Meter antenna

• US 20070085750A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert D.E. Angelis
• Original Assignee: Robert D.E. Angelis
• Inventors: De Angelis, Robert
• Application Number:
  US11/529,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20070085750A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/767
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2233 used in consumption-meter devices, e.g. electricity, gas or water meters
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/10 Resonant slot antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/29 Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 takes precedence
• 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

The antenna configuration presented is an integral component of a retrofit module designed to incorporate a data telemetry transceiver within the confines of a utility meter.

Claims

1. A method for use with differing metallic infrastructures of resource-measuring meters, to minimize the effects on the performance of a first RF radiating/receiving element located within one such infrastructure due to its interactions with said such one infrastructure, comprising the step of placing a first metallic structure physically closer to said first RF radiating/receiving element than said such one infrastructure is.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising the additional steps of

(i) placing a second RF radiating/receiving element within said one such infrastructure and

(ii) placing a second metallic structure physically closer to said second RF radiating/receiving element than said such one infrastructure is

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said placing of first and second metallic structures is performed to effect cooperative RF performance of said first and second antennas.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said placing of first and second metallic structures is performed to effect cooperative RF performance of said first and second antennas.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the cooperative performance is achieved by locating said first and second metallic structures so that the dominant null of the first RF radiating/receiving element is mitigated by the second RF radiating/receiving element.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the cooperative performance is achieved by locating said first and second metallic structures so that the dominant null of the first RF radiating/receiving element is mitigated by the second RF radiating/receiving element.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the cooperative performance is achieved by locating said first and second metallic structures so that the dominant null of the first RF radiating/receiving element is mitigated by the second RF radiating/receiving element.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the cooperative performance is achieved by locating said first and second metallic structures so that the dominant null of the first RF radiating/receiving element is mitigated by the second RF radiating/receiving element.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said placing of first metallic structure includes (a) the supporting of said first metallic structure with a supporter having dielectric properties that do not adversely affect the performance of said first RF radiating/receiving element and (b) the shaping of said supporter to maximize the amount of surface space for supporting said first metallic structure.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein said placing of first metallic structure includes (a) the supporting of said first metallic structure with a supporter having dielectric properties that do not adversely affect the performance of said first RF radiating/receiving element and (b) the shaping of said supporter to maximize the amount of surface space for supporting said first metallic structure.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein said placing of first metallic structure includes (a) the supporting of said first metallic structure with a supporter having dielectric properties that do not adversely affect the performance of said first RF radiating/receiving element and (b) the shaping of said supporter to maximize the amount of surface space for supporting said first metallic structure.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein said placing of first metallic structure includes (a) the supporting of said first metallic structure with a supporter having dielectric properties that do not adversely affect the performance of said first RF radiating/receiving element and (b) the shaping of said supporter to maximize the amount of surface space for supporting said first metallic structure.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein said placing of first metallic structure includes (a) the supporting of said first metallic structure with a supporter having dielectric properties that do not adversely affect the performance of said first RF radiating/receiving element and (b) the shaping of said supporter to maximize the amount of surface space for supporting said first metallic structure.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein said placing of first metallic structure includes (a) the supporting of said first metallic structure with a supporter having dielectric properties that do not adversely affect the performance of said first RF radiating/receiving element and (b) the shaping of said supporter to maximize the amount of surface space for supporting said first metallic structure.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein said placing of first metallic structure includes (a) the supporting of said first metallic structure with a supporter having dielectric properties that do not adversely affect the performance of said first RF radiating/receiving element and (b) the shaping of said supporter to maximize the amount of surface space for supporting said first metallic structure.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein said placing of first metallic structure includes (a) the supporting of said first metallic structure with a supporter having dielectric properties that do not adversely affect the performance of said first RF radiating/receiving element and (b) the shaping of said supporter to maximize the amount of surface space for supporting said first metallic structure.

17. An RF telemetry unit for use with resource-measuring meters having differing metallic infrastructures, comprising:

(a) a first RF radiating/receiving element locatable within one such infrastructure; and

(b) a first metallic structure located physically closer to said first RF radiating/receiving element than any said one such infrastructure is when said first RF radiating/receiving element is located within said one such infrastructure.

18. The unit of claim 17, further comprising:

(d) a second RF radiating/receiving element locatable within one such infrastructure;

(e) a second metallic structure placed physically closer to said second RF radiating/receiving element than said one such infrastructure is when said second RF radiating/receiving element is located within said one such infrastructure.

19. The unit of claim 17, wherein said first and second metallic structures are located to effect cooperative RF performance of said first and second radiating/receiving elements.

20. The unit of claim 19, wherein the cooperative RF performance is achieved by locating said first and second radiating/receiving elements so that the dominant null of said first radiating/receiving element is mitigated by said second radiating/receiving element.