Electric utility meter internal antenna

• US 20040023638A1
• Filed: 06/12/2003
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gatronics, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Galtronics Limited
• Inventors: Reading, Leslie J.
• Application Number:
  US10/460,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20040023638A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/405
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless 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
• 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

A wireless transmitting utility meter including a utility usage metering subsystem, a meter status sensing subsystem operative to sense a status of the utility usage metering subsystem and to provide a meter reading output, a wireless transmitter operative to receive the meter reading output and to provide a transmitter output and an antenna receiving the transmitter output and providing a wireless transmission, at least a portion of the antenna forming part of the utility usage metering subsystem.

Claims

1. A wireless transmitting utility meter comprising:

a utility usage metering subsystem;

a meter status sensing subsystem operative to sense a status of said utility usage metering subsystem and to provide a meter reading output;

a wireless transmitter operative to receive said meter reading output and to provide a transmitter output; and

an antenna receiving said transmitter output and providing a wireless transmission, at least a portion of said antenna forming part of said utility usage metering subsystem.

2. A wireless transmitting utility meter according to claim 1 and wherein said utility usage metering subsystem comprises at least one planar metal element and said antenna employs at least one of said at least one planar metal element as a radiating element.

3. A wireless transmitting utility meter according to claim 1 and wherein said utility usage metering subsystem comprises first and second mutually spaced generally coplanar metal elements and wherein said antenna is a slot antenna employing said first and second mutually spaced generally coplanar metal elements as radiating elements.

4. A wireless transmitting utility meter according to claim 3 and wherein said slot antenna comprises a cavity-backed slot antenna.

5. A wireless transmitting utility meter according to claim 3 and wherein said first metal element is grounded and said second metal element receives said transmitter output.

6. A wireless transmitting utility meter according to claim 5 and also comprising a tab extending from said first metal element generally away from said second metal element and lies in a plane angled with respect to a plane of said first and second metal elements.

7. A wireless transmitting utility meter according to claim 3 and wherein at least one of said at least one planar element comprises a printed circuit board.

8. A wireless transmitting utility meter according to claim 7 and wherein said printed circuit board provides a series capacitance matching the feedpoint impedance of said slot antenna to 50 ohms.