Portable utility billing apparatus

• US 4,387,296 A
• Filed: 05/14/1979
• Issued: 06/07/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: I-Tron Incorporated
• Original Assignee: I-Tron Incorporated
• Inventors: Newell, William C., Cross, Lary A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kilgore, Robert M.
• Application Number:
  US06/038,678
• Time in Patent Office: 1,485 Days
• Field of Search: 346/14 MR, 346/66, 235/432, 235/433, 235/376, 235/385, 235/475, 364/464, 324/76, 360/4
• US Class Current: 235/376
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

A lightweight portable utility billing apparatus is described for enabling a utility (private or public) meter reader to: (1) read utility meters of a number of utility customers on a selected route and obtain current meter value information from each customer; (2) record the current meter value information; (3) automatically calculate the customer utility charges; (4) print customer bills containing the calculated charges thereon; and (5) deliver the customer bills to the customer. The apparatus includes a single input/output magnetic tape for mass data storage and an electronic alterable read only memory (EAROM) for storing the utility rate tables. The EAROMS may be readily updated by the magnetic tape. A keyboard, display and impact printer are included as I/O devices with respect to a microprocessor controller that is programmed by an instructional control program stored in a nonvolatile read only memory. The apparatus includes many features that greatly increase the versatility of the device, even though the apparatus is very lightweight (less than 10 lbs.).

Claims

1. A portable utility billing apparatus for enabling a utility meter reader to:

(1) read utility meters of a plurality of utility customers on a selected route and obtain current meter value information concerning such customers;

(2) record the current meter value information;

(3) calculate customer utility charges;

(4) print customer bills contained in an enclosed envelope with the calculated customer charges thereon; and

(5) deliver the enclosed bills to the selected route customers;

said apparatus comprising;

a portable support to be carried by the meter reader;

a mass data storage receiving means mounted on the support for receiving a mass data storage device containing previous meter value information and general customer/meter information;

a numeric display means for visually displaying information to the utility meter reader;

a memory means containing utility rate tables and an instructional control program;

a data entry means for enabling the utility meter reader to enter the current meter value information;

an arithmetic calculating means for receiving the previous meter value information, the utility rate tables and the current meter value information and calculating the customer charges;

a bill printing means mounted on the support for processing the enclosed envelope and printing the customer charges onto the customer bill through the envelope while enclosed in the envelope;

an electrical battery means mounted on the support as a source of electrical energy;

control means responsive to the instructional control program and operatively connected to various other means to utilize electrical energy from the electrical battery means for;

(1) reading the general customer/meter information from the mass storage device and displaying such general customer/meter information on the numeric display means to assist the meter reader in reading the meters;

(2) entering the current meter value information from the data entry means and displaying the current meter value information on the numeric display;

(3) writing the current meter value information into the mass data storage device to record the same;

(4) operating the arithmetic calculating means to calculate the customer charges based upon the utility rate tables, current meter value information and previous meter value information;

(5) writing the calculated customer charges into the mass data storage means; and

(6) operating the bill printing means to process the enclosed envelope and print the customer charges on the enclosed customer bill while in the envelope to enable the meter reader to deliver the enclosed envelope containing the printed customer bills to the customers without the meter reader physically touching the bills.

2. The portable utility billing apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the bill printing means includes:

(1) a rotatable print drum containing numerical characters;

(2) drum drive for rotating the wheel to sequentially move the characters to a print station;

(3) an envelope guide extending tangentially past the print drum at the print station;

(4) envelope drive means for moving the enclosed envelope with the customer bill contained therein past the print station;

(5) movable impact hammer means at the print station; and

(6) hammer drive means for selectively moving the hammer toward the periphery of the print drum to engage the envelope and move the envelope against the print wheel to print a selected numerical character onto the customer bill inside the envelope.

3. The portable utility billing apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein the bill printing means includes a timing means associated with the print drum to detect when any one of the numerical characters is at the print station;

and wherein the control means includes synchronization means operatively connected to the timing means for determining when the selected numerical character is at the print station.

4. The portable utility billing apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein the timing means has means for sensing the rotational speed of the print drum and wherein the control means includes comparing means for comparing the sensed rotational speed of the print drum with a prescribed speed range and for operating the display means to display an appropriate message when the sensed rotational speed is outside the prescribed speed range.

5. The portable utility billing apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein the bill printing means includes (a) a synchronization mark on the print drum and (b) sensing means for detecting the movement of the synchronization mark past a print drum timing station and wherein the synchronization means is operatively connected to the sensing means to compare the actual phase of the synchronization mark as sensed by the sensing means with a preset phase and for operating the display means to display an appropriate message when the synchronization mark is not in phase with the preset phase.

6. The portable utility billing apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein the control means additionally writes the appropriate message into the mass data storage means when the sensed rotational speed is outside the prescribed speed range.

7. The portable utility billing apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein the control means additionally writes the appropriate message into the mass data storage means when the synchronization mark is not in phase with the preset phase.

8. The portable utility billing means as defined in claim 2 wherein the bill printing means includes edge detector means associated with the envelope guide to detect the edge of the enclosed envelope in the envelope guide;

and wherein the control means includes means operatively connected to the detector means for determining whether the envelope was moved past the print drum in a programmed period of time which is indicative of a satisfactory printing operation.

9. The portable utility billing apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein the control means includes means for operating the display means to display a message that the bill printing operation was unsatisfactory when the programmed period of time is exceeded.

10. The portable utility billing means as defined in claim 9 wherein the control means includes means for writing into the mass data storage device information as to whether the printing operation was satisfactory or unsatisfactory.

11. The portable utility billing means as defined in claim 2 wherein the envelope drive means includes a DC electric drive motor and wherein the control means includes an envelope drive circuit for sequentially applying DC electrical pulses to the DC motor to rotate the drive DC motor to feed the envelope past the print station.

12. The portable utility billing means as defined in claim 2 wherein the envelope drive means includes a multiphase DC stepping motor and wherein the control means is operatively connected to the stepping motor to sequentially activate and deactivate the stepping motor to incrementally move the envelope past the print station with the envelope being stationary when the desired numerical character is at the print station and the hammer drive means is operated to enable the numerical character to be printed on the customer bill.

13. The portable utility billing means as defined in claim 2 wherein the bill printing means includes an envelope sensing means associated with the envelope guide to sense the presence or absence of an enclosed envelope in the envelope guide and wherein the control means is operatively connected to the envelope sensing means for activating the envelope drive means only when an envelope is present in the envelope guide.

14. The portable utility billing apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the portable support has a belt assembly with a printer compartment receiving and supporting the bill printing means in which the compartment has an entrance to enable the meter reader to load an envelope therein and an exit to enable the bill printing means to eject the loaded envelope after the enclosed bill has been printed.

15. The portable utility billing apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein the bill printing means includes (a) a synchronization mark on the print drum and (b) sensing means for detecting the movement of the synchronization mark past a print drum timing station and wherein the synchronization means is operatively connected to the sensing means to compare the actual phase of the synchronization mark as sensed by the sensing means with a preset phase and for operating the display means to display an appropriate message when the synchronization mark is not in phase with the preset phase;

and wherein the control means additionally writes the appropriate message into the mass data storage means when the sensed rotational speed is not in phase with the preset phase.

16. A portable utility billing apparatus for enabling a utility meter reader to:

(1) read utility meters of a plurality of utility customers on a selected route and obtain current meter value information concerning such customers;

(2) record the current meter value information;

(3) calculate customer utility charges;

(4) print customer bills with the calculated customer charges thereon; and

(5) deliver the bills to the selected route customers;

said apparatus comprising;

a portable support to be carried by the meter reader;

a mass data storage receiving means mounted on the support for receiving a mass data storage device containing previous meter value information and general customer/meter information;

a numeric display means for visually displaying information to the utility meter reader;

a memory means containing utility rate tables and an instructional control program;

a data entry means for enabling the utility meter reader to enter the current meter value information;

an arithmetic calculating means for receiving the previous meter value information, the utility rate tables and the current meter value information and calculating the customer charges;

a bill printing means mounted on the support for processing the bills and printing the customer charges on the customer bills;

wherein the bill printing means includes;

(1) a rotatable print drum having numerical characters formed circumferentially on a periphery thereof;

(2) drum drive for rotating the drum to sequentially move the characters to a print station;

(3) bill guide extending tangentially past the print drum at the print station;

(4) bill drive means for moving the bill past the print station;

(5) movable impact hammer means at the print station; and

(6) hammer drive means for selectively moving the hammer toward the periphery of the print drum to move the bill toward the print wheel to print a selected numerical character onto the customer bill;

an electrical battery means mounted on the support as a source of electrical energy;

control means responsive to the instructional control program and operatively connected to various other means to utilize electrical energy from the electrical battery means for;

(1) reading the general customer/meter information from the mass storage device and displaying such general customer/meter information on the numeric display means to assist the meter reader in reading the meters;

(2) entering the current meter value information from the data entry means and displaying the current meter value information on the numeric display;

(3) writing the current meter value information into the mass data storage device to record the same;

(4) operating the arithmetic calculating means to calculate the customer charges based upon the utility rate tables, current meter value information and previous meter value information;

(5) writing the calculated customer charges into the mass data storage means; and

(6) operating the drum drive, bill drive means, and hammer drive means to print the customers charges on the customer bills to enable the meter reader to deliver the printed customer bills to the customers.

17. The portable utility billing apparatus as defined in claim 16 wherein the bill printing means includes a timing means associated with the print drum to detect when any one of the numerical characters is at the print station;

and wherein the control means includes synchronization means operatively connected to the timing means for determining when the selected numerical character is at the print station; and

wherein the timing means has means for sensing the rotational speed of the print drum and wherein the control means includes comparing means for comparing the sensed rotational speed of the print drum with a prescribed speed range and for operating the display means to display an appropriate message when the sensed rotational speed is outside the prescribed speed range.

18. The portable utility billing means as defined in claim 16 wherein the bill printing means includes edge detector means associated with the bill guide to detect the edge of the bill in the bill guide;

and wherein the control means includes means operatively connected to the detector means for determining whether the bill was moved past the print drum in a programmed period of time which is indicative of a satisfactory print operation; and

wherein the control means includes (1) means for operating the display means to display a message that the bill printing operation was unsatisfactory when the programmed period of time is exceeded;

and for writing into the mass data storage device information that the printing operation was unsatisfactory.

19. The portable utility billing means as defined in claim 16 wherein the bill drive means includes a DC electric drive motor and wherein the control means includes a bill drive circuit for sequentially applying DC electrical pulses to the DC motor to rotate the drive motor to feed the bill past the print station.

20. The portable utility billing means as defined in claim 16 wherein the rotatable print drum includes more than one peripheral row of numerical characters in which each row corresponds to a separate meter to enable the bill printing means to print charges for each meter on a separate print line on a single bill.

21. The portable utility billing apparatus as defined in claim 16 wherein the portable support has a printer compartment receiving and supporting the bill printing means in which the compartment has an entrance to enable the meter reader to load a bill therein and a separate exit to enable the bill printing means to eject a printed bill from the exit and permit an unprinted bill to be inserted into the printer compartment through the entrance.