Utility data collection system employing location data receiver, such as a dual USB port GPS receiver
First Claim
1. In a system for gathering data reflecting consumption of a utility, wherein multiple utility meters and associated transmitters transmit utility consumption data to a vehicle, an apparatus for gathering the utility consumption data along a route, the apparatus comprising:
- an antenna secured to the vehicle;
a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, coupled to the antenna, and configured to receive signals from the antenna and produce geographic position data;
a GPS splitter module coupled to receive the geographic position data from the GPS receiver and configured to produce at least two streams of universal serial bus (USB) formatted geographic position data; and
a single computer secured to the vehicle and configured to receive the at least two streams of USB formatted geographic position data, wherein the single computer is neither a master nor a slave with respect to any other computer that may be coupled to the single computer and that may receive the geographic position data, andwherein the single computer substantially simultaneously runs at least a utility data collection application and at least one other application, wherein the utility data collection and the at least one other applications receive the at least two streams of USB formatted geographic position data, respectively, and wherein the single computer is further configured to convert at least one of the at least two streams of USB formatted geographic position data to a serial stream of geographic position data for use by at least one of the utility data collection application and the at least one other application.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for enabling a single antenna and a single GPS or other receiver to transmit GPS data to multiple software applications is disclosed herein. A GPS satellite transmits GPS data to a GPS receiver through an antenna. The GPS data travels to a GPS splitter, where the GPS data is transmitted to a GPS utility data collection application and to another GPS application. The software applications can be on a single or on multiple computers. The GPS signals may also be split into multiple streams internal to a single computer.
20 Citations
17 Claims
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1. In a system for gathering data reflecting consumption of a utility, wherein multiple utility meters and associated transmitters transmit utility consumption data to a vehicle, an apparatus for gathering the utility consumption data along a route, the apparatus comprising:
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an antenna secured to the vehicle; a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, coupled to the antenna, and configured to receive signals from the antenna and produce geographic position data; a GPS splitter module coupled to receive the geographic position data from the GPS receiver and configured to produce at least two streams of universal serial bus (USB) formatted geographic position data; and a single computer secured to the vehicle and configured to receive the at least two streams of USB formatted geographic position data, wherein the single computer is neither a master nor a slave with respect to any other computer that may be coupled to the single computer and that may receive the geographic position data, and wherein the single computer substantially simultaneously runs at least a utility data collection application and at least one other application, wherein the utility data collection and the at least one other applications receive the at least two streams of USB formatted geographic position data, respectively, and wherein the single computer is further configured to convert at least one of the at least two streams of USB formatted geographic position data to a serial stream of geographic position data for use by at least one of the utility data collection application and the at least one other application. - View Dependent Claims (2, 16, 17)
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3. In a system for gathering data reflecting consumption of a utility or for handling field service issues related to utility matters, an apparatus comprising:
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a single geographic location determining system configured to produce geographic location data; an intermediate system coupled to receive the geographic location data from the geographic location determining system and configured to produce at least one stream of data that is alternately formatted from the geographic location data; and at least first and second applications substantially simultaneously running on at least one computer, wherein the first application is at least one of a utility data collection application and a utility field service application, wherein the computer is configured to receive the at least one stream of alternately formatted geographic location data, wherein the computer is neither a master nor a slave with respect to any additional computer that may be coupled to the computer and that may receive the geographic location data therefrom, and wherein at least one of the intermediate system and the computer is configured to substantially simultaneously provide the geographic location data to each of the first and second applications, without the need for another geographic location determining system. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification