Gas meter having ultra-sensitive magnetic material retrofitted onto meter dial and method for performing meter retrofit

• US 8,334,787 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2008
• Issued: 12/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trilliant Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Trilliant Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Bushman, Willard Thomas, Vogel, William Steven, Fischette, Robert Gerard, Schoenman, Eric Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): KAPLAN, HAL IRA
• Application Number:
  US12/258,805
• Publication Number:
  US 20090153357A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,513 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.02
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/008 Modifications to installed utility meters to enable remote reading
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/063 using electrical means
• 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

Device, structure and method for retrofitting a utility meter such as a gas meter with a retrofit module or for new installations to conventional meters so that it can be read remotely and so that retrofit may be accomplished simply by unskilled workers and without damage or alteration of meter. The method for retrofitting a meter of the type having shaft driven dial with dial index pointer and index cover involves removing the meter index cover to access the meter index dial pointer; attaching a magnet to the pointer so that it is carried in orbit around the pointer shaft to which the pointer is attached; and mounting a sensor to the meter adapted to sense the passage of the pointer-mounted magnet and to detect the orbit of index pointer; the attaching of the magnet and the mounting of the sensor being performed without removing the meter dial index assembly.

Claims

1. A method for retrofitting a mechanical meter having a meter shaft driven dial assembly comprising at least one index dial pointer and an index cover having a transparent portion for observing the index dial pointer, the method comprising:

removing the index cover to permit access to the index dial pointer;

attaching a magnet to the index dial pointer so that it is carried in an orbit around a dial pointer shaft to which the index dial pointer is attached; and

mounting a replacement index cover having a sensor disposed therein or on a surface thereof to the meter, the sensor when installed being adapted to sense the passage of the index dial pointer mounted magnet and to detect at least a partial orbit of the index dial pointer;

wherein the attaching of the magnet and the mounting of the sensor are performed without removing the meter shaft driven dial assembly from the meter.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the magnet is attached to the index dial pointer using a cap or fitment that slips over or snaps onto the existing index dial pointer.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is adapted to interact with the magnet to sense a transient passing presence of the magnet and to alter an electrical characteristic so as to indicate a rotation or partial rotation of the index dial pointer.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said removing the index cover, attaching the magnet, and mounting the sensor are performed without stopping gas flow through the meter and while the meter is in normal operation.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the magnet is attached to the index dial pointer without removing an index from the meter.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the magnet is held by a magnet holder cap and the magnet holder cap is attached to the index dial pointer by placing the holder cap onto the index dial pointer without removing an index from the meter.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising mounting the sensor to the replacement index cover.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the detection of at least a partial orbit of the index dial pointer comprises detecting each full orbit of the index dial pointer.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the meter is a gas meter.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the meter is a water meter.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the meter is an electric meter.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the meter is a utility meter and the index dial pointer indicates the flow of a utility commodity through the meter, and wherein

the magnet is held to the at least one index dial pointer at a non-zero radial distance from the dial pointer shaft so that the magnet orbits the dial pointer shaft in operation as the utility commodity flows through the meter;

the sensor is adapted to detect the passage of the magnet past the sensor on each orbit during operation; and

the sensor comprises a circuit that receives an input signal from the sensor and develops a count related to the number of times the sensor has detected the passage of the magnet.

13. An automatic meter reading (AMR) module for a utility meter having an index assembly with at least one index dial and at least one index dial pointer that rotates about an index pointer shaft to indicate the flow of a utility commodity through the meter, the AMR module comprising:

an index cover at least a portion of which is transparent;

a carrier for holding a magnet to the at least one index dial pointer at a non-zero radial distance from the index pointer shaft so that the magnet orbits the index pointer shaft in operation as the utility commodity flows through the meter;

a sensor disposed within or on a surface of the index cover, the sensor adapted to detect a passage of the magnet past the sensor on each orbit during operation; and

a sensor circuit that receives an input signal from the sensor and develops a count related to a number of times the sensor has detected the passage of the magnet past the sensor,

wherein the AMR is adapted to be attached to the utility meter without removing the index assembly from the utility meter.

14. The AMR module as in claim 13, wherein the sensor includes a switch that undergoes at least a transient state change during the passage of the magnet past the sensor.

15. The AMR module as in claim 14, wherein the at least a transient state change comprises a change from a switch open state to a switch closed state.

16. The AMR module as in claim 14, wherein the at least a transient state change generates a pulse signal that is detected by the sensor circuit and is used to develop the count.

17. The AMR module as in claim 14, wherein at least a transient state change during the passage of the magnet past the sensor comprises a state change until a next passage of the magnet.

18. The AMR module as in claim 13, wherein the sensor circuit further includes a memory or register for storing the count or at least one value or symbol representing the count.

19. The AMR module as in claim 13, wherein the sensor circuit further comprises:

a low-pass filter coupled to the sensor; and

a latch coupled to the low-pass filter.

20. The AMR module as in claim 13, further comprising a radio frequency transmitter and receiver;

wherein at least the transmitter is adapted to access a memory or register storing the count or at least one value or symbol representing the count and to transmit the count or at least one value or symbol representing the count to an external entity.

21. The AMR module as in claim 20, wherein the transmitter and receiver are adapted for operation on a radio frequency wireless network.

22. The AMR module as in claim 20, further comprising an energy consumption control circuit to control the power or energy consumption of at least one of the sensor circuit, radio transmitter, radio receiver, memory, and any combination of two or more of these.

23. The AMR module as in claim 20, wherein the radio frequency transmitter and receiver are disposed within an electronics module housing different from the index cover.

24. The AMR module as in claim 13, further comprising a cap or fitment for attachment to the index dial pointer and to carry the magnet along a radius of the index dial pointer.

25. The AMR module as in claim 13, further comprising an electronics module housing different from the index cover, the sensor circuit being disposed at least in part within the electronics module housing and the sensor being disposed at least in part within the index cover;

and the sensor being electrically coupled with the sensor circuit by electrical conductors.

26. The AMR module as in claim 13, wherein the sensor includes a switch that undergoes at least a transient state change during the passage of the magnet past the sensor;

and the switch is disposed within a portion of the sensor circuit disposed on or within the index cover.

27. The AMR module as in claim 13, wherein:

the sensor includes a switch that undergoes at least a transient state change during the passage of the magnet past the sensor;

the at least a transient state change comprises a change from a switch open state to a switch closed state;

the at least a transient state change generates a pulse signal that is detected by the sensor circuit and is used to develop the count;

the sensor circuit further includes a memory or register for storing the count or at least one value or symbol representing the count; and

the AMR module further comprises;

a radio frequency transmitter and radio frequency receiver, wherein at least the transmitter is adapted to access the memory or register storing the count or at least one value or symbol representing the count and to transmit the count or at least one value or symbol representing the count to an external entity, and the radio frequency transmitter and radio frequency receiver are adapted for operation on a radio frequency wireless network;

an energy consumption control circuit to control a power or energy consumption of at least one of the sensor circuit, radio transmitter, radio receiver, memory, and any combination of two or more of these; and

an electronics module housing different from the index cover, the sensor circuit being disposed at least in part within the electronics module housing and the sensor being disposed at least in part within the index cover, the sensor being electrically coupled with the sensor circuit by electrical conductors, and a radio frequency antenna coupled with the transmitter and receiver disposed in the electronics module housing at a location other than sandwiched between a meter body and the index assembly.