Device for bidirectional remote water-meter reading by means of radio, for invoicing in a accordance with consumption time bands

• US 8,212,686 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2007
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Suez Environnement (Suez Environnement Company)
• Original Assignee: Suez Environnement (Suez Environnement Company)
• Inventors: Villessot, Daniel, Guerquin, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): KAPLAN, HAL IRA
• Application Number:
  US12/160,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20100219982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,002 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.02
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• 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 present invention relates to a remote water-meter reading device (8) that comprises an assembly (10) for acquiring consumption data and comprising at least one radio transmitter for transmitting the information acquired, at least one radio receiver incorporated into the acquisition assembly (10) so as to enable said device (1) to communicate in both directions in order to receive the information from a central unit (2), and an antenna (11) so that said central unit can transmit time/date information such that this transmission of information taken into account by said radio receivers makes it possible to guarantee exact timing/dating of all the acquisition assemblies (10) of the meters that form one and the same lot, characterized in that said meter (8) initiates a volume-consumed measurement at a time determined by a first timing/dating received from the central unit (2) by the receiver and stops it at a time determined by a second timing/dating received from the central unit (2) by the receiver, the volume consumed in the interval between the two timings/datings being stored in a memory and then transmitted to said central unit (2) via the transmitter at a later time.

Claims

1. A remote water meter reading device, comprising

a consumption data acquisition assembly;

at least one radio emitter for transmitting consumption information;

at least one radio receiver integrated into the acquisition assembly for receiving time-stamping information from a central facility, said time-stamping information being used by the acquisition assembly of a meter within a population of meters; and

an antenna linked to the emitter and to the receiver to enable bidirectional communications, wherein said meter starts a measurement of a volume of water consumed on a start schedule determined by a first time-stamping received from the central facility by the receiver and stops the measurement on a stop schedule determined by a second time-stamping received from the central facility by the receiver, the volume of water consumed in the interval between the first and second time-stampings being stored in a memory then transmitted as part of the consumption information to said central facility in accordance with a predetermined schedule.

2. The remote reading device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a screen making it possible to view the start and stop schedules and a period during which the consumption takes place.

3. The remote reading device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said emitter, said receiver and said acquisition assembly are disposed in such a way as to be able to be integrated into one and the same package and driven by a common electronic card and powered by a single energy source.

4. The remote reading device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said energy source is chosen from among cells and/or batteries.

5. The remote reading device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one repeater disposed between said device and central facility so as to take up and transfer a radio emission from the meter to the central facility and vice versa.

6. The remote reading device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said radio emitter and said radio receiver both operate on free frequencies.

7. The remote reading device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least said radio emitter or at least said radio receiver operates on a dedicated frequency.

8. The remote reading device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the power of said radio emitter or of said radio receiver operating on a dedicated frequency is greater than the maximum limit permitted for the free frequencies.

9. The remote reading device as claimed in claim 1, in which the meter is a mechanical meter, equipped with a transducer transforming the mechanical movements of the meter into electrical pulses, wherein said acquisition assembly is disposed against the transducer to which it is secured, that a single energy source powers the transducer and the assembly and that said antenna is linked to the emitter and to the receiver by means of a cable, so that the antenna can be placed some distance from the meter.

10. The remote reading device as claimed in claim 9, wherein said cable is a coaxial cable.

11. The remote reading device as claimed in claim 1 for the meter disposed in a manhole, wherein said antenna is disposed in an upper part of said manhole.

12. The remote reading device as claimed in claim 11 for the meter disposed in a manhole furnished with a cover, wherein said antenna is integrated into the cover of said manhole.

13. The remote reading device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the cover is metallic and said antenna consists of the cover of the manhole.

14. The remote reading device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the cover is made of an electrically non-conducting material and said antenna is embedded or molded in said cover.

15. The remote reading device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the cover comprises, on its lower face, a connector which is linked to an end of the antenna and into which can be plugged a radio cable link to the emitter and to the receiver.