Electro-optical method and system especially suited for remote meter reading
First Claim
1. Apparatus comprising coding means adapted for being interrogated by electromagnetic rays along a first plane at a first station and for passing through said electromagnetic rays along a second plane angularly related to said first plane in a second station spaced from said first station, said planes intersecting generally along a line passing through both said stations, means for transmitting electromagnetic rays such that the same pass through said first plane in said first station and said second plane in said second station and form orthogonally related images respectively at said stations, and utilization means to receive the electromagnetic rays from the second station, said coding means including an encoding member adapted for the passage of said rays therethrough and having coding elements at least in opposite peripheral zones corresponding to said stations, said encoding member being provided with a channel transparent to said rays at said second station, said channel corresponding with said second plane at said second station.
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Abstract
Coded cylindrical drums mounted on the pointers of dials of a meter are provided with parallel axially aligned rows of data elements constituted by opaque and transparent areas. Each of the drums is provided with a transparent centrally located ring parallel to the rows. Light is transmitted diametrally through the drums thereby intersecting the same at two places. So that the light will scan the rows as they are brought into position and so that the light can escape through the transparent ring, the light is converged at two spaced and orthogonally related lines for each drum. This is accomplished by passing the light through a positive aspherical or a spherical lens and cylindrical lens in series. The light is thereby converged at two orthogonally related lines respectively located at a shortened focal length due to the added power of the cylindrical lens and at the positive lens'"'"' normal focal length. The difference of the two focal lengths corresponds to the cylindrical drum diameter. A masking arrangement can be utilized to expose the data elements in sequence to reduce the photoelectric elements necessary for data pickup. The masking arrangement can provide synchronization pulses to identify the data elements. A transponder transmits the collected data to a remote central station.
78 Citations
31 Claims
- 1. Apparatus comprising coding means adapted for being interrogated by electromagnetic rays along a first plane at a first station and for passing through said electromagnetic rays along a second plane angularly related to said first plane in a second station spaced from said first station, said planes intersecting generally along a line passing through both said stations, means for transmitting electromagnetic rays such that the same pass through said first plane in said first station and said second plane in said second station and form orthogonally related images respectively at said stations, and utilization means to receive the electromagnetic rays from the second station, said coding means including an encoding member adapted for the passage of said rays therethrough and having coding elements at least in opposite peripheral zones corresponding to said stations, said encoding member being provided with a channel transparent to said rays at said second station, said channel corresponding with said second plane at said second station.
- 2. Apparatus comprising coding means adapted for being interrogated by electromagnetic rays along a first plane at a first station and for passing through said electromagnetic rays along a second plane angularly related to said first plane in a second station spaced from said first station, said planes intersecting generally along a line passing through both said stations, means for transmitting electromagnetic rays such that the same pass through said first plane in said first station and said second plane in said second station, and utilization means to receive the electromagnetic rays from the second station, said coding means including a cylinder having an axis of symmetry and having thereon encoded information adapted for being scanned by electromagnetic waves along said first plane which is parallel to said axis, said cylinder further including an area in said second plane which is perpendicular to said axis and which is transparent to said electromagnetic waves.
- 5. Apparatus comprising first means providing a path for electromagnetic rays which path passes sequentially through two spaced and angularly related lines, said lines constituting spaced and orthogonally related images, second means for modulating said rays at one of said lines according to a code, said second means including an encoding member through which said rays can pass, said encoding member being rotatable with opposite peripheral zones located at said lines, said encoding member having coding elements for modulating said rays at said one line and being provided with a clear channel for passing through the thusly modulated rays at the other of said lines, and third means for responding to the rays substantially at the other of said lines and converting the modulated rays into signals of a different form of energy.
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13. Apparatus comprising first means providing a path for electromagnetic rays which path passes sequentially through two spaced and angularly related lines, second means for modulating said rays at one of said lines according to a code, and third means for responding to the rays substantially at the other of said lines and converting the modulated rays into signals of a different form of energy;
- said apparatus further comprising a source of light constituting said electromagnetic rays, said first means converging said light at said first and second lines respectively, said second means including a carrier having areas substantially opaque and transparent to said light and arrayed according to a code, said carrier being in the form of a closed loop arranged to intersect said path at both said lines, said carrier having a transparent zone corresponding to one of said lines, said carrier being cylindrical and said zone being a transparent ring encircling the carrier.
- View Dependent Claims (17)
- 19. Apparatus comprising a plurality of dials having data indicia thereon, pointers operatively associated with respective of said dials and movable to point to selected of said indicia, source means to direct light diametrally across the dials, encoding means having areas of different respective permeability to light and displaceable with said pointers to modulate said light according the positions of the pointers, masking means for selectively rendering said areas effective, and transducer means to receive light from the effective areas for the generation of a corresponding electrical signal, said encoding means including a rotatable member with said areas thereon and provided with an axis of rotation and a transparent channel perpendicular to said axis, and means to converge said light at two spaced and orthogonally related lines corresponding to opposite peripheral zones on said member and which are respectively parallel and perpendicular to said axis, the line perpendicular to said axis corresponding to said transparent channel.
- 27. Apparatus comprising a dial, a pointer moveable relative to said dial, an encoder superposed above said dial and moveable with said pointer, a light source transmitting light across said dial and intersecting with said encoder at two zones, said encoder having thereon rows of areas for modulating said light at one of said zones and further having a transparent line for permitting the passage of said light at the other of said zones, the transparent line being orthagonally related to said rows, and a lens system between said source and encoder for converging the light to a line parallel to said rows at said one zone and to a line substantially coincident with said transparent line at said other zone.
- 29. Apparatus comprising a dial having data indicia thereon, a pointer moveable relative to said dial for selectively pointing at said indicia, a cylinder having coded representations thereon, means coupling said cylinder to said pointer to move therewith, and a light source directing light at said cylinder to create an image of the coded representations according to the position of said pointer, said cylinder being of transparent plastic and including an optical encoder mask thereon, said mask having light intercepting elements thereon according to a code, said mask being provided with a clear annular ring dividing the mask into two sections.
Specification