REMOTE COMMUNICATIONS FEEDBACK FOR UTILITY METER
First Claim
1. A method of operating a utility meter including a measurement circuit configured to measure consumption, a local communication port, a remote communication port and a meter display, the method comprising:
- a) displaying consumption data on the meter display;
b) communicating with a local device external to the meter over the local communication port;
c) indicating at the meter that the meter is communicating with the local device;
d) communicating with a remote device external to the meter over the remote communications port, the remote device further removed from the meter than the local device; and
e) indicating at the meter that meter is communicating with the remote device, wherein the indication that the meter is communicating with the remote device is different from the indication that the meter is communicating with the local device.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A utility meter comprises a measurement circuit configured to measure consumption, a remote communications port, a local communications port, and a meter communications indicator. The meter communications indicator is configured to provide an indication that the meter is communicating with a remote device external to the meter over the remote communications port. The meter communications indicator is also configured to provide an indication that the meter is communicating with a local device external to the meter over the local communications port. The indication that communications are occurring over the local communications port is different from the indication that communications are occurring over the remote communications port. In at least one embodiment, the communications indicator is configured to provide an indication that communications are occurring simultaneously over the remote communications port and the local communications port.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of operating a utility meter including a measurement circuit configured to measure consumption, a local communication port, a remote communication port and a meter display, the method comprising:
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a) displaying consumption data on the meter display; b) communicating with a local device external to the meter over the local communication port; c) indicating at the meter that the meter is communicating with the local device; d) communicating with a remote device external to the meter over the remote communications port, the remote device further removed from the meter than the local device; and e) indicating at the meter that meter is communicating with the remote device, wherein the indication that the meter is communicating with the remote device is different from the indication that the meter is communicating with the local device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A utility meter comprising:
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a measurement circuit configured to measure consumption of a utility commodity; a local communications port; a remote communications port; and a meter communications indicator, the meter communications indicator configured to provide an indication that communications are occurring over the remote communications port, the meter communications indicator further configured to provide an indication that communications are occurring over the local communications port, wherein the indication that communications are occurring over the local communications port is different from the indication that communications are occurring over the remote communications port. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A utility meter comprising:
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a measurement circuit configured to measure consumption and provide consumption data; a remote communications port; a local communications port; and a meter communications indicator, the meter communications indicator configured to provide an indication that communications are simultaneously occurring over the local communications port and over the remote communications port.
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20. A utility meter comprising:
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a measurement circuit configured to measure consumption; a local communication port; a remote communication port; and means for indicating that communications are simultaneously occurring over the local communications port and the remote communications port.
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Specification