Meter register having an encoder for measuring material flow and an algorithm to selectively block signal transmission

• US 20050000302A1
• Filed: 06/09/2004
• Published: 01/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arad Measuring Technologies Ltd
• Original Assignee: Arad Measuring Technologies Ltd
• Inventors: Winter, Dan
• Granted Patent: US 7,135,986 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/861.770
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 7/072 Arrangement of flowmeters
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/28 with deflection of beams of light, e.g. for direct optical indication G01D5/40 takes precedence; mechanical adjustment G01D5/264
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/285 using a movable mirror
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/065 with radiation as transfer means to the indicating device, e.g. light transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/075 with magnetic or electromagnetic coupling to the indicating device
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/103 with radiation as transfer means to the indicating device, e.g. light transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/115 with magnetic or electromagnetic coupling to the indicating device
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/06 Indicating or recording devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/063 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/066 involving magnetic transmission devices

Abstract

A water meter has a meter register having an encoder having electromagnetic wave emitters, e.g., infrared emitters to measure water flow and direction of water flow through the meter. The encoder has two of three spaced emitters directing infrared rays at predetermined time intervals toward a rotating detector wheel having a reflective surface portion and a non-reflective surface portion facing the emitters and an infrared sensor. The reflective surface portion of the detecting wheel reflects the infrared rays incident thereon toward the sensor. A microprocessor connected to the sensor acts on signals from the sensor to determine material flow. The meter register transmits the signal to a distant receiver. The microprocessor of a meter register has an algorithm to prevent the meter register from sending signals until after the meter register or a water meter having a meter register is installed and water moved through the meter.

Claims

1. A meter register, comprising;

a register body having a rotatable drive shaft coupled thereto, a drive magnet attached to the drive shaft, at least one wheel co-acting with the drive shaft, the wheel having a reflective surface and a non-reflective surface;

a plurality of optical emitters co-acting with the wheel and spaced about an axis which the wheel rotates, wherein the emitters are adapted to emit radiation on the reflective and non-reflective surfaces; and

a sensor adapted to co-act with reflected radiation from the emitters, whereby in operation when the drive shaft rotates, the wheel rotates about an axis and one or more emitters emit radiation that is reflected from the wheel to the sensor for a determination of flow through the meter and direction of flow.

2. The meter register as claimed in claim 1, wherein the radiation is light.

3. The meter register as claimed in claim 2, wherein the light is infrared light.

4. A meter register comprising:

an encoder responsive to material flow, the optical encoder comprising;

a sensor responsive to one or more wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum, the sensor having a perimeter;

a plurality of devices mounted in a fixed spaced relationship to one another and to the perimeter of the sensor, each of the devices capable of generating the one or more wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum; and

a member mounted to rotate about an axis and having a major surface with the major surface spaced from and facing the sensor and the plurality of devices, the major surface having a first surface portion for directing the one or more of the wavelengths from one or more of the plurality of devices incident thereon toward the sensor, and a second surface portion for preventing the one or more wavelengths from the one or more of the plurality of devices from impinging on the sensor; and

a system responsive to material flow acting on the member to rotate the member about it axis when the system responds to flow of material, wherein as the member rotates about its axis, the first and the second surface portions of the member move relative to the sensor and each one of the plurality of the devices.

5. The meter register as claimed in claim 4, wherein the plurality of devices is each capable of generating infrared energy.

6. The meter register as claimed in claim 4, wherein the plurality of devices is three devices positioned in a circle and spaced 120°

.

7. The meter register as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a support having a first surface and a second opposite surface with a hole extending through a body of the support from the first surface to the second surface, wherein the three devices are mounted on the first surface of the support with the circle circumscribing the hole and the sensor adjacent the second surface of the support overlaying the hole, wherein the axis about which the member rotates and an axis through center of the circle are coincident axes.

8. The meter register as claimed in claim 7, wherein the one or more wavelengths are one or more wavelengths in the infrared wavelength range of the electromagnetic spectrum.

9. The meter register as claimed in claim 7, wherein the one or more wavelengths are one or more wavelengths in the visible wavelength range of the electromagnetic spectrum.

10. The meter register as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first surface portion of the major surface of the member is a reflective surface and the second surface portion of the major surface of the member is a non-reflective surface.

11. The meter register as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a microprocessor connected to the sensor.

12. The meter register as claimed in claim 11, further comprising an electrical power unit to power the devices and the microprocessor.

13. The meter register as claimed in claim 12, wherein the microprocessor is electrically connected to the sensor and to each of the devices.

14. The meter register as claimed in claim 13, wherein the system responsive to material flow comprises a drive arrangement having a magnetic spaced from a gear drive.

15. The meter register as claimed in claim 14, wherein the meter register includes a sealed container having the encoder, the system responsive to material flow, the microprocessor and the electrical power unit therein, and further comprising a housing having a first end for connection to a material flow inlet and a second end for connection to a material flow outlet, a chamber through which material flows as it moves between the ends of the housing, the meter register mounted in the housing and a flow detector having a magnet which is rotated as the material flows through the chamber between the ends, wherein rotation of the magnet of the detector rotates the magnet of the meter register to rotate the member of the encoder.

16. The meter register as claimed in claim 15, wherein the microprocessor includes a signal generator that transmits the flow of the material through the chamber as measured by the encoder and includes an algorithm for making the signal generator inoperative until a predetermined amount of material has passed through the chamber.

17. The meter register as claimed in claim 16, wherein the material is water and the predetermined amount of water is measured by the encoder.

18. The meter register as claimed in claim 16, wherein the encoder is a first measuring system and further including a second measuring system to measure the predetermined amount of material.

21. The meter register as claimed in claim 4, wherein the material is water and the plurality of devices are three devices positioned in a circle and spaced 120°

and the one or more wavelengths are selected from the group of the infrared wavelength range and the visible wavelength range of the electromagnetic spectrum;

further comprising a support having a first surface and a second opposite surface with a hole extending through the body of the support from the first surface to the second surface, wherein the three devices are mounted on the first surface of the support with the circle circumscribing the hole and the sensor adjacent the second surface of the support overlaying the hole, wherein the axis about which the member rotates and an axis through center of the circle are coincident axes,

wherein the first surface portion of the major surface of the member is a reflective surface and the second surface portion of the major surface of the member is a non-reflective surface;

further comprising a microprocessor connected to the sensor, an electrical power unit to power the devices and the microprocessor, the microprocessor electrically connected to the sensor and to each of the devices, and

wherein the system responsive to material flow comprises a drive arrangement having a magnet at one end and a gear arrangement at the other end.

22. The meter register as claimed in claim 21, further comprising a housing having a first end for connection to a material flow inlet and a second end for connection to a material flow outlet, a chamber through which material flows as it moves between the ends of the housing, the system responsive to material flow mounted in the housing and a flow detector having a magnet which is rotated as the material flows through the chamber between the ends, wherein rotation of the magnet of the detector rotates the magnet of the system to rotate the member of the optical encoder.

23. The meter register as claimed in claim 22, wherein the microprocessor includes a signal generator that transmits the flow of the material through the chamber as measured by the encoder and includes an algorithm for making the signal generator inoperative until a predetermined amount of material has passed through the chamber and the predetermined amount of water is measured by a measuring system selected from the group of (1) the encoder, (2) an optical measuring system other than the encoder, and (3) a magnet mounted on a wheel and a reed switch mounted in a fixed relationship to the circumference of the wheel, such rotation of the wheel moves the magnet past the reed switch to change the status of the reed switch.

19. The meter register as claimed in claimed 18, wherein the second measuring system includes an optical measuring system.

20. The meter register as claimed in claimed 18, wherein the second measuring system includes a magnet mounted wheel and a reed switch mounted in a fixed relation to the circumference of the wheel such that rotation of the wheel moves the magnet past the reed switch to change the status of the reed switch.

24. A meter register for coupling with a meter that transmits radio waves which is inoperable for transmitting radio waves until after a particular amount of material passes through the meter.

25. A meter register, comprising;

a device for detecting flow of material and generating a first signal representative of material flow;

a microprocessor for receiving the first signal and acting on the first signal to determine the amount of flowed material and generating a second signal representative of the amount of flowed material, the microprocessor further comprising an algorithm; and

a transmitter operated on by the algorithm to change the transmitter from a non-transmitting state to a transmitting state, wherein the meter changes from the non-transmitting to the transmitting state after the microprocessor has determined that the device for detecting flow of material has detected the flow of a predetermined amount of material.

26. The meter register as claimed in claim 25, wherein the material is water and the flow of water with the transmitter in the non-transmitting state is measured by a measuring system selected from the group of (1) a measuring system comprising devices that emit one or more wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum, and (2) a magnet mounted on a wheel and a reed switch mounted in a fixed relationship to the circumference of the wheel, such rotation of the wheel moves the magnet past the reed switch to change the status of the reed switch.

27. The meter register as claimed in claim 26, wherein the measuring system is a first measuring system and further comprising a second measuring system comprising:

an encoder responsive to material flow, the optical encoder comprising;

a sensor responsive to one or more electromagnetic waves, the sensor having a perimeter;

a plurality of devices mounted in a fixed spaced relationship to one another and to the perimeter of the sensor, each of the devices capable of generating the one or more electromagnetic waves; and

a member mounted to rotate about an axis and having a major surface with the major surface spaced from and facing the sensor and the plurality of devices, the major surface having a first surface portion for directing the one or more of the electromagnetic waves from one or more of the plurality of devices incident thereon toward the sensor, and a second surface portion for preventing the one or more electromagnetic waves from one or more of the plurality of devices from impinging on the sensor; and

a system responsive to material flow acting on the member to rotate the member about its axis when the system responds to flow of material, wherein as the member rotates about its axis, the first and the second surface portions of the member move relative to the sensor and each one of the plurality of the devices.

28. The meter register as claimed in claim 27, further comprising a power member having a magnet at one end and a gear at the other end, the gear operatively connected to the first and second measuring systems.

29. The meter register as claimed in claim 28, further comprising a housing having a first end for connection to a material flow inlet and a second end for connection to a material flow outlet, a chamber through which material flows as it moves between the ends of the housing, the system responsive to material flow mounted in the housing and a flow detector having a magnet which is rotated as the material flows through the chamber between the ends, wherein rotation of the magnet of the detector rotates the magnet of the system to rotate the member of the encoder.

30. A method of blocking the transmission of a signal from a meter register, the meter register having a measuring system for material flow moving past the meter register, comprising the steps of:

calibrating the meter register;

transmitting a signal to the meter register from an external source to a microprocessor contained in the meter register to block the microprocessor from forwarding signals to an antenna in the meter register;

installing the meter register to measure material flow;

using the meter register to measure the material flowing past the meter register;

forwarding a signal of measured material flow to the microprocessor; and

after passing of a predetermined amount of material past the meter register, the microprocessor is unblocked and the microprocessor forwards signals to the antenna.