Smart meter reader

• US 7,768,424 B2
• Filed: 07/04/2007
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: OW Investors, LLC
• Original Assignee: FC Patents LLC
• Inventors: Baker, Tim, Harvey, Ian Phillip, Hall, Richard, Furmidge, Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, ALBERT KANG
• Application Number:
  US11/773,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20080042873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 34087002-87003, 340/539.11, 340/10.1, 340/10.4, 340/539.14, 340/572.4, 705/412, 235/436, 235/440
• US Class Current: 340/870.03
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/006 Remote reading of utility meters to a non-fixed location, i.e. mobile location
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/39 Scanning a visible indication of the measured value and reproducing this indication at the remote place, e.g. on the screen of a cathode ray tube mechanical adjustment G01D5/264
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/063 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• 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

The reader (1) for a utility meter is disclosed. The reader (1) is capable of receiving data, in a variety of different protocols, by either inductive coupling or by radio frequency transmission. The reader (1) is a hand-held device which comprises an inductive read nozzle (2), a RF module, a display (4), a keypad (5) a trigger switch (6), a handle (7) a communication port (8), a battery charging interface (9), a memory and a microprocessor. The reader (1) is capable of storing utility usage data in memory and/or downloading utility usage data to a computer through the communication port (8).

Claims

1. A method of transferring data from a utility meter to an electronic device, said method comprising the steps of:

configuring a reader with a RF module and an inductive module, each electrically associated with a processing device that is further electrically associated with a memory and a power source;

storing route data in said memory wherein said route data includes a plurality of interrogation signal formats wherein one of such interrogation signal formats is required to transmit the an interrogation signal needed to activate a utility meter installed at a specific route location so that such utility meter begins transmitting meter data; and

configuring said reader to select one of said RF module and said inductive module and to use the selected module to automatically transmit an the interrogation signal in response to receiving route location information based on said route data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

configuring said interrogation signal format to include a unique identifier so that only one meter or one meter group responds to said interrogation signal.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

configuring said utility meter is to delay transmitting said meter data according to time value based on the meter'"'"'s identification number.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

configuring said utility meter to delay transmitting said meter data according to randomly generated time value.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

configuring said reader with a communication port for transferring data to a remote electronic device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said remote electronic device is a computing device associated with a vehicle.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said remote electronic device is a computing device associated with the person using said reader.

8. A method of transferring data from a utility meter to an electronic device, said method comprising the steps of:

associating a meter transceiver selected from a plurality of transceiver types with a utility meter, wherein said meter transceiver is configured to transmit a meter data signal upon receiving an a properly formatted interrogation signal, and wherein said transmitted meter data signal has a data format specific to the transceiver type selected;

configuring a reading device with a RF module electrically associated with a processing device that is further electrically associated with a memory and a power source;

storing route data in said memory wherein said route data includes the interrogation signal format information for each of said plurality of transceiver types;

configuring said reader to automatically transmit an a properly formatted interrogation signal for said meter transceiver in response to receiving route location information and using at least part of said route data; and

configuring said reader to automatically determine the transceiver meter data signal format required to receive the transmitted meter data signal and transfer at least part of said meter data to one of (a) said memory and (b) a remote electronic device.

9. A method of transferring data from a utility meter to an electronic device as in claim 8, said method further comprising the step of:

configuring said reading device with an inductive module electrically associated with said processing device.

10. A method of transferring data from a utility meter to an electronic device as in claim 9, said method further comprising the step of:

configuring said reader select one of said RF module and said inductive module and to automatically transmit an interrogation signal in response to receiving route location information and using at least part of said route data.

11. A method of transferring data from a utility meter to an electronic device as in claim 8, further comprising the step of:

storing, in said memory, expected meter data for specific utility meter and further configuring said reader to compare said expected meter data to the received meter data.

12. A method of transferring data from a utility meter to an electronic device as in claim 11, further comprising the step of:

generating a warning when results of said comparison meets predefined warning criteria.

13. A method of transferring data from a utility meter to an electronic device as in claim 8, further comprising the step of:

generating at least one of a visual and audio alert indicating the status of a read attempt.

14. A method of transferring data from a utility meter to an electronic device as in claim 8, further comprising the step of:

configuring the reader with a communication port for transferring meter data to a remote electronic device.

15. A method of transferring data from a utility meter to an electronic device, said method comprising the steps of:

configuring a reader with a RF module and an inductive module, each electrically associated with a processing device that is further electrically associated with a memory and a power source;

storing route data in said memory wherein said route data includes a plurality of interrogation signal formats wherein one of such interrogation signal formats is required to transmit an interrogation signal needed to activate one or more utility meters installed at a specific route location so that said one or more utility meters begin transmitting a meter data signal in a predefined signal format;

configuring said reader to automatically select one of said RF module and said inductive module for transmitting said integration signal and further configuring said reader to automatically transmit an interrogation signal using at least part of said routed data and in response to receiving route location information; and

configuring said reader to automatically determine said predefined signal format required to receive the transmitted meter data signal and transfer at least part of the received meter data to one of (a) said memory and (b) a remote electronic device.

16. A method of transferring data from a utility meter to an electronic device as in claim 15, further comprising the step of:

configuring said reader with a communication port for transferring data to a remote electronic device.

17. A method of transferring data from a utility meter to an electronic device as in claim 15, further comprising the step of:

configuring said reader to transmit said interrogation signal at a plurality of frequencies.

18. A method of transferring data from a utility meter to an electronic device as in claim 17, further comprising the step of:

further configuring said reader to automatically select the interrogation signal frequency from said plurality of frequencies based on at least part of said routed data and current location information.

19. A method of transferring data from a utility meter to an electronic device as in claim 15, further comprising the step of:

generating a visual and audio alert indicating the status of a read attempt.

20. A method of transferring data from a utility meter to an electronic device as in claim 15, wherein said interrogation signal includes information for configuring the power level used by said utility meter to transmit said meter data signal.