Systems and methods for remote utility metering and meter monitoring

• US 8,279,080 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2007
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mueller International LLC (Mueller Water Products Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Fairfax County Water Authority
• Inventors: Pitchford, Barth Robins, Pitchford, William Dudley, Simon, Robert Paul, Binning, C. David, Rasmussen, David Lewis
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Jr., Timothy
• Application Number:
  US11/760,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20070284293A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,943 Days
• Field of Search: 731/95, 732/39, 738/617.8, 738/617.7, 290/43, 290/50, 290/54
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/45 Utility meters networked together within a single building
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/063 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 3/12 Meters with nutating members, e.g. discs
• 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 remote water meter monitoring system is provided. A mesh network-type transceiver unit is coupled to a water meter housing having a water counting mechanism inside to transmit water consumption information as well as other sensor information, such as backflow detection, water pressure, and water metrics (e.g., residual chlorine and temperature) to a central server system via a bridge device and a corresponding mesh network. Mechanical energy from the water flowing through the water meter housing is converted to electrical energy via an energy conversion unit. An electrically powered shut off valve is remote addressable via the transceiver unit.

Claims

1. A remote water meter monitoring system comprising:

a water meter body coupling a water supply source to a water customer;

a flow meter contained within the water meter body that is configured to measure a bidirectional flow rate of water through the water meter;

a power supply system including at least one battery, at least one capacitor, at least one rectifier circuit, and a power generator, wherein the power generator is powered by a flow of water through the water meter body;

a controller communicatively coupled to the water meter body and power supply system; and

at least one antenna connected to the controller; and

wherein the controller is a microcontroller within a wireless mote;

wherein the controller is coupled to the flow meter and configured to calculate water consumption based on signals received from the flow meter; and

wherein the controller is configured to perform steps comprising;

awaking from a sleep state;

checking battery charge levels and adjusting a charging cycle in response to available power;

preparing a data packet for transmitting water consumption data to a collector;

listening for a routing beacon from a collector;

transmitting the prepared data packet;

resetting a timer; and

returning to a sleep state.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the water meter further comprises at least one water quality sensor.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to send periodic water usage information wirelessly to the water customer.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the system is remotely addressable via a communications network with a network content browser.

5. The remote water meter monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to communicate, to a collector using a multihop mesh network protocol, the calculated water consumption in a data packet.

6. The remote water meter monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the power supply system.

7. The remote water meter monitoring system of claim 6, wherein the at least one capacitor is a super capacitor and the controller is further configured to use the super capacitor as a primary power source and the battery as a secondary power source thereby minimizing battery recharging cycles.

8. The remote water meter monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to perform steps comprising:

receiving water consumption reports from another controller;

adding the received water consumption reports to a data packet including the calculated water consumption for the coupled flow meter; and

communicating the data packet to a collector.

9. The remote water meter monitoring system of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to include in the data packet a time stamp indicating a time when the water consumption was calculated.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the water meter body further comprises a shut off valve.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the shut off valve may be remotely activated by a wireless signal received by the system.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the flow sensor is adapted to detect reverse water flow and to cause the shut off valve to trigger when reverse water flow exceeds a predetermined volume.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller and antenna are configured to transmit and receive information from and send information to the system.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the controller and antenna are configured to send water usage information wirelessly to a bridge device.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein sending water usage information comprises sending information either directly or through one or more other water meter monitoring systems.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein the system is configured to receive at least one command from the wireless bridge device.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the at least one command is a command selected from the group consisting of a meter reading transmission request, a status request, and a water shutoff request.

18. A wireless remote water meter monitoring network comprising:

at least one central data processing system;

at least one bridge device communicatively coupled to the at least one central data processing system; and

a plurality of network nodes, each network node configured to perform two-way communication with the at least one bridge device, either directly or through one or more other network nodes, wherein each network node comprises;

a water meter housing coupling a water customer with a water supply line;

a flow measurement device in the water meter housing for measuring a volume of water flowing through the meter;

a power supply circuit including at least one power storage device, at least one capacitive device and a power converter, wherein the power converter is powered by water flow through the meter; and

a communication circuit comprising a mesh-type controller and an antenna, wherein the communication circuit is coupled to the flow measurement device and the power supply circuit and is adapted to perform two-way communication; and

wherein the mesh-type controller includes a microcontroller;

wherein the microcontroller is coupled to the flow meter and configured to calculate water consumption based on signals received from the flow meter; and

wherein the microcontroller is configured to perform steps comprising;

awaking from the sleep state;

checking battery charge levels and adjusting a charging cycle in response to available power;

preparing a data packet for transmitting water consumption data to a collector;

listening for a routing beacon from a collector;

transmitting the prepared data packet;

resetting a timer; and

returning to a sleep state.

19. The network according to claim 18, wherein the water meter further comprises a shut off valve operable to prevent water from flowing from the supply to the customer and configured for remote shut off via the communication circuit.

20. The network according to claim 18, wherein the antenna of the communication circuit is physically coupled to a conductive meter pit cover.

21. The wireless remote water meter monitoring network of claim 18, wherein the mesh-type controller is configured to communicate, to a collector using a multihop mesh network protocol, the calculated water consumption in a data packet.

22. The wireless remote water meter monitoring network of claim 18, wherein the at least one bridge device is configured to communicate to the at least one central data processing system via a WiFi wireless data network coupled to an Internet.

23. The wireless remote water meter monitoring network of claim 18, wherein the microcontroller is configured to control the power supply system.

24. The wireless remote water meter monitoring network of claim 23, wherein the at least one capacitor is a super capacitor and the microcontroller is further configured to use the super capacitor as a primary power source and the battery as a secondary power source thereby minimizing battery recharging cycles.

25. The wireless remote water meter monitoring network of claim 18, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to perform steps comprising:

receiving water consumption reports from another controller;

adding the received water consumption reports to a data packet including the calculated water consumption for the coupled flow meter; and

communicating the data packet to a collector.

26. The wireless remote water meter monitoring network of claim 25, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to include in the data packet a time stamp indicating a time when the water consumption was calculated.

27. A water meter, comprising:

a wireless mote element including a microcontroller and a wireless network transceiver;

a flow measurement element including

a nutating disk which displaces a volume of water with each rotation,

a drive shaft coupled to the nutating disk,

an output magnet coupled to the drive shaft; and

a rotation sensor configured to sense rotations of the output magnet and send signals to the microcontroller;

an energy harvesting element including a generator magnetically coupled to the output magnet; and

an energy storage element coupled to the generator and to the microcontroller, the energy storage element including;

a rectifier circuit;

a super capacitor coupled to the rectifier circuit and to the microcontroller;

a battery coupled to the microcontroller; and

a charging circuit coupled to the super capacitor, the battery and the microcontroller,

wherein the microcontroller is configured to perform steps comprising;

calculating water consumption data based on signals received from the rotation sensor;

generating a data packet for transmission including the calculated water consumption data;

transmitting the generated data packet to a collector via the transceiver using a multihop mesh networking protocol; and

controlling the energy storage element by selecting one of the super capacitor or the battery for receiving power; and

wherein the microcontroller is configured with software instructions to perform further steps comprising;

awaking from a sleep state;

checking battery charge levels and adjusting a charging cycle in response to available power;

preparing a data packet for transmitting water consumption data to a collector;

listening for a routing beacon from the collector;

transmitting the prepared data packet;

resetting a timer; and

returning to a sleep state.

28. The water meter of claim 27, wherein the microcontroller is configured with software instructions to perform further steps comprising:

receiving data packets from another water meter, the received data packets including water consumption data and an identifier for the other water meter; and

adding the received water consumption data to the generated data packet for transmission prior to transmitting the data packet to the collector.

29. The water meter of claim 28, wherein the microcontroller is configured with software instructions to perform further steps comprising including in the data packet a time stamp indicating a time when the water consumption was calculated.