Apparatus and method for reading utility meters
First Claim
1. A reader for receiving data indicative of the reading of a utility meter, comprising:
- means for inductively transmitting power to the meter at a frequency to which the utility meter will respond, said means being able to transmit power at a plurality of frequencies since different types of utility meters respond to different frequencies; and
means for inductively receiving data from the meter represented by load modulation of the transmitted frequency, the transmitted frequency thereby having a modulation envelope.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic meter reader having a transmitter and antenna for inductively transmitting alternating current power in any selected one of a plurality of frequencies. The reader further includes a receiver for inductively receiving meter reading data from the meter being read represented by a load modulation of the transmitted frequency. A bandpass filter limits the bandwidth of the modulation frequency. The power transmitted by the transmitter may also be used by the meter to generate and transmit data representative of the meter reading back to the reader. A second receiver is also provided for inductively receiving reading data from the meter in the form of a modulated frequency generated by the meter. The reader includes a microprocessor and program which control the generation of a plurality of interrogation signal formats, and which decode a plurality of received data formats.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A reader for receiving data indicative of the reading of a utility meter, comprising:
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means for inductively transmitting power to the meter at a frequency to which the utility meter will respond, said means being able to transmit power at a plurality of frequencies since different types of utility meters respond to different frequencies; and means for inductively receiving data from the meter represented by load modulation of the transmitted frequency, the transmitted frequency thereby having a modulation envelope. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A reader for receiving data indicative of the reading of a utility meter, comprising:
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means for inductively transmitting power at a selected frequency to the meter; means for inductively receiving data from the meter represented by load modulation of the transmitted frequency;
the frequency thereby having a modulation envelope; andfilter means for controlling the bandwidth of the modulation envelope. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A reader for receiving data indicative of the reading of a utility meter having a register containing the data, comprising:
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means for inductively transmitting power at a selected frequency to the register at a frequency to which the register will respond, said means being able to transmit power at a plurality of frequencies since different types of utility meters respond to different frequencies; first means for inductively receiving data from the register in the form of load modulation of the transmitted frequency;
the frequency thereby having a modulation envelope; andsecond means for inductively receiving data from the register in the form of an amplitude modulated frequency generated by the meter. - View Dependent Claims (17, 22, 23, 25)
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18. A reader for receiving data representative of the reading of a utility meter, comprising:
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means for inductively transmitting an interrogation signal to the meter in any selected one of a plurality of formats; means for inductively receiving from the meter any one of a plurality of data formats determined by the format of the interrogation signal and representative of reading data of the meter; and microprocessor and program means for controlling the selection of the interrogation signal format and decoding the reading data in any one of the data formats.
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19. A reader for receiving data indicative of the reading of a utility meter having a register containing the data, comprising:
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means for inductively transmitting an interrogation signal to the meter at a frequency to which the utility meter will respond, said means being able to transmit the interrogation signal at a plurality of frequencies since different types of utility meters respond to different frequencies,; means for generating and transmitting at the meter a data signal representative of the meter reading data; and means for inductively receiving the data signal from the meter. - View Dependent Claims (20, 24)
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21. A method for reading a utility meter comprising the steps of:
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transmitting electrical power from a reader antenna to the meter; selecting the frequency at which the power is transmitted from a plurality of frequencies the reader is capable of transmitting, wherein different meters respond to different frequencies; load modulating the transmitted power to represent the meter reading; and sensing the variations in the electrical power being transmitted as a result of the modulation to determine the meter reading.
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Specification