Automated meter reader having high product delivery rate alert generator
DCFirst Claim
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1. A device for coupling to a meter measuring a quantity of delivered product, comprising:
- an interface module adapted to couple to the meter and to provide a first signal indicative of the measured quantity;
a wireless transmitter, responsively coupled to the interface module and adapted to modulate and transmit the first signal as an RF signal at a transmission interval, at a power level no greater than 1 mW and at a frequency in an unlicensed frequency band, and further adapted to reduce interference in the unlicensed frequency band without requiring external polling and without the assistance of a wireless communications network;
a profile module having a transceiver and a controller adapted to receive the first signal and to create and store usage profile data as a function of the measured quantity, wherein the usage profile data is generated at a profile data interval and is adapted to be obtained by a remote user via the transceiver; and
an alarm system adapted to generate an alarm when the measured quantity exceeds a programmable threshold, wherein the threshold is adapted to be remotely established.
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Abstract
The present invention achieves technical advantages as an AMR device adapted to couple to utility meters and detect an excess rate of product delivery and responsively generate an alert indicative of this excess rate. Advantageously, the alert is provided to a remote device to provide notice of an abnormal condition, such as a leak which could produce flooding, or customer exceeding an allowed delivery rate, such as during conservation periods.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A device for coupling to a meter measuring a quantity of delivered product, comprising:
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an interface module adapted to couple to the meter and to provide a first signal indicative of the measured quantity; a wireless transmitter, responsively coupled to the interface module and adapted to modulate and transmit the first signal as an RF signal at a transmission interval, at a power level no greater than 1 mW and at a frequency in an unlicensed frequency band, and further adapted to reduce interference in the unlicensed frequency band without requiring external polling and without the assistance of a wireless communications network; a profile module having a transceiver and a controller adapted to receive the first signal and to create and store usage profile data as a function of the measured quantity, wherein the usage profile data is generated at a profile data interval and is adapted to be obtained by a remote user via the transceiver; and an alarm system adapted to generate an alarm when the measured quantity exceeds a programmable threshold, wherein the threshold is adapted to be remotely established. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A device for coupling to a meter measuring product delivery, comprising:
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an interface module adapted to couple to the meter, the interface module adapted to provide a first signal indicative of the product delivery; and a profile module having a transmitter, and a controller adapted to receive the first signal, the profile module adapted to create and store usage profile data as a function of the product delivery, wherein the profile module has a programmable threshold, the controller adapted to responsively create at least one alert when the product delivery exceeds the programmable threshold, wherein the programmable threshold is remotely programmable. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A device for coupling to a meter measuring a quantity and time of delivered product, comprising:
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an interface module adapted to couple to the meter, the interface module providing a first signal indicative of the measured quantity, a wireless transmitter, responsively coupled to the interface module, modulating and transmitting the first signal as an RF signal at a transmission interval, at a power level no greater than 1 mW and at a frequency in an unlicensed frequency band, adapted to reduce interference in the unlicensed frequency band without requiring external polling and without the assistance of a wireless communications network; and a profile module having a transceiver and a controller receiving the first signals, the profile module creating and storing usage profile data as a function of the measured quantity, wherein the usage profile data is generated at a profile data interval and is adapted to be obtained by a remote user via the transceiver. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification