Mapping in mobile data collection systems, such as for utility meter reading and related applications
First Claim
1. In a system for automatically collecting utility data from multiple utility meters, wherein each of the multiple utility meters includes at least a transmitter for transmitting meter data including associated utility consumption data, the system comprising:
- a mobile utility data collection system, wherein the mobile utility data collection system includes;
at least one wireless receiver for wirelessly receiving meter data transmitted by at least some of the multiple utility meters, wherein at least some of the received meter data includes utility consumption data, at least one geographic positioning system for determining geographic positions of the mobile utility data collection system as the mobile utility data collection system travels along a current route, data storage for storing the received meter data, geographic position data associated with the determined geographic positions of the mobile utility data collection system as the mobile utility data collection system travels along the current route, and displayable information associated with the predetermined route, wherein the displayable information includes information regarding a set of the multiple utility meters in a predetermined route and utility meters not in the predetermined route, wherein the received meter data stored in the data storage includes meter data from the set of utility meters in the predetermined route and utility meters not in the predetermined route, and a visual display device for displaying information regarding at least a portion of the predetermined route, including at least some utility meters in the set of utility meters in the predetermined route and some meters not in the predetermined route, at least one processor coupled among the wireless receiver, the geographic positioning system, the display device, and the data storage; and
, at least one head end server computer configured to receive information from the mobile utility data collection system, including the received meter data and the geographic position data stored in the storage device, and wherein the server computer is configured to;
process the received meter data to determine a modified and optimized route for the mobile utility data collection system to later travel to collect future meter data, and process the geographic position data to provide displayable information regarding the current route, which may be compared to the predetermined route.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A mobile data collection system may perform or facilitate monitoring and management of mobile automatic meter reading (MAMR) activities via out of route meter read identification and graphical route playback. In identifying out of route endpoints, the mobile data collection system receives an indication of each of the endpoints included in a predetermined meter reading route. The mobile data collection system executes the route detecting endpoints and collecting location information relating to out of route endpoints that are not included in the predetermined route. Location information identifying the out of route endpoints is then presented to a user. In facilitating graphical route playback, the mobile data collection system collects information as it progresses through the route. The collected information may then be used in a graphical playback of the route, which shows the mobile data collection system dynamically traveling through the route (e.g., on a map) and reading endpoints.
-
Citations
36 Claims
-
1. In a system for automatically collecting utility data from multiple utility meters, wherein each of the multiple utility meters includes at least a transmitter for transmitting meter data including associated utility consumption data, the system comprising:
-
a mobile utility data collection system, wherein the mobile utility data collection system includes;
at least one wireless receiver for wirelessly receiving meter data transmitted by at least some of the multiple utility meters, wherein at least some of the received meter data includes utility consumption data, at least one geographic positioning system for determining geographic positions of the mobile utility data collection system as the mobile utility data collection system travels along a current route, data storage for storing the received meter data, geographic position data associated with the determined geographic positions of the mobile utility data collection system as the mobile utility data collection system travels along the current route, and displayable information associated with the predetermined route, wherein the displayable information includes information regarding a set of the multiple utility meters in a predetermined route and utility meters not in the predetermined route, wherein the received meter data stored in the data storage includes meter data from the set of utility meters in the predetermined route and utility meters not in the predetermined route, and a visual display device for displaying information regarding at least a portion of the predetermined route, including at least some utility meters in the set of utility meters in the predetermined route and some meters not in the predetermined route, at least one processor coupled among the wireless receiver, the geographic positioning system, the display device, and the data storage; and
,at least one head end server computer configured to receive information from the mobile utility data collection system, including the received meter data and the geographic position data stored in the storage device, and wherein the server computer is configured to;
process the received meter data to determine a modified and optimized route for the mobile utility data collection system to later travel to collect future meter data, and process the geographic position data to provide displayable information regarding the current route, which may be compared to the predetermined route. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
-
-
4. In a system for automatically collecting utility data from multiple utility meters, wherein each of the multiple utility meters includes at least a transmitter for transmitting meter data, a mobile apparatus comprising:
-
processing means for processing data and instructions;
receiver means, coupled to the processing means, for wirelessly receiving meter data transmitted by at least some of the multiple utility meters;
data storage means, coupled to the processing means, for storing map information and the received meter data, wherein the map information includes information regarding a predetermined route for the mobile apparatus, and wherein the received meter data includes data regarding a set of the multiple utility meters on the predetermined route and utility meters not on the predetermined route; and
display means, coupled to the processing means, for displaying at least a portion of the map information together with symbols representing at least some utility meters in the set and some meters not in the predetermined route. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. In a system for automatically collecting data from utility meters, wherein each of the utility meters includes at least a transmitter for transmitting data to a mobile data collection device, an apparatus comprising:
at least one data processor configured to receive information from the mobile data collection device, wherein the received data includes meter data from the utility meters, and geographic position data associated with at least discrete geographic positions of the mobile data collection device as the mobile data collection device moves to gather the meter data from the utility meters, and process the geographic position data to provide displayable information regarding a route traveled by the mobile data collection device. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
16. At a mobile data collection system, a method for providing an indication of out of route endpoints encountered while progressing through an automatic meter reading route comprising a plurality of predetermined endpoints from which utility consumption data is gathered, the method comprising:
-
receiving meter reading route data providing an indication of each of the predetermined endpoints in the automatic meter reading route;
progressing through the automatic meter reading route and collecting information relating to each of the endpoints detected while progressing through the meter reading route, wherein the collected information includes information about the location of the detected endpoints;
for each endpoint for which information is collected, determining whether the endpoint is included in the automatic meter reading route, wherein the determining is based, at least in part, on the collected information and on the received meter reading route data; and
if the endpoint is not included in the automatic meter reading route, identifying the endpoint as an out of route endpoint and providing an indication of a location of the out of route endpoint. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. A computer-readable medium containing a data structure, the data structure comprising information for presenting a graphical display showing a progress of a meter reading route on a map by a method comprising:
-
during execution of the meter reading route, collecting information relating to the performance of the meter reading route by a mobile data collection system, wherein the information includes information related to a location of the mobile data collection system at each of a plurality of times on the meter reading route, information related to an identity of each meter on the meter reading route, information related to a location of each of the meters on the meter reading route, and information related to a reading of each of the meters on the meter reading route including a time that each of meters was read, and the whether a reading of each of the meters was successful;
storing the collected information; and
after the meter reading route is completed, providing the stored information so that a graphical representation of the progress of the meter reading route can be presented on a display device, wherein the graphical representation of the progress of the meter reading route includes displaying a dynamic representation of the mobile data collection system traveling a path on a map. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
-
-
34. A method for presenting a graphical display showing a progress of a meter reading route on a map by, the method comprising:
-
a step for, during execution of the meter reading route, collecting information relating to the performance of the meter reading route by a mobile data collection system, wherein the information includes information related to a location of the mobile data collection system at each of a plurality of times on the meter reading route, and information related to an identity of each meter on the meter reading route, a step for storing the collected information; and
a step for, after the meter reading route is completed, providing the stored information so that a graphical representation of the progress of the meter reading route can be presented on a display device. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
-
Specification