Meter with IrDA port

• US 7,508,319 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2007
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Electro Industries/Gaugetech
• Original Assignee: Electro Industries/Gaugetech
• Inventors: Kagan, Erran
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Jr.; Timothy
• Application Number:
  US11/891,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20080030368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• Field of Search: 34087002-87011, 340/870.17, 702/61, 702/62, 702/127
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

A meter is provided of the type used for recording data primarily related to power and/or energy use. The meter includes an IrDA port for wirelessly transmitting and receiving data to and from the meter. Preferably, the IrDA port operates according to one or more of the standard IrDA protocols and is preferably mounted on the face of the meter to allow data to be read using a handheld computing device. Upon the detection of the handheld computing device, the IrDA port automatically transmits data to the handheld computing device. The handheld computing device is preferably programmed with application software for processing the read data. The processed data can then be transmitted either wirelessly or non-wirelessly to a computing device, such as a remote server or personal computer, for preparing bills, statistical charts, energy reports, etc.

Claims

1. A meter including a first processor for processing at least one measurement, the meter comprising:

an IrDA port for at least wirelessly transmitting data to an optical port of a computing device located at a predetermined distance away from the IrDA port, wherein the IrDA port comprises a second processor in operative communication with the first processor configured for receiving data from the first processor and converting the data to at least one IrDA protocol.

2. The meter according to claim 1, wherein the meter is a power meter and the at least one measurement indicates the amount of power or energy consumed.

3. The meter according to claim 1, wherein the transmitted data includes the at least one measurement.

4. The meter according to claim 1, wherein the transmitted data includes a name, an address, and an account number corresponding to a customer, and an amount of energy consumed over a given time period.

5. The meter according to claim 1, wherein the meter is selected from the group consisting of power, gas, oil, pressure, and water measuring meters.

6. The meter according to claim 1, wherein the at least one IrDA protocol is selected from the group consisting of IrDA Infrared Link Access Protocol (IrLAP), IrDA Infrared Link Management Protocol (IrLMP), IrDA Transport Protocols (Tiny TP), IrDA Object Exchange Protocol (IrOBEX), Extensions to IrOBEX for Ir Mobile Communications, and IrTran-P (Infrared Transfer Picture) Specification.

7. The meter according to claim 1, wherein the IrDA port comprises:

means for intermittently transmitting an optical pulse for detecting a computing device; and

means for automatically transmitting the data upon the detection of the computing device.

8. The meter according to claim 1, further comprising means for determining whether to wirelessly transmit data via the IrDA port.

9. The meter according to claim 8, wherein the means for determining whether to wirelessly transmit data includes:

means for wirelessly receiving a key via the IrDA port;

means for determining if the key matches a key stores within a memory of the meter; and

means for actuating transmission of the data via the IrDA port if the received key matches the stored key.

10. The meter according to claim 1, wherein the IrDA port comprises means for receiving data to re-program and configure the meter.

11. A power meter for measuring power consumed including a first processor for processing the measured power, the power meter comprising:

an IrDA port for wirelessly transmitting data to an optical port of a computing device located at a predetermined distance away from the IrDA port, wherein the IrDA port comprises a second processor inoperative communication with the first processor configured for receiving the measured power from the first processor and converting the measured power to at least one IrDA protocol.

12. The power meter according to claim 11, wherein the transmitted data includes an amount of power consumed, and a name, an address, and an account number corresponding to a customer.

13. The power meter according to claim 11, wherein the at least one IrDA protocol is selected from the group consisting of IrDA Infrared Link Access Protocol (IrLAP), IrDA Infrared Link Management Protocol (IrLMP), IrDA Transport Protocols (Tiny TP), IrDA Object Exchange Protocol (IrOBEX), Extensions to IrOBEX for Ir Mobile Communications, and IrTran-P (Infrared Transfer Picture) Specification.

14. The power meter according to claim 11, wherein the IrDA port comprises:

means for intermittently transmitting an optical pulse for detecting a computing device; and

means for automatically transmitting the data upon the detection of the computing device.

15. The power meter according to claim 11, further comprising means for determining whether to wirelessly transmit data via the IrDA port.

16. The power meter according to claim 15, wherein the means for determining whether to wirelessly transmit data includes:

means for wirelessly receiving a key via the IrDA port;

means for determining if the key matches a key stores within a memory of the meter; and

means for actuating transmission of the data via the IrDA port if the received key matches the stored key.

17. The power meter according to claim 11, wherein the IrDA port comprises means for receiving data to re-program and configure the power meter.

18. A meter including a first processor for processing at least one measurement, the meter comprising:

a first optical port for at least wirelessly transmitting data to a second optical port of a computing device located at a predetermined distance away from the first optical port, wherein the first optical port comprises a second processor in operative communication with the first processor configured for receiving data from the first processor and converting the data to at least one transmission protocol.

19. A utility billing system comprising:

at least one meter including a first processor for processing at least one measurement, the at least one meter including an IrDA port for at least wirelessly transmitting data to an optical port of a handheld device located at a predetermined distance away from the IrDA port, wherein the IrDA port comprises a second processor in operative communication with the first processor configured for receiving data from the first processor and converting the data to at least one IrDA protocol;

the handheld device configured for receiving and storing the converted data from the at least one meter and transmitting the converted data to a computing device; and

the computing device configured for receiving the stored data of the at least one meter from the handheld device and for preparing a utility bill for each of the at least one meter based on the received stored data.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the at least one meter is a power meter and the at least one measurement indicates the amount of power or energy consumed.

21. The system according to claim 19, wherein the data transmitted from the at least one meter includes a name, an address, and an account number corresponding to a customer, and an amount of energy consumed over a given time period.

22. The system according to claim 19, wherein the at least one meter is selected from the group consisting of power, gas, oil, pressure, and water measuring meters.

23. The system according to claim 19, wherein the at least one IrDA protocol is selected from the group consisting of IrDA Infrared Link Access Protocol (IrLAP), IrDA Infrared Link Management Protocol (IrLMP), IrDA Transport Protocols (Tiny TP), IrDA Object Exchange Protocol (IrOBEX), Extensions to IrOBEX for Ir Mobile Communications, and IrTran-P (Infrared Transfer Picture) Specification.

24. The system according to claim 19, wherein the IrDA port comprises:

means for intermittently transmitting an optical pulse for detecting a handheld device; and

means for automatically transmitting the data upon the detection of the handheld device.

25. The system according to claim 19, further comprising means for determining whether to wirelessly transmit data via the IrDA port.

26. The system according to claim 19, wherein the means for determining whether to wirelessly transmit data includes:

means for wirelessly receiving a key via the IrDA port;

means for determining if the key matches a key stores within a memory of the at least one meter; and

means for actuating transmission of the data via the IrDA port if the received key matches the stored key.