Portable hydrant meter and system of use thereof

• US 7,099,781 B1
• Filed: 04/25/2005
• Issued: 08/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donald S. Mccroskey, Jeremy N. Heidl
• Original Assignee: Donald S. Mccroskey, Jeremy N. Heidl
• Inventors: McCroskey, Donald S., Heidl, Jeremy N.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGHIEM, MICHAEL P
• Application Number:
  US11/113,707
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: 702/45
• US Class Current: 702/45
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/075 with magnetic or electromagnetic coupling to the indicating device
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/063 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2233 used in consumption-meter devices, e.g. electricity, gas or water meters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/30 Assessment of water resources

Abstract

The meter system of the present invention allows for automated water utility resource measurements, data collection and exercise of control and notification of fire hydrant water usage and includes: a portable water meter that is releaseably mountable onto a discharge nozzle of the fire hydrant; a flow sensor that senses the water flow rate passing therethrough the portable water meter; a processor that is configured to receive, process, and/or store data from the flow sensor; and a satellite positioning system that is adapted to receive satellite position determining signals. The hydrant meter system further includes a communication device that is adapted to transmit the processed flow signal and the processed positioning signal to a remote server system via a communication medium.

Claims

1. A meter system for collecting and communicating flow data for water from a fire hydrant having a discharge nozzle, the system comprising:

a portable water meter releaseably mountable on a discharge nozzle of the fire hydrant;

a flow sensor constructed and arranged to output a flow signal representative of the water flow rate passing therethrough the portable water meter;

a processor configured to receive the flow signal output by the flow sensor, process the flow signal to adapt the flow signal for transmission, and store the processed flow signal in a data storage device;

a satellite positioning system including a receiver adapted to receive satellite position determining signals, wherein the processor is configured to receive the satellite position determining signals output by the satellite positioning system, process the satellite position determining signals to adapt the satellite position determining signals for transmission, and store the processed positioning signal in the data storage device;

a communication device operatively coupled to the processor that is adapted to transmit the processed flow signal and the processed positioning signal from the water meter via a communication medium.

2. The meter system of claim 1, wherein the water meter has a first housing, further comprising a substantially enclosed second housing mounted thereon on the first housing, and wherein at least portions of the processor and the satellite positioning system is disposed therein the second housing.

3. The meter system of claim 2, wherein at least portions of the communication device are disposed therein the second housing.

4. The meter system of claim 2, further comprising a programming port contained within the second housing and coupled to the processor such that programming instructions and recorded information can be communicated to and from the processor from external to the second housing through the programming port.

5. The meter system of claim 1, further comprising a server located remotely from the portable water meter.

6. The meter system of claim 5, wherein the communication medium operatively couples the portable water meter and to the server.

7. The meter system of claim 6, wherein the communication medium is at least one of a packet-switched network, a serial communications network, a cellular digital data modem network, a two-way pager network, a satellite network, and a wide area network.

8. The meter system of claim 6, wherein the communication device comprises a transmitter mounted to the portable water meter to transmit the processed signal data via the communication medium;

and wherein the server comprises a receiver operatively coupled to the server to receive the processed signal data via the communication medium.

9. The meter system of claim 8, wherein the portable water meter comprises a first housing having an inlet end, an opposed outlet end, and defining a conduit extending between the respective inlet and outlet ends.

10. The meter system of claim 9, further comprising a control valve constructed and arranged for mounting in the conduit of the first housing, the control valve selectively movable between an open position, in which water is allowed to flow out of the outlet end of the first housing, and a closed position, in which water cannot exit the outlet end of the first housing.

11. The meter system of claim 10, wherein the control valve is electrically coupled to the processor, and wherein the control valve is responsive to control signals received from the processor to move the control valve between the open position and the closed position.

12. The meter system of claim 11, further comprising a transmitter operatively coupled to the server to transmit a control signal to the portable water meter via the communication medium;

and wherein the communication device further comprises a receiver mounted to the portable water meter to receive the control signal from the server via the communication medium.

13. The meter system of claim 12, wherein the transmitter and receiver mounted to the portable water meter comprise a transceiver device.

14. The meter system of claim 10, wherein the control valve is positioned intermediate the flow sensor and the outlet end of the first housing.

15. The meter system of claim 9, further comprising a strainer, wherein the strainer is disposed therein the conduit intermediate the inlet end of the first housing and the flow sensor.

16. The meter system of claim 9, wherein the flow sensor comprises a magnetic rotation sensor to detect water flow therethrough the first housing.

17. The meter system of claim 5, wherein the server comprises a database, wherein the database comprises the predetermined geographical location of each fire hydrant for a utility service area.

18. The meter system of claim 1, wherein a portable water meter identification information is stored therein the data storage device, and wherein the communication device transmits the stored water meter identification information from the portable water meter via the communication medium.

19. A portable meter apparatus for a fire hydrant having a discharge nozzle, the apparatus comprising:

a housing releaseably mountable on a discharge nozzle of a fire hydrant, the housing having an inlet end, an outlet end, and defining a conduit extending therebetween the inlet and outlet ends;

a flow sensor in communication with the conduit, the flow sensor generating a flow signal representative of a flow rate therethrough the conduit;

a means for determining the geographic coordinate location information of the housing;

a processor that is mountable to the housing and is coupled to the flow rate sensor and the means for determining the geographic coordinate location information; and

a means for transmitting, coupled to the processor, the flow rate signal and the geographic coordinate location of the housing remotely from the housing.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a control valve constructed and arranged for mounting in the conduit of the housing, the control valve selectively movable between an open position, in which water is allowed to flow out of the outlet end of the housing, and a closed position, in which water cannot exit the outlet end of the housing.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the control valve is electrically coupled to the processor, and wherein the control valve is responsive to signals received from the processor to move the control valve between the open position and the closed position.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a power source coupled to the means for determining the geographic coordinate location information of the housing, the processor and the control valve.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a power source coupled to the means for determining the geographic coordinate location information of the housing and the processor.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a water meter identification information that identifies the particular housing, which is stored in a data storage device of the processor, wherein the means for transmitting transmits the stored water meter identification information.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for determining the geographic coordinate location information of the housing comprises a satellite positioning system including a receiver adapted to receive satellite position determining signals, and wherein the processor receives the satellite position determining signals output by the satellite positioning system and derives the geographic coordinate location from the satellite position determining signals.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the flow sensor comprises a magnetic rotation sensor to detect water flow therethrough the conduit of the housing.

27. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for transmitting comprises a communication device operatively coupled to the processor that is adapted to transmit the flow signal and the positioning signal from the water meter via a communication medium.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the communication medium operatively couples the communication device to a server located remotely from the portable water meter.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the communication medium is at least one of a packet-switched network, a serial communications network, a cellular digital data modem network, a two-way pager network, a satellite network, and a wide area network.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the communication device comprises a transmitter.

31. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the communication device comprises a transceiver.

32. A meter system for a fire hydrant having a discharge nozzle, the system comprising:

a) a server system, comprising;

i) a server receiver;

ii) a server transmitter; and

iii) a server computer coupled to the server receiver and the server transmitter;

b) a portable meter apparatus, comprising;

i) a housing mountable on a discharge nozzle of a fire hydrant, the housing having an inlet end, an outlet end, and defining a conduit extending therebetween the inlet and outlet ends;

ii) a flow sensor in communication with the conduit, the flow rate sensor generating a flow rate signal representative of a flow rate therethrough the conduit;

iii) a processor adapted to receive the flow signal output by the flow sensor, the processor being positioned onto a portion of an exterior of the housing;

iv) a satellite positioning system including a receiver adapted to receive satellite position determining signals, the satellite positioning system being positioned onto a portion of the exterior of the housing, wherein the processor is adapted to receive the satellite position determining signals and process the satellite position determining signals to adapt the satellite position determining signals for transmission;

v) a communication device operatively coupled to the processor that is adapted to transmit the flow signal and processed positioning signal to the server system via a communication medium to the server receiver.

33. The system of claim 32, further comprising a control valve constructed and arranged for mounting in the conduit of the housing, the control valve selectively movable between an open position, in which water is allowed to flow out of the outlet end of the housing, and a closed position, in which water cannot exit the outlet end of the housing.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the control valve is electrically coupled to the processor, and wherein the control valve is responsive to control signals received from the processor to move the control valve between the open position and the closed position.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the server computer transmits control signals via the server transmitter and via the communication medium to the communication device of the portable meter apparatus.

36. The system of claim 32, wherein the communication medium is at least one of a packet-switched network, a serial communications network, a cellular digital data modem network, a two-way pager network, a satellite network, and a wide area network.