Remote meter reading system
First Claim
1. An electro-optical remote utility meter reading system comprising:
- first means generating a plurality of signals with each signal representing a predetermined quantity of the utility measured and with the number of signals generated being quantitatively in direct proportion to the utility measured by the meter;
second means associated with said first means and being adapted to convert said signals into digital pulses;
third means having a memory receiving and storing said digital pulses;
fourth means comprising an electro-optical transponder effective in response to interrogation by laser radiation pulses to cause said third means to transfer pulses from said third means to said fourth means, and to emit said pulses in the form of laser radiation;
fifth means comprising an interrogator at a location remote from said transponder to trigger said interrogation and to receive said pulses from said transponder;
sixth means receiving signals from said interrogator for selectively providing intelligence reflecting the measured quantities.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electro-optical remote meter reading system, including an electro-optical monitor unit having a non-contact meter scanner providing meter data to a digital storage and readout unit, and an electro-optical transponder effective to receive and to transfer data from the latter unit and to convert such data into a train of laser radiation pulses which are emitted in response to interrogation by a laser radiation pulse from a remote mobile interrogator unit which triggers the non-coded interrogation of the transponder. The interrogator includes a laser receiver and a pulse converting sub-system and is associated with further digital data processing equipment. A variant of the reading system interacts with a plurality of meters in a common location and provides sequential interrogation of a common, i.e., single, transponder, associated with the plurality of meters.
-
Citations
51 Claims
-
1. An electro-optical remote utility meter reading system comprising:
-
first means generating a plurality of signals with each signal representing a predetermined quantity of the utility measured and with the number of signals generated being quantitatively in direct proportion to the utility measured by the meter; second means associated with said first means and being adapted to convert said signals into digital pulses; third means having a memory receiving and storing said digital pulses; fourth means comprising an electro-optical transponder effective in response to interrogation by laser radiation pulses to cause said third means to transfer pulses from said third means to said fourth means, and to emit said pulses in the form of laser radiation; fifth means comprising an interrogator at a location remote from said transponder to trigger said interrogation and to receive said pulses from said transponder; sixth means receiving signals from said interrogator for selectively providing intelligence reflecting the measured quantities. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
-
-
31. An electro-optical remote utility meter reading system, in which the meter or status indicator has a mechanical representation, comprising:
-
a monitor unit effective to count increments of movements of the utility meter comprising electro-optical light radiation monitoring and digital storage means effective to electro-optically detect a change in the mechanical representation and to translate such change into electronic digital pulses and to store the digital pulses, said monitor unit further including electro-optical transponder means for receiving said digital pulses from said storage means, converting said digital pulses into light radiation, and transmitting said radiation essentially only through an uncontrolled ambient atmospheric medium, said radiation being a carrier for a train of pulses; and remote electro-optical interrogator and receiver means located at a point spaced from the transponder of said monitor unit and effective to electro-optically trigger said transponder and to receive said train of pulses from said transponder. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
-
-
43. An electro-optical remote utility meter reading system comprising:
-
utility meter monitoring means comprising a transponder responsive to light radiation and upon interrogation thereof transmitting data in the form of light radiation pulses; and a mobile interrogation and receiver means located remote from said transponder and comprising an interrogator to trigger electrooptically with light radiation said interrogation and receive said data, and wherein said last mentioned light radiation has a beam of predetermined shape and diverging geometry, and said data is passed essentially only through an uncontrolled ambient atmospheric medium. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
-
Specification