flash read only memory, and adapted to recognize the meter value picked up by the image sensor module;
a radio frequency module for transmitting numeric code data stored in said flash read only memory and/or code data of a numeral currently displayed on said display to the meter reading center for a predetermined period of time and receiving a command from said meter reading center; and
a synchronous time controller for performing a sleep mode operation at a normal state and, only when the current time is in accord with a timing code of the command received by said radio frequency module, supplying power from a power supply to the optical character reader module and said radio frequency module to minimize power consumption. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 31)
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- 4. (Cancelled)
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9. (Cancelled)
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10. (Cancelled)
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11. (Cancelled)
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12. (Cancelled)
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13. (Cancelled)
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14. (Cancelled)
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15. (Cancelled)
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16. (Cancelled)
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17. (Cancelled)
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18. (Cancelled)
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19. (Cancelled)
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26. (Cancelled)
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27. (Cancelled)
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30. (Cancelled)
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32. A method for wirelessly and remotely reading an integrating meter, comprising the steps of:
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a) picking up an image of a numeral displayed on a display of said integrating meter and converting the picked-up image into an electrical signal;
b) storing data of the picked-up numeral image in a dynamic random access memory;
c) performing a preprocessing operation for the numeral image data stored in said dynamic random access memory to extract only components necessary to numeral recognition therefrom;
d) comparing the extracted data with a recognition library stored in an electrically erasable and programmable read only memory, generating a numeric code corresponding to said numeral image data in accordance with the compared result and storing the generated numeric code in a flash read only memory;
e) transmitting numeric code data stored in said flash read only memory and or code data of a numeral currently displayed on said display to a meter reading center via a radio frequency module for a predetermined period of time; and
f) receiving and processing said numeric code data transmitted via said radio frequency module. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35)
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Specification