METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATIC LOCATION-SPECIFIC CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT OF A REMOVABLE METER UNIT

• US 20150084786A1
• Filed: 12/02/2014
• Published: 03/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IPS Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: IPS Group Incorporated
• Inventors: KING, David William, SCHWARZ, Alexander, HUNTER, Stephen John
• Granted Patent: US 10,366,546 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/008 Modifications to installed utility meters to enable remote reading
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/02 taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems G07B15/06 takes precedence; taximeters G07B13/00; parking meters per se G07F17/24; car rental systems per se G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/24 for parking meters
• 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

A meter apparatus and method of operating a removable meter apparatus are described. The meter apparatus includes a tag associated with unique tag identification information and configured to be permanently affixed to a location housing at a unique physical location, and includes a removable meter unit configured to mate with the location housing and receive the tag identification from the tag and report the tag identification to a data manager configured to associate an identifier of the removable meter unit with the tag identification and unique physical location, and associate configuration information for the physical location with the removable meter unit and the tag identification. The unique physical location can comprise a single-space parking location.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A method of operating a meter, the method comprising:

receiving a tag identification associated with a unique physical location at which a removable meter unit is placed;

determining configuration information associated with the tag identification and the physical location; and

associating the determined configuration information with the removable meter unit;

wherein the tag identification is received from a tag associated with the physical location, and wherein the tag is permanently affixed to a location housing that is fixedly placed at the physical location and the location housing is configured to mate with the removable meter unit.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the determined configuration information comprises a payment collection history related to a prior removable meter unit that was mated with the location housing at the physical location.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein associating the determined configuration information comprises identifying operating parameters associated with the tag identification and associating the identified operating parameters with the removable meter unit.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving a report of a value of currency received at the removable meter unit associated with the tag identification and the physical location; and

associating the value of the received currency with a payment collection history associated with the physical location and the tag identification.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving a report indicating removal of a cash collection box containing currency received at the removable meter unit, the report further indicating the tag identification; and

determining, based on the payment collection history associated with the tag identification, the amount of the currency contained in the cash collection box at the time of removal.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

transmitting information indicative of the configuration information to the removable meter unit.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the transmitted configuration information comprises operating parameter information indicative of at least one of a parking rate, a geographic location, parking rules, an amount of currency in a cash box and times when parking rates or rules apply.

27-28. -28. (canceled)