Apparatus and Method for Monitoring a Variety of Resource Consumption Meters

• US 20080143321A1
• Filed: 12/13/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blue Line Innovations Inc.
• Original Assignee: Blue Line Innovations Inc.
• Inventors: Carkner, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 8,085,164 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/119
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/008 Modifications to installed utility meters to enable remote reading
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/30 the beams of light being detected by photocells
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/10 using digital techniques
• 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

An apparatus is disclosed for attachment to a resource consumption meter emitting and detecting a signal having a first frequency relative to the rate of metered resource consumption. The apparatus comprises at least one signal detection means adapted to detect said signal from said resource consumption meter; and, a circuit operatively connected to the signal detection means and adapted for interpreting the signal for a human. A method for multi-mode operation of the apparatus is disclosed so that it is possible for the apparatus to automatically detect the type of resource consumption meter it is attached to and operate accordingly.

Claims

1. An apparatus for attachment to a resource consumption meter emitting and detecting a signal having a first frequency relative to the rate of metered resource consumption, said apparatus comprising:

a. at least one signal detection means adapted to detect said signal from said resource consumption meter; and

,

b. a circuit operatively connected to said at least one signal detection means and adapted for interpreting the signal for a human;

wherein

c. the apparatus has the ability to emit and cease to emit, an excitation signal when required and further wherein the at least one signal detection means is non-invasive with respect to the resource consumption meter it is attached to, and wherein the apparatus is adapted to automatically identify the specific type of resource consumption meter it is attached to without human intervention.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the apparatus is an optical apparatus.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said resource consumption meter is a digital meter and the signal comprises an energy emission from said meter.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said resource consumption meter is an analogue meter and the signal comprises a reflected signal from said analogue meter.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said resource consumption meter contains a reflective display to modulate an optical signal.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein the resource consumption meter contains a transreflective display to modulate an optical signal.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the energy emission is a light pulse having a square waveform, a rapid rise time and a constant power output.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the energy emission is a light pulse having a waveform adapted to increase the signal to noise ratio of the apparatus.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the circuit includes a discriminator adapted to block input signals having a second frequency lower than said first frequency wherein said second frequency represents spurious energy signals.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein said discriminator is further adapted to amplify the first frequency signal and output an amplified first frequency signal.

11. A apparatus for monitoring resource consumption, said apparatus comprising:

a. at least one signal detection means; and

,

b. a circuit operatively connected to said at least one signal detection means and adapted for converting detected signals into human readable output indicative of the rate of metered resource consumption wherein said circuit is adapted to provide three optional circuit paths representing one or more of;

i. a sample and hold mode of operation adapted for an analogue meter having an indicator indicative of resource consumption;

ii. a digitizing mode of operation adapted for a digital meter having an integral emitter; and

,

iii. an analog to digital mode of operation adapted to measure detected energy from an integral emitter or reflected energy; and

,

c. emitting a signal, which may be disabled, having a first frequency relative to a rate of metered resource consumption

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein said sample and hold mode of operation circuit path comprises:

a. a energy emitter adapted to illuminate said indicator with a plurality of short pulses wherein each pulse of said plurality of short pulses is a fast-rise square wave pulse having an adjustable period and power;

b. an energy detector adapted to detect reflected energy from the moving indicator during said defined duration;

c. energy emitter pulsing means operatively connected to said energy emitter and adapted for providing said plurality of short pulses over the defined duration, wherein said energy emitter pulsing means is operatively synchronized to said energy detector and further wherein the energy emitter pulsing means is programmed by a microcontroller;

d. a discriminator operatively connected to said energy detector for blocking spurious signals;

e. signal storage means operatively connected to said discriminator for storing a predetermined number of signals of increasing magnitude over said defined duration until fully charged and wherein said signal storage means will discharge a discharge signal if exposed to said predetermined number of signals that are decreasing in magnitude over the duration;

f. a filter connected to said signal storage means and adapted for determining the magnitude of an ambient signal on the circuit path;

g. a comparator connected to said filter and adapted for subtracting said ambient signal from said stored signal, wherein said comparator further acts as an amplifier to produce an output signal;

h. an analogue to digital converter connected to said comparator and adapted to receive the output signal and convert it into a digital signal; and

,

i. a microprocessor adapted to receive and interpret said digital signal.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein said digitizing mode of operation pathway comprises

a. an energy detector adapted to detect an energy emission directly from a digital resource consumption meter;

b. a discriminator operatively connected to said energy detector for blocking spurious signals and amplifying output signals;

c. a digitizing element adapted for receiving said discriminator output signals and converting the discriminator output signals to digital signals, wherein the discriminator output signals are fast time-varying signals of a predetermined magnitude, and wherein said digitizing element output signals are input into a microcontroller for interpretation.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein the digitizing element produces a digitizing element output as long as said predetermined magnitude remains above a predetermined level.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein the energy detector is adapted to detect emitted energy directly from a digital resource consumption meter.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein said analogue to digital mode of operation pathway comprises:

a. an energy emitter adapted to emit energy and illuminate an indicator on an analogue resource consumption meter, wherein said illumination comprises a plurality of energy pulses over a defined period of time;

b. an energy detector adapted to detect energy from said indicator over said period of time;

c. energy emitter pulsing means connected to said energy emitter and adapted for providing said plurality of energy pulses;

d. a microprocessor connected to said energy emitter pulsing means and adapted for controlling the energy emitter pulsing means;

e. a discriminator operatively connected to the energy detector for blocking spurious signals and amplifying output signals;

f. an analogue to digital converter connected to said discriminator; and

,

g. a microprocessor connected to said analogue to digital converter and adapted to receive and interpret signals from the analogue to digital converter.

17. In an apparatus for monitoring a resource consumption meter emitting a signal having a first frequency relative to a rate of metered resource consumption, said apparatus comprising:

a. an energy emitter adapted for illuminating an analogue indicator wherein said analogue indicator is adapted to reflect energy as said signal to;

b. at least one energy detector;

c. a circuit operatively connected to said at least one energy detector and adapted for generating a signal for interpretation by a microprocessor; and

,

d. wherein said circuit is adapted to provide three optional circuit paths representing one of;

i. a first path for a sample and hold mode of operation adapted for an analogue meter having a moving indicator indicative of resource consumption;

ii. a second path for a digitizing mode of operation; and

,

iii. a third path for an analog to digital mode of operation;

e. a method of operating the apparatus in a multi-mode format comprising the following steps;

i. selecting an off mode by disabling said energy emitter and said first, second and third paths;

ii. selecting a digital resource consumption meter detection mode by enabling the first path and disabling the energy emitter, the second path and the third path;

iii. selecting a digital resource consumption meter detection mode, wherein said digital resource consumption meter has a consumption indicator requiring external illumination, by enabling said energy emitter for external illumination and the first path;

iv. selecting an analogue spinning disk resource consumption meter mode by enabling the energy emitter and the first path;

v. selecting an automatic gain control mode by enabling the energy emitter, the first path and the third path;

vi. selecting a digital “

flashing light”

resource consumption meter mode, wherein said flashing light relates to resource consumption, by enabling said second path and disabling the energy emitter, the first and the third paths;

vii. selecting a digital “

flashing light”

resource consumption meter mode wherein the energy emitter and first path are disabled and the second and third paths are enabled;

viii. selecting a reflective type resource consumption meter mode wherein the energy emitter is enabled and the second path is enabled and the first and third paths are disabled;

ix. selecting a self test mode wherein the energy emitter is enabled and the second and third paths are enabled and the first path is disabled; and

,

x. selecting an automatic meter detection mode wherein the energy emitter is enabled and the first, second and third paths are enabled.