Portable remote meter reading apparatus

• US 4,652,855 A
• Filed: 12/05/1984
• Issued: 03/24/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ABB Power T&D Limited (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC (Brookfield Asset Management Incorporated)
• Inventors: Weikel, Scott J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Application Number:
  US06/678,190
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 340/310 A, 340/310 R, 340/825.06, 340/870.02, 179/2 AM
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/00 Arrangements for measuring electric power or power factor G01R7/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00007 using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/121 using the power network as support for the transmission

Abstract

A portable remote meter reading apparatus is provided which communicates, via a power line conductor, with remote inaccessible electrical meters. A keyboard is provided to enable an operator to enter command and address information to identify a unique inaccessible meter. A baseband data message is formulated to include the unique address and command information. After being modulated with the high frequency carrier signal, the baseband data message is amplified and injected onto the power line conductor for receipt by a remote meter that is equipped with a transmitter and receiver. In response to the command message, the remote meter transmits electrical energy information for receipt by the present invention. The present invention incorporates receiver circuitry which filters lower frequencies from the incoming sinusoidal signal and hard limits the signal to provide a rectangular wave signal to a microprocessor which is capable of demodulating the signal and converting the incoming information into usable energy units, such as kilowatthours, for display on a visual display. Portable direct current power is provided in order to enable the present invention to be completely portable and not depend on the provision of power from external sources.

Claims

1. A meter reading apparatus, comprising:

means for manually entering a command message into said meter reading apparatus;

means for formulating a baseband signal representative of said manually entered command message;

means for modulating a carrier signal with said baseband signal;

means for connecting said meter reading apparatus to a conductor of a power line at a location that is remote from a meter that is to be read, said connecting means having an opening therein shaped to receive said conductor of said power line;

means operatively associated with said connecting means for injecting said modulated carrier signal onto said power line conductor;

a receiver circuit that is connectable in signal communication with said power line conductor, said receiver circuit comprising a high pass filter and means for hard limiting sinusoidal signals received from said power line conductor;

a demodulator connected in signal communication with said receiver circuit, said demodulator being configured to demodulate said sinusoidal signals to provide an incoming baseband signal;

means for translating said incoming baseband signal into a value representative of energy consumption;

means for displaying said representative value;

portable means for providing DC power for said meter reading apparatus; and

portable means for housing said meter reading apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said portable providing means is a battery.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said command signal is a message directed to a unique remote meter to command said unique remote meter to transmit information relating to its stored energy consumption information.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said entering means is a keyboard.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said demodulator and said translating means are both program portions contained in a microprocessor.