METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING UTILITY METER DATA TO A REMOTE MOBILE COMMAND UNIT

• US 3,688,271 A
• Filed: 08/10/1970
• Issued: 08/29/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Donald W. Rouse
• Original Assignee: Donald W. Rouse
• Inventors: Rouse, Donald W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Gareth D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nusbaum, Mark Edward
• Application Number:
  US05/062,319
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 340/172.5 235/157
• US Class Current: 340/870.03
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/006 Remote reading of utility meters to a non-fixed location, i.e. mobile location
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/14 Calling by using pulses
• 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 readings recorded by the utility meters in a household or other building are continuously converted and stored in a unit in the building in the form of transmittable binary data signals. The units in different buildings have a different binary identifying code. A mobile command station intermittently transmits to all building units in its command different codes, only one of which corresponds to the identifying code of a given building unit. Each transmitted code is compared simultaneously at each building unit with the latter'"'"''"'"'s identifying code. When the codes compared at a given building unit agree, that building unit transmits its stored data signals for recording at the command unit.

Claims

1. The method of selectively transmitting to a single command station the values indicated by a plurality of utility meters located at each of a plurality of consumer stations remote from said command station, comprising the steps of storing a different bit code at each consumer station, continuously accumulating the meter values at each consumer station in data bit form, intermittently transmitting from said command station a plurality of different bit codes, each of which transmitted codes corresponds to only one of the codes stored at said consumer stations, simultaneously comparing at each consumer station its stored code with each successive code transmitted from the command station, and during an interval between transmission of said intermittently transmitted codes, transmitting in signal form to the command station, the accumulated data bits from the consumer station whose stored code agrees with the last-tRansmitted code.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, including separately recording the accumulated data signals of each meter at each consumer station in bit form, and successively transmitting to the command station during said interval the separately recorded data signals of each meter of the consumer station whose stored code agreed with the last-transmitted code.

3. The method as defined in claim 2, including during the transmission of data signals from a consumer station, developing an error signal when the value indicated by the associated utility meter changes, and transmitting this error signal with the last-named data signals for detection at the command station.

4. Apparatus for transmitting data signals selectively from a plurality of consumer stations to a command station, which intermittently transmits a plurality of different signal codes, comprising means for continuously recording data in signal form at each of said consumer stations, means for storing a different signal code at each of said consumer stations, means at each of said consumer stations for intermittently receiving said plurality of different signal codes transmitted from said command station, means for placing all of said consumer stations in a signal receiving mode prior to the transmission of each code from said command station, means for simultaneously comparing each transmitted code with the stored codes of said consumer stations, means responsive to said comparing means to switch each consumer station one at a time to a signal transmitting mode, when the stored code of a consumer station corresponds to the last code transmitted from said command station, and means operative to transfer data from the recording means of a consumer station to said command station, when the consumer station is in its signal transmitting mode.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4, including sequencing means at each of said consumer stations, responsive to each code transmitted from said command station, to transfer the stored signal code of each consumer station to said comparing means for comparison with the transmitted code, said comparing means being operative, when the codes compared thereby agree, to produce a first signal, and operative, when the codes compared thereby disagree, to produce a second signal, means responsive to said first signal to switch the associated consumer station to its signal transmitting mode, and means operative in response to said second signal to maintain said associated consumer station in its signal receiving mode.

6. Apparatus for selectively transmitting to a single command station, which intermittently transmits a plurality of different bit codes, the cumulative quantities of items consumed at consumer stations remote from said command station, comprising means at each of said consumer stations for continuously recording in data bit form, the cumulative quantity of an item consumed at that consumer station, means for storing a different bit code at each of said consumer stations, each of said stored codes corresponding to a different one of said codes transmitted by said command station, means at each consumer station for comparing its code with each code transmitted by said command station, and sequencing means at each consumer station responsive to said comparing means, and operative when the stored code of a consumer station corresponds to the code last transmitted by said command station, to effect transmission of the recorded data bits of that particular consumer station to said command station in the interval between said last transmitted code and the next code transmitted by said command station.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said sequencing means comprises means for selectively placing each of said consumer stations in signal receiving and transmitting modes, respectively, means normally maintaining said consumer stations in their signal rEceiving modes, thereby to enable said consumer stations to receive the code signals transmitted by said command station, and means operative to switch each consumer station to its transmitting mode only when the stored signal code of a consumer station corresponds to the code last transmitted from said command station.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said code storing means comprises a multi-stage code generator at each of said consumer stations, said comparing means comprises a bit comparator at each consumer station, and having a pair of serial inputs, one of which is disposed to receive in bit form the code signals transmitted by said command station, and said sequencing means includes means responsive to each code transmitted by said command station to effect transfer of the stored code in bit form from the associated generator to the other serial input of the associated comparator simultaneously with the entry of the transmitted code into said one input.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said sequencing means further includes means normally maintaining the associated consumer station in a signal receiving mode, whereby the code signals transmitted by said command station are received and applied simultaneously to said one input of each comparator, and means operative to switch the mode of a consumer station from signal receiving to signal transmitting, when the codes applied to the inputs of its comparator agree.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein at each consumer station each of said generators has a parallel output, a multi-stage shift register is interposed between each of said generators and the associated comparator, and each of said registers has a parallel input connected to a parallel output of the associated code generator, and a serial output connected to said other input of the associated comparator.

11. Apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein said recording means at each remote station comprises a multi-stage bit counter having an input for receiving a data signal each time a predetermined quantity of the associated item is consumed, and said sequencing means further includes means for transferring data bits out of the associated counter for transmission as data signals to said command station, when the mode of the associated remote station changes from signal receiving to signal transmitting.

12. Apparatus as defined in claim 11, including means operative, when during the transfer of data bits from a counter the latter receives a signal on its input, to develop a coded error signal in said data bits for transmission therewith to said command station.

13. Apparatus as defined in claim 12, including a direct current battery at each of said consumer stations for supplying power thereto, and means for monitoring the power of said battery at each station and operative, when the power of a battery falls below a set value, to develop a second coded error signal in the data bits of the associated counter, when the last-named bits are transmitted to said command station.

14. Apparatus as defined in claim 11, including a multi-stage shift register at each of said consumer stations having a parallel input connected to the output of the associated counter, and having a serial output connected to a signal transmitting line, and said transferring means includes means operative, when the associated consumer station is switched to its transmitting mode, successively to transmit data signals in parallel from said counter to said register, and to shift the transferred data signals serially from said register to said transmitting line during the interval between two successive code signals transmitted by said command station.

15. Apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said code storing means comprises a code generator at each consumer station having a parallel output connected to the input of said register, said code comparing means compriSes a comparator at each consumer station having a first input for receiving transmitted codes serially in bit form, and having a second input connected to the output of the associated register, said sequencing means includes means operative, each time a signal code is transmitted from said command station, successively to transfer the stored code signals at each consumer station in parallel from the associated code generator to the associated register, and to shift the transferred code signals serially from said associated register to said second input of the associated comparator.

16. Apparatus for monitoring from a single command station, which intermittently transmits a plurality of different bit codes, a plurality of utility meter stations, each of said meter stations including a plurality of separate utility meters, comprising a plurality of identical multi-stage bit counters at each remote station, each of said counters having an input operatively connected continuously to one of the utility meters of the associated station to receive therefrom an updating signal each time the associated meter has detected the consumption of a predetermined quantity of the item it is measuring, a multi-bit code generator at each of said meter stations, each of said generators storing a different bit code, which corresponds to only one of said transmitted codes, a code comparator at each meter station having a first input for receiving each transmitted code in bit form, and sequencing means at each meter station operative each time a transmitted code is applied to said first input of said comparator, to transfer the stored code of the associated meter station to a second input of the associated comparator for comparison with the transmitted code, said sequencing means including means operative between the intervals of the codes transmitted by said command station successively to transfer data signals from the counters of a meter station for transmission to said command station, when the codes applied to the first and second inputs of the associated comparator agree.