Meters and upgraded meter cover with sensor

• US 9,661,403 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2016
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IPS Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: IPS Group Incorporated
• Inventors: Randall, Chad P., King, David William, Schwarz, Alexander, Hunter, Stephen John
• Primary Examiner(s): Benlagsir, Amine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tang, Son M
• Application Number:
  US15/292,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20170034600A1
• Time in Patent Office: 222 Days
• Field of Search: 3409322
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/02 taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems G07B15/06 takes precedence; taximeters G07B13/00; parking meters per se G07F17/24; car rental systems per se G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/30 Parking meters registering or indicating waiting time of vehicles by means driven by the vehicle G07C5/02; coin-freed parking meters G07F17/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/43 using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/80 Arrangements in the sub-station, i.e. sensing device
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/886 using energy harvesting, e.g. solar, wind or mechanical
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/02 Automatically-operated arrangements

Abstract

Meters and meter covers comprising: a removable cover housing configured to accommodate the upper portion of the internal components of an existing meter, the cover housing engageable with the housing base of the existing meter to cover and enclose the internal components of the existing meter; a sensor affixed to the cover housing, the sensor configured to collect environmental information pertaining to the local external environment of the existing meter; a wireless radio affixed to the cover housing, the wireless radio configured to transmit the environmental information to the existing meter or to a remote server in communication with the existing meter; and a power unit affixed to the cover housing, the power unit supplying power to the sensor and the wireless radio.

Claims

1. A meter cover comprising:

a) a removable cover housing configured to accommodate an upper portion of internal components of an existing meter, the cover housing engageable with a housing base of the existing meter to cover and enclose the internal components of the existing meter, wherein the cover housing comprises left and right flares, protruding at least partially to the left and right, respectively, from the removable cover housing and adapted to house one or more sensors;

b) one or more sensors affixed to the left flare of the cover housing and housed in the left flare to collect information pertaining to the presence of an object in a first local external environment to the left of the existing meter and one or more sensors affixed to the right flare of the cover housing and housed in the right flare to collect information pertaining to the presence of an object in a second local external environment to the right of the existing meter, wherein the one or more sensors affixed to the left flare of the cover housing and the one or more sensors affixed to the right flare of the cover housing operate independently of each other; and

c) a wireless radio affixed to the cover housing, the wireless radio configured to transmit the information pertaining to the first and second local external environments to the existing meter or to a remote server in communication with the existing meter.

2. The meter cover of claim 1, wherein the meter is a parking meter, the sensors are vehicle sensors, the first and second local external environments are parking spaces, and the objects are vehicles.

3. The meter cover of claim 2, wherein the parking meter is a single-space parking meter or a multi-space parking meter.

4. The meter cover of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors affixed to the left flare of the cover housing and the one or more sensors affixed to the right flare of the cover housing comprise a radar.

5. The meter cover of claim 4, wherein the cover housing comprises a material that is at least partially radar transparent.

6. The meter cover of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors affixed to the left flare of the cover housing or the one or more sensors affixed to the right flare of the cover housing are mounted on a gimbal to facilitate positioning.

7. The meter cover of claim 1, wherein the radio is a wireless radio that utilizes ISM-band, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or ZigBee.

8. The meter cover of claim 1, further comprising an RF reader affixed to the cover housing and configured to receive a meter identification from a wireless tag associated with the existing meter.

9. The meter cover of claim 8, wherein the wireless radio is further configured to transmit the meter identification in association with the information pertaining to the first and second local external environments of the existing meter.

10. The meter cover of claim 1, wherein the meter cover is operationally self-sufficient, the sensors and the wireless radio being not electrically connected to the existing meter.

11. The meter cover of claim 1, further comprising a payment accepting unit affixed to the cover housing.

12. The meter cover of claim 1, wherein at least one sensor is a camera.

13. The meter cover of claim 1, further comprising an interface for connecting to a power unit of the existing meter, the power unit of the existing meter supplying power to the sensors and the wireless radio.

14. A meter comprising:

a) a housing base;

b) a meter device at least partially disposed in the housing base;

c) a removable cover housing configured to accommodate an upper portion of the meter device, the cover housing engageable with the housing base of the existing meter to cover and enclose the meter device, wherein the cover housing comprises left and right flares protruding at least partially to the left and right, respectively, from the removable cover housing and adapted to house one or more sensors;

d) one or more sensors affixed to left the flare of the cover housing and housed in the left flare to collect information pertaining to the presence of an object in a first local external environment to the left of the existing meter and one or more sensors affixed to the right flare of the cover housing and housed in the right flare to collect information pertaining to the presence of an object in a second local external environment to the right of the existing meter, wherein the one or more sensors affixed to the left flare of the cover housing and the one or more sensors affixed to right flare of the cover housing operate independently of each other; and

e) a wireless radio affixed to the cover housing, the wireless radio configured to transmit the information pertaining to the first and second local external environments to the meter device or to a remote server in communication with the meter device.

15. The meter of claim 14, wherein the meter is a parking meter, the sensors are vehicle sensors, the first and second local external environments are parking spaces, and the objects are vehicles.

16. The meter of claim 15, wherein the parking meter is a single-space parking meter or a multi-space parking meter.

17. The meter of claim 14, wherein the one or more sensors affixed to the left flare of the cover housing and the one or more sensors affixed to the right flare of the cover housing comprise a radar.

18. The meter of claim 17, wherein the cover housing comprises a material that is at least partially radar transparent.

19. The meter of claim 14, wherein the one or more sensors affixed to the left flare of the cover housing or the one or more sensors affixed to the right flare of the cover housing are mounted on a gimbal to facilitate positioning.

20. The meter of claim 14, wherein the radio is a wireless radio that utilizes ISM-band, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or ZigBee.

21. The meter of claim 14, further comprising an RF reader affixed to the cover housing and configured to receive a meter identification from a wireless tag associated with the existing meter.

22. The meter of claim 21, wherein the wireless radio is further configured to transmit the meter identification in association with the information pertaining to the first and second local external environments of the existing meter.

23. The meter of claim 14, wherein the meter cover is operationally self-sufficient, the sensors and the wireless radio being not electrically connected to the meter device.

24. The meter of claim 14, wherein the cover housing comprises an interface for connecting to a power unit of the meter device, the power unit of the meter device supplying power to the sensors and the wireless radio.

25. A method of upgrading a meter comprising:

a) disengaging a cover housing from a housing base of an existing meter to expose an internal meter device;

b) removing the cover housing;

c) replacing the cover housing; and

d) engaging a replacement cover housing with the housing base to cover and enclose the meter device;

provided that the replacement cover housing comprises;

left and right flares protruding at least partially to the left and right, respectively, from the replacement cover housing and adapted to house one or more sensors;

one or more sensors affixed to the left flare of the replacement cover housing and housed in the left flare to collect information pertaining to the presence of an object in a first local external environment to the left of the existing meter and one or more sensors affixed to the right flare of the replacement cover housing and housed in the right flare to collect information pertaining to the presence of an object in a second local external environment to the right of the existing meter, wherein the one or more sensors affixed to the left flare of the replacement cover housing and the one or more sensors affixed to the right flare of the replacement cover housing operate independently of each other; and

a wireless radio affixed to the replacement cover housing, the wireless radio configured to transmit the environmental information to the meter device or to a remote server in communication with the meter device;

whereby the meter is upgraded.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the internal meter device of the existing meter is not replaced.

27. A method of upgrading a meter comprising:

a) disengaging a portion of a cover housing from a cover housing of an existing meter;

b) removing the portion of the cover housing;

c) replacing the portion of the cover housing; and

d) engaging a replacement portion of the cover housing with the cover housing of the existing meter;

provided that the portion of the cover housing comprises less than 75%, 50%, or 25% of the cover housing;

provided that the replacement portion of the cover housing comprises;

left and right flares protruding at least partially to the left and right, respectively, from the replacement portion of the cover housing and adapted to house one or more sensors;

one or more sensors affixed to the left flare of the replacement portion of the cover housing and housed in the left flare to collect information pertaining to the presence of an object in a first local external environment to the left of the existing meter and one or more sensors affixed to the right flare of the replacement portion of the cover housing and housed in the right flare to collect information pertaining to the presence of an object in a second local external environment to the right of the existing meter, wherein the one or more sensors affixed to the left flare of the replacement portion of the cover housing and the one or more sensors affixed to the right flare of the replacement portion of the cover housing operate independently of each other; and

a wireless radio affixed to the portion of the replacement portion of the cover housing, the wireless radio configured to transmit the environmental information to the meter device or to a remote server in communication with the meter device;

whereby the meter is upgraded.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein an internal meter device of the existing meter is not replaced.