Meter reading
First Claim
1. A method for electronically reading a variable display comprising mechanically variable display elements variably providing or displaying machine readable codes, the method comprising:
- receiving reading data from a reader device, the reading data comprising an electrical signal, or information associated therewith, associated with machine readable codes read by the reader device, wherein the machine readable codes are provided or displayed by all or a majority of display elements of the variable display, and wherein the machine readable codes are non-alphanumeric machine readable codes which correspond to numeric or alphanumeric values or characters either associated with the display elements, or displayed by the display elements in addition to the machine readable codes; and
processing the received reading data to determine each character associated with the machine readable code provided or displayed by each display element, and concatenating the determined characters in an order corresponding to positions of the corresponding variable display elements on the variable display thereby to determine a reading or character string displayed by, or associated with, the variable display, and determining a value associated with the concatenated determined characters.
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Abstract
This invention relates to a method and reader system for reading a mechanically variable display, particularly those provided with a meter, as well as to a metering system and a meter for measuring a commodity. In particular, the invention relates to a method and reader system for electronically reading a variable display comprising one or more mechanically variable display elements variably displaying one or more machine readable code/s which involves receiving reading data from an optical reader device, the reading data comprising at least an electrical signal, or information associated therewith, associated with at least one machine readable code read by the optical reader device; and processing the received reading data to determine a reading or character string associated displayed by, or associated with, the variable display.
4 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for electronically reading a variable display comprising mechanically variable display elements variably providing or displaying machine readable codes, the method comprising:
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receiving reading data from a reader device, the reading data comprising an electrical signal, or information associated therewith, associated with machine readable codes read by the reader device, wherein the machine readable codes are provided or displayed by all or a majority of display elements of the variable display, and wherein the machine readable codes are non-alphanumeric machine readable codes which correspond to numeric or alphanumeric values or characters either associated with the display elements, or displayed by the display elements in addition to the machine readable codes; and processing the received reading data to determine each character associated with the machine readable code provided or displayed by each display element, and concatenating the determined characters in an order corresponding to positions of the corresponding variable display elements on the variable display thereby to determine a reading or character string displayed by, or associated with, the variable display, and determining a value associated with the concatenated determined characters. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A reader system for electronically reading a variable display comprising one or more mechanically variable display elements variably providing or displaying machine readable codes, the reader system comprising:
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reader device configured to read machine readable codes provided or displayed by all or a majority of display elements of the variable display; and a processor communicably coupled to the reader device, the processor comprising; a receiver module configured to receive, from the reader device, reading data comprising at least electrical signals, or information associated therewith, associated with the machine readable codes read by the reader device, wherein the machine readable codes are non-alphanumeric machine readable codes which correspond to numeric or alphanumeric values or characters either associated with the display elements, or displayed by the display elements in addition to the machine readable codes; and a reading determining module configured to process the received reading data to determine each value or character associated with the machine readable code provided or displayed by each display element, and concatenate the determined characters in an order corresponding to positions of the corresponding variable display elements on the variable display thereby to determine a reading or character string displayed by, or associated with, the variable display. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for electronically reading a variable display comprising mechanically variable display elements variably providing or displaying machine readable codes, the method comprising:
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receiving reading data from a reader device, the reading data comprising an electrical signal, or information associated therewith, associated with machine readable codes read by the reader device, wherein the machine readable codes are provided or displayed by all or a majority of display elements of the variable display, and wherein the machine readable codes are non-alphanumeric machine readable codes which correspond to numeric or alphanumeric values or characters either associated with the display elements, or displayed by the display elements in addition to the machine readable codes and the variable display is associated with a meter such that the display elements comprises display wheels which rotatably display the machine readable codes corresponding to numeric or alphanumeric values or characters associated therewith; processing the received reading data to determine values or characters associated with the machine readable codes provided or displayed by the display elements thereby to determine a reading or character string displayed by, or associated with, the variable display; providing a checking machine readable code on at least a portion of at least one display zone of one or more display wheels, wherein the checking machine readable code is selected from one or more of a bar code, a machine readable colour coding, a Quick Response (QR) code, a geometric shape code, a dark or black display zone, a light or white display zone and a pattern thickness code readable by a machine; receiving checking data from the reader device, the checking data comprising at least an electrical signal, or information associated therewith, associated with at least one checking machine readable code read by the reader device; and processing the received checking data to; determine if a lesser significant display wheel is in transition to display a subsequent display zone; if it is determined that the lesser significant display wheel is in transition to display a subsequent display zone, determining if the transition will result in a transition of an adjacent more significant wheel; if it is determined that the transition will result in the transition of the adjacent more significant wheel, incrementing the numeric value determined from the machine readable code displayed by the more significant wheel or assigning the next numeric value to be displayed by the more significant wheel thereto; and optionally repeating the processing steps for all, where applicable, the display wheels of the variable display.
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Specification