EMBEDDED ANTENNA APPARATUS FOR UTILITY METERING APPLICATIONS

• US 20100110617A1
• Filed: 10/30/2009
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Inventors: Rock, Michael D., Savage, Larry L., Nelson, Kirby K. III
• Granted Patent: US 7,994,994 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/659
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2233 used in consumption-meter devices, e.g. electricity, gas or water meters
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/40 Radiating elements coated with or embedded in protective material
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/285 Planar dipole H01Q9/065 takes precedence; patch antenna H01Q9/0407

Abstract

An embedded antenna for facilitating wireless transmission of utility meter data is disclosed, where in one embodiment an RF antenna is a part of the faceplate of the utility meter. In another embodiment the utility meter faceplate is a single-layer or a multi-layer printed circuit board (PCB) with the RF antenna printed on any desired layer. Such faceplates may be labeled to be viewable from outside of the meter housing and/or have openings to accommodate visual access to an output display of the meter consumption information.

Claims

1. An electronic device with radio frequency (RF) communication components integrated therein for achieving improved RF communication capabilities, said electronic device comprising:

an RF communications module configured to process and relay data signals transmitted and received by said electronic device;

a dielectric substrate forming a casing component for said electronic device;

at least one predefined portion of metallization layered on said dielectric substrate, said at least one predefined portion of metallization forming a functional antenna element for said RF communications module; and

a connective element connected to said at least one predefined portion of metallization for providing an electrical connection between said functional antenna element and said RF communications module.

2. An electronic device as in claim 1, further comprising an encasing portion of dielectric material applied adjacent to said at least one predefined portion of metallization and said dielectric substrate such that said dielectric substrate and said encasing portion of dielectric material encapsulate and protect said at least one predefined portion of metallization within a dielectric body.

4. A utility meter as in claim 2, wherein said patterned RF antenna comprises a dipole antenna.

3. A utility meter for monitoring or controlling the distribution of a utility product or service to a customer, said utility meter comprising:

at least one housing component for protecting selected electronics and other internal components of a utility meter;

a faceplate attached to the front of said at least one internal housing component, said faceplate characterized by an inner and an outer surface thereof; and

a patterned radio frequency (RF) antenna formed on a selected surface of said faceplate, said patterned RF antenna configured to transmit and receive RF signals from a communications module associated with said utility meter.