Portable hydrant meter and system of use thereof
First Claim
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 the discharge nozzle of the fire hydrant;
a flow sensor configured to output a flow signal representative of the water flow rate passing therethrough the portable water meter;
a satellite positioning system;
a processor configured to receive the flow signal output by the flow sensor, process the flow signal to adapt the flow signal for transmission, store the processed flow signal in a data storage device, receive 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; and
a communication device configured to transmit the processed flow signal and the processed positioning signal from the water meter via a communication medium.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The meter system having a portable water meter that is releaseably mountable onto a discharge nozzle of the fire hydrant and a flow sensor that senses the water flow rate passing therethrough the portable water meter. A processor receives, processes, and/or stores data from the flow sensor and a satellite positioning system. The hydrant meter system further has 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. The hydrant meter system allows for automated water utility resource measurements, data collection and exercise of control and notification of fire hydrant water usage.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A meter system for collecting and communicating flow data for water from a fire hydrant having a discharge nozzle, the system comprising:
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a portable water meter releaseably mountable on the discharge nozzle of the fire hydrant; a flow sensor configured to output a flow signal representative of the water flow rate passing therethrough the portable water meter; a satellite positioning system; a processor configured to receive the flow signal output by the flow sensor, process the flow signal to adapt the flow signal for transmission, store the processed flow signal in a data storage device, receive 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; and a communication device configured to transmit the processed flow signal and the processed positioning signal from the water meter via a communication medium. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A portable meter apparatus for a fire hydrant having a discharge nozzle, the apparatus comprising:
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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 means for determining the flow rate therethrough the conduit; a means for determining the geographic coordinate location information of the housing; a processor coupled to the means for determining the flow rate 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.
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21. A meter system for a fire hydrant having a discharge nozzle, the system comprising:
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a) a server system; b) a portable meter apparatus, comprising; i) a housing mountable on a discharge nozzle of a fire hydrant; ii) a flow sensor configured to output a flow rate signal representative of a flow rate therethrough the housing of the portable meter apparatus; iii) a processor adapted to receive and store the flow signal output by the flow sensor; iv) a satellite positioning system, wherein the processor is adapted to receive satellite position determining signals, process the satellite position determining signals to adapt the satellite position determining signals for transmission, and store the processed position determining signals; and 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. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification