Automatic meter reading system and method using telephone line

• US 20030058129A1
• Filed: 09/20/2002
• Published: 03/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Sung Kyung
• Granted Patent: US 7,102,533 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/25 using a mesh network, e.g. a public urban network such as public lighting, bus stops or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/30 using a wired architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

An automatic meter reading system of the present invention includes a plurality of meter-reading devices attached to respective utility meters and a remote control center communicating with the meter-reading devices through telephone network. Each meter-reading device reads the commodity utilization measured by the utility meters when a meter reading request signal is received from the remote control center. The meter-reading device includes an interface module connecting the meter-reading device to the remote control center through a telephone line, a call control processing unit for extracting a call control signal from the meter reading request signal, a main control unit (MCU) for generating a CID control signal based on the call control signal, a caller ID (CID) decoder for decoding the meter reading request signal and extracting CID from a meter reading request signal based on the CID control signal from the MCU, a meter reader connected to the utility meter for reading commodity utilization measured by the utility meter under control of the MCU, and a memory for temporally storing the measured commodity utilization. The automatic meter reading system and method of the present invention uses the telephone network for remotely collecting subscriber'"'"'s utility consumptions such that it is possible to reduce inspection costs relative to the wireless meter reading system which requires installation of the additional expensive RF devices.

Claims

1. An automatic meter reading system comprising:

a plurality of meter-reading devices attached to respective utility meters; and

a remote control center communicating with the meter-reading devices through telephone network,

wherein each meter-reading device reads the commodity utilization measured by the utility meters when a meter reading request signal is received from the remote control center.

2. The automatic meter reading system of claim 1, wherein the meter-reading device comprises:

an interface module connecting the meter-reading device to the remote control center through a telephone line;

a call control processing unit for extracting a call control signal from the meter reading request signal;

a main control unit (MCU) for generating a CID control signal based on the call control signal;

a caller ID (CID) decoder for decoding the meter reading request signal and extracting CID from a meter reading request signal based on the CID control signal from the MCU;

a meter reader connected to the utility meter for reading commodity utilization measured by the utility meter under control of the MCU; and

a memory for temporally storing the measured commodity utilization.

3. The automatic meter reading system of claim 2, wherein the MCU compares the CID extracted by the CID decoder with a previously stored CID for identifying the remote control center.

4. The automatic meter reading system of claim 3, wherein the MCU maintains on-hook state if the CID is not identical with remote control center CID.

5. The automatic meter reading system of claim 3, wherein the MCU controls such that the meter-reading device enter an off-hook state if the CID is identical with the remote control center CID.

6. The automatic meter reading system of claim 5, wherein the MCU controls the call processing unit such that the call processing unit sends a meter reading response signal contained a previously assigned device ID to the remote control center in a form of DTMF signal.

7. The automatic meter reading system of claim 6, wherein the remote control center determines whether or not the device ID is one of registered device IDs.

8. The automatic meter reading system of claim 7, wherein the remote control center sends a meter reading confirmation signal to the meter-reading device in the form of DTMF signal when the device ID is one of the registered device ID.

9. The automatic meter reading system of claim 8, wherein the MCU produces a meter reading signal to the meter reader based on the meter reading confirmation signal.

10. The automatic meter reading system of claim 9, wherein the meter reader reads commodity utilization measured by the utility meter and stores measurement data in the memory.

11. The automatic meter reading system of claim 10, wherein the call processing unit encodes the measurement data stored in the memory into DTMF signal and sends the DTMF signal to the remote control center under control of the MCU.

12. The automatic meter reading system of claim 11, wherein the remote control center decodes the DTMF signal from the meter-reading device into the measurement data and stores the measurement data in a specific memory region assigned for the corresponding device.

13. An automatic meter reading method for a meter reading system including a plurality of meter reading devices respectively attached to utility meters and a remote control center connected to the meter reading devices through telephone network, comprising the steps of:

(a) initializing the meter reading device;

(b) receiving a meter reading request signal from a remote control center through a telephone line;

(c) authorizing for the meter reading device to read utility consumption measured by the utility meter;

(d) reading the utility consumption; and

(e) transmitting measurement data based on utility consumption to the remote control center.

14. The automatic meter reading method of claim 13, wherein the step (c) includes:

extracting a caller ID (CID) from the meter reading request signal;

determining whether or not the CID is identical with a previously stored remote control center CID; and

sending a unique device ID to the remote control center when the CID is identical with the remote control center CID.

15. The automatic meter reading method of claim 14, wherein the step (c) further includes going to step (b) when the CID is not identical with the remote control center CID.

16. The automatic meter reading method of claim 14, wherein the step (c) further includes receiving a meter reading confirmation signal from the remote control center.

17. The automatic meter reading method of claim 16, wherein the meter reading confirmation signal is generated when the device ID is identified as one of registered device IDs at the remote control center.

18. The automatic meter reading method of claim 17, wherein the meter reading confirmation signal is a dual tone multi frequency (DTMF) signal.

19. The automatic meter reading method of claim 14, wherein the step (c) further includes receiving a meter reading cancel signal from the remote control center.

20. The automatic meter reading method of claim 19, wherein the meter reading cancel signal is generated when the device ID is not identical with any of registered device IDs at the remote control center.

21. The automatic meter reading method of claim 13, wherein the step (d) includes encoding the utility consumption into measurement data.

22. The automatic meter reading method of claim 13, wherein the measurement data is transmitted in a form of a DTMF signal.

23. An automatic meter reading method for a meter reading system including a plurality of meter reading devices respectively attached to utility meters and a remote control center connected to the meter reading devices through telephone network, comprising the steps of:

initializing the meter reading device;

receiving a meter reading request signal from a remote control center through a telephone line;

extracting a caller ID (CID) from the meter reading request signal;

determining whether or not the CID is identical with a previously stored remote control center CID;

sending a unique device ID to the remote control center when the CID is identical with the remote control center CID;

receiving a meter reading confirmation signal from the remote control center;

reading the utility consumption; and

transmitting measurement data based on utility consumption to the remote control center.

24. The automatic meter reading method of claim 23, wherein the meter reading confirmation signal is generated when the device ID is identified as one of registered device IDs at the remote control center.

25. The automatic meter reading method of claim 24, wherein the meter reading confirmation signal is a dual tone multi frequency (DTMF) signal.

26. The automatic meter reading method of claim 23 further comprises the step of receiving a meter reading cancel signal from the remote control center.

27. The automatic meter reading method of claim 26, wherein the meter reading cancel signal is generated when the device ID is not identical with any of registered device IDs at the remote control center.

28. The automatic meter reading method of claim 23 further comprises the step of encoding the utility consumption into measurement data.

29. The automatic meter reading method of claim 28, the measurement data is transmitted in a form of a DTMF signal.