Flow meter remote reading systems
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A meter reading system for determining the rotational position of one or more rotating display discs, the system comprising:
- ca cam associated with each disc, wherein each cam rotates with the associated disc;
a light source that illuminates each cam such as to project a profile shadow for each cam;
a light detecting element that detects the shadow of each cam and provides a signal representing parameters of each shadow; and
a processor that determines the rotational position of each disc based on the respective cam profile shadow parameters provided by the light detecting element.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods for determining the positions of the discs of a mechanical display by using the shadow cast on an optical array by a profiled cam arrangement.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A meter reading system for determining the rotational position of one or more rotating display discs, the system comprising:
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ca cam associated with each disc, wherein each cam rotates with the associated disc;
a light source that illuminates each cam such as to project a profile shadow for each cam;
a light detecting element that detects the shadow of each cam and provides a signal representing parameters of each shadow; and
a processor that determines the rotational position of each disc based on the respective cam profile shadow parameters provided by the light detecting element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of reading a meter having one or more rotating display discs, the method comprising:
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providing a cam associated with each disc, wherein each cam rotates with the associated disc;
illuminating each cam so as to project a profile shadow on a light detecting element; and
determining rotational position information for each disc based on the associated cam profile shadow detected by the light detecting element. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A system for remote reading of a display having one or more aligned discs that rotate around a common axis, the system including:
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a cam coupled to each of said discs substantially at right angles to the plane of rotation of the discs;
a separate light emitting means and lens means associated with each said disc;
a photo-detection means associated with each said disc;
the profile of said cam being such that when illuminated by said light emitting means, the width and position of the shadow cast by said cam onto said photo-detection means allows for the determination of the rotational position of the disc;
control means to control the light emitting means and read the photo-detection means such as to determine the rotational position of each disc; and
communication means to transmit the determined rotational positions of the discs to a remote system. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A system for remote reading of a display having one or more aligned discs that rotate around a common axis, the system including:
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a cam coupled to each of said discs substantially at right angles to the plane of rotation of the discs;
a separate light emitting means and optical arrangement associated with each said disc;
a single photo-detection means for detecting light emitted by the light emitting means;
the profile of said cam being such that when illuminated by said light emitting means the width and position of the shadow cast by said cam onto said photo-detection means allows for the determination of the rotational position of the disc;
an optical arrangement arranged to reflect each of the shadows cast by the cams onto said single photo-detection means;
control means for controlling the light emitting means and reading the photo-detection means such as to determine the rotational position of each disc; and
communication means for transmitting the determined rotational positions of the discs to a remote system. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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27. A system for determining the rotational position of one or more rotating display discs, the system comprising:
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a cam associated with each disc, wherein each cam rotates with the associated disc;
a light source that illuminates each cam such as to project a profile shadow for each cam;
a light detecting element that detects the shadow of each cam and provides a signal representing a parameter of each shadow; and
a processor that determines the rotational position of each disc based on the respective cam profile shadow parameters provided by the light detecting element.
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Specification