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Device and method for utility meter reading

  • US 4,757,456 A
  • Filed: 04/25/1984
  • Issued: 07/12/1988
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1981
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A routing and recording system comprising:

  • a portable recording apparatus for recording data for a plurality of accounts located in single account and multiple account buildings along various streets to be covered by an operator visiting such accounts with said apparatus;

    said system including data memory means containing account files arranged in an order corresponding to the desired sequence the accounts are to be visited, there being associated with each account file data storage fields containing the street name and building number and apartment number identifying each account, and transaction storage fields for receiving transaction data for the account;

    said apparatus including display means and operator input means, said display means for displaying information from said data memory means and from said operator input means, said operator input means including means for selectively generating basic entry and retrieval signals for storing in and retrieving data from said account files in said data memory means, means for selectively generating forward and reverse direction account file accessing signals for requesting access to the next account in a multiple account building or a particular street involved listed in said account files in said data memory means, and means for generating a search missed account signal for requesting the scanning of the account files for accounts in said multiple account building or said street involved missed by the operator;

    said apparatus including programming means including means responsive to said basic entry and retrieval signals for accessing the desired data storage fields and transaction storage fields associated with said account files as indicated by said signals, entering the data from said operator input means in and retrieving data from said storage fields and displaying said data on said display means, said programming means including direction register means for storing the selected direction of account scanning, means responsive to said forward or reverse direction account file accessing signal for registering said signal in said direction register means, means responsive to said search missed account signal for effecting the scanning of said account files in said data memory means in the direction indicated by the signal stored in said direction register means starting with the current account as addressed or the next account in the desired visiting sequence in the multiple account building or street involved for determining if the associated transaction storage fields for each account contain transaction data entered by the operator, means responsive to the presence of transaction data in said transaction storage fields for continuing said search in the same direction to the next accounts in said data memory means for locating transaction data empty fields, means responsive to the absence of such data in said transaction storage fields for terminating said scanning operation, and means responsive to such data absence for then indicating on said display means the identity of the missed account so that the operator can then proceed to the missed account and enter transaction data.

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