APPARATUS FOR CUMULATIVELY STORING AND REMOTELY READING A METER

• US 3,786,423 A
• Filed: 01/24/1972
• Issued: 01/15/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dennis J. Martell
• Original Assignee: Dennis J. Martell
• Inventors: Martell, Dennis J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Habecker, Thomas B.
• Application Number:
  US05/220,015
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 340/204,203,151
• US Class Current: 340/870.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

There is disclosed a method and an apparatus for remotely reading one or more meters containing information which are located in a station remote from a central location. The apparatus comprises a means for producing a plurality of information signals indicative of the information being registered on the meter; a means for accumulating the information signals; a means for interrogating the accumulator means wherein a plurality of individual output data bits, each of which are representative of one of the digits of information registered on the meter, are provided; a means for converting these output data bits to a frequency coded signal wherein the frequency coded signal is representative of the magnitude of each of the output data bits; and a means for sequentially transmitting the frequency coded signals to the central office location, thereby enabling each of the digits of information registered on the meter to be read.

Claims

1. An apparatus for reading, while at a central location, a meter containing information which is located at a station remote from said central location, comprising:

a means for producing a plurality of information signals indicative of the information being registered on said meter;

a counter means for accumulating said information signals and for converting said information into data indicative of the total information which is registered on said meter;

a battery power source connected to said counter means wherein said counter means maintains said accumulated information in the event of a loss of conventional power;

a remotely initiated selecting means for interrogating said counter means wherein said selecting means provides a plurality of individual output data bits each of which is representative of one of the digits of information registered on said meter and contained within said counter means;

a first encoding means for converting said output data bits into coded output data bits wherein said coded output data bits have a predetermined characteristic whereby a parity check of said information may be made;

shift register means connected to receive said coded data bits and to serially shift out said coded data bits;

a second encoding means for converting each of said coded output data bits into a frequency coDed signal wherein the frequency of the signal from said second encoding means is representative of the magnitude of each of said coded output data bits; and

a means for sequentially transmitting each of said frequency coded signals to said central location thereby enabling each of said digits of information registered on said meter to be read.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said counter means comprises a plurality of counters.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said counter means comprises a plurality of binary coded decimal counters and wherein one of said counters is provided for each digit of information available to be read on said meter.

4. An apparatus for reading, while at a central location, a meter containing information which is located at a station remote from said central location, comprising:

a means for producing a plurality of pulse information signals indicative of the information being registered on said meter;

a plurality of binary coded decimal counter means to accumulate said pulse information signals and to convert said accumulated information signals into a plurality of binary data bits indicative of the total information which is registered on said meter;

a battery power source connected to said plurality of binary counter means wherein said counter means maintain said accumulated information in the event of a loss of conventional power;

a first encoding means for converting said binary data bits into coded output data bits wherein said coded output data bits have a predetermined characteristic whereby a parity check of said information may be made;

a shift register means connected to receive said coded data bits and to serially shift out said coded data bits;

gate means for selectively transferring said binary data bits from any one of said counter means to said first encoding means;

control means for actuating said gate means to transfer said selected coded data bits into said shift register means and then causing said shift register means to serially shift out said transferred coded data bits;

an oscillator means connected to the output of said shift register means to convert each of said serially shifted out transferred coded data bits into a frequency coded signal wherein the frequency is representative of the binary state of each of said bits; and

a means for sequentially transmitting each of said frequency coded signals to said central office location.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said pulse producing means comprises:

a switch means connected to the shaft of said meter means; and

a flip-flop circuit means connected to said switch means wherein said flip-flop circuit means produces a plurality of pulse signals representative of the number of rotations of said meter shaft thereby being indicative of the information being registered on said meter.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said pulse producing means further comprises:

a means for scaling the output of said flip-flop circuit means wherein one of said pulse signals is produced for a preselected number of rotations of said shaft.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein one binary coded decimal counter is provided for each digit of information which is available to be read on said meter.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said control means first transfers to said shift register means said coded output data bits representative of said binary data bits stored in a preselected first one of said counters and transfers said coded output data bits representative of said binary data bits stored in a preselected second one of said counters only after said coded data bits from said first counter have been shifted out by said shift register means.

9. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising:

a means for remotely identifying the meter being read.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising an indicator switch associated with said meter and a means for remotely determining wheTher said indicator switch is in an open or closed condition.

11. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said oscillator means comprises a frequency shift keying oscillator.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said frequency coded signals are transmitted to said central office by a telephone transmitting means.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said frequency coded signals are transmitted to said central office by a radio transmitting means.

14. An apparatus for reading, while at a central location, a plurality of meters each containing information which is located at a station remote from said central location, comprising:

a means associated with each meter for producing a plurality of information signals indicative of the information being registered on said meter;

a counter means associated with each meter for accumulating said information signals and for converting said information into data which is indicative of the total information which is registered on said associated meter;

a battery power source connected to said counter means wherein said counter means maintains said accumulated information in the event of a loss of conventional power;

a remotely initiated selecting means for interrogating a preselected one of said counter means wherein said selecting means provides a plurality of individual output data bits each of which is representative of one of the digits of information registered on said preselected meter and contained within said preselected counter means;

a first encoding means for converting said output data bits into coded output data bits wherein said coded output data bits have a predetermined characteristic whereby a parity check of said information may be made;

shift register means connected to receive said coded data bits and to serially shift out said coded data bits;

a second encoding means for converting each of said output data bits into a frequency coded signal wherein the frequency of the signal from said second encoding means is representative of the magnitude of each of said coded output data bits; and

a means for sequentially transmitting each of said frequency coded signals to said central location thereby enabling each of said digits of information registered on said preselected meter to be read.

15. An apparatus for reading, while at a central location, a plurality of meters each containing information which is located at a station remote from said central location, comprising:

a means associated with each meter for producing a plurality of pulse information signals indicative of the information being registered on said meter;

a plurality of binary coded decimal counter means associated with each meter adapted to accumulate said pulse information signals and to convert said accumulated information signals into a plurality of binary data bits indicative of the total information which is registered on said meter;

a battery power source connected to said plurality of binary counter means wherein said counter means maintain said accumulated information in the event of a loss of conventional power;

a first encoding means for converting said binary data bits into coded output data bits wherein said coded output data bits have a predetermined characteristic whereby a parity check of said information may be made;

a shift register means connected to receive said coded data bits from the counter means associated with a preselected one of said meters and then causing said shift register to serially shift out said coded data bits;

gate means for selectively transferring said binary data bits from any one of said counter means to said first encoding means;

control means for actuating said gate means to transfer said selected coded data bits into said shift register means and then causing said shift register means to serially shift out said transferred coded data bits;

an oscillator means connected to the output of said shift register means to conveRt each of said serially shifted out transferred coded data bits into a frequency coded signal wherein the frequency is representative of the binary state of each of said bits; and

a means for sequentially transmitting each of said frequency coded signals to said central office location.