AMR system with fly-by mode

• US 9,981,731 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2016
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ow Investrs, LLC
• Original Assignee: Ow Investrs, LLC
• Inventors: Allcorn, Roger, Salser, Floyd Stanley, Simmons, William Monty
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Stephen W
• Application Number:
  US15/202,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20170003142A1
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/06 Rigid airships; Semi-rigid airships B64B1/58 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/20 for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 29/12 Manhole shafts; Other inspection or access chambers; Accessories therefor for underground tanks B65D90/10; for sewerage E03F5/02 ; climbing irons or ladders E06C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/063 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/18 Supports or connecting means for meters
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/063 related to remote communication
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/065 related to mechanical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2233 used in consumption-meter devices, e.g. electricity, gas or water meters
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/50 using a mobile data collecting device, e.g. walk by or drive by
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• 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: H04W 52/283 Power depending on the position of the mobile
• 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 disclosed inventions include and apparatus and method for providing a universal Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) system configured with fly-by functionality. Such system may be configured to work in a plurality of modes including a walk-bay, drive-by, fixed network, and fly-by mode without hardware modifications. The system is configured to automatically calibrate so that the water meter transmitter operates at a minimum transmitted signal power level. Additional features include automatic hardware self-healing features where the system continues to function after certain hardware failures occur.

Claims

1. An automatic meter reading (AMR) system configured to transfer data from a data source to a data user, said AMR system comprising:

a plurality of data source modules disposed within a predefined area, each of said plurality of data source modules comprising (i) a power source configured for supplying power to said data source module and (ii) a processing device electrically associated with at least one of one of integral and external memory, said processing device further electrically associated with communication circuitry comprising a programmable transmitter electrically associate with an antenna;

an airborne remote receiver configured to maneuver within a predefined area to position said remote receiver within communication range with each of said plurality of data source modules;

wherein said remote receiver and each of said plurality of data source modules track the passage of time and wherein the time data for each of said plurality of data source modules is synchronized with the remote receiver time data; and

wherein said processing device is configured to transmit a module-data-signal according to a predefined module schedule.

2. An AMR system as in claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of data source modules is a universal meter transmitter (UMT) electrically associated with a utility meter, said power source is a battery and said airborne remote receiver comprises a drone.

3. An AMR system as in claim 2, wherein said UMT is configured to operate in any one of a plurality of modes without hardware modification including at least one of a drive-by mode, a fixed network mode and a fly-by mode.

4. An AMR system as in claim 3, wherein said UMT can transmit a UMT module-data-signal at a plurality of power levels and where the said UMT module-data-signal includes transmitter power level data relatable to the power level at which the UMT transmitted said UMT module-data-signal.

5. An AMR system as in claim 4, wherein said remote receiver uses said power level data to automatically modify the remote receiver'"'"'s flight path through said predefined area to lower the UMT transmitter power level required for said UMT to communicate with said remote receiver.

6. An AMR system as in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of airborne remote receivers and wherein said predefined module schedule defines a real-time-data transmit window value and wherein each of said plurality of data source modules are configured to transmit said module-data-signal at least once during said real-time-data transmit window and wherein said plurality of airborne remote receivers are distributed throughout said predefined area to collectively collect real-time-data from a predefined percentage of said plurality of data source modules.

7. An AMR system as in claim 6, wherein at least one of said plurality of airborne remote receivers is deployed in a drone tower mode.

8. An AMR system as in claim 7, wherein at least one of said plurality of airborne remote receivers is deployed in a mobile drone tower mode.

9. An AMR system as in claim 1, where said airborne remote receiver comprises a plurality of receiver modules electrically associated with a receiver controller wherein each receiver module defines a programmable receiver unit configured to listen on one channel.

10. An AMR system as in claim 9, where said plurality of receiver modules defines at least 5 receiver modules and wherein each receiver module is programmed to listen to a different channel and wherein said receiver controller is configured to reprogram a functional receiver module to listen on a second channel to compensate for a failed receiver module.

11. An automatic meter reading (AMR) system configured to transfer data from a utility meter to remote receiver, said AMR system comprising:

a plurality of utility meters disposed throughout a predefined area, wherein each utility meter is configured with a transmitter module comprising (i) a power source configured for supplying power to at least said transmitter module and (ii) a processing device electrically associated with at least one of one of integral and external memory, wherein said processing device is further electrically associated with communication circuitry comprising a programmable transmitter electrically associate with an antenna;

at least one airborne remote receiver configured to maneuver within said predefined area to position said remote receiver within communication range with each of said plurality of utility meters;

wherein said remote receiver and each of said plurality of utility meters track the passage of time and wherein the time data for each of said plurality of utility meters is synchronized with the remote receiver time data; and

wherein said processing device is configured to transmit a meter-data-signal according to a predefined meter-schedule.

12. An AMR system as in claim 11, wherein at least one of said transmitter modules defines a universal meter transmitter (UMT), said power source is a battery and said airborne remote receiver comprises a drone.

13. An AMR system as in claim 12, wherein said UMT is configured to operate in any one of a plurality of modes without hardware modification including at least one of a drive-by mode, a fixed network mode and a fly-by mode.

14. An AMR system as in claim 13, wherein said UMT can transmit said meter-data-signal at a plurality of power levels and where the said meter-data-signal includes transmitter power level data relatable to the power level at which the UMT transmitted said meter-data-signal.

15. An AMR system as in claim 14, wherein said remote receiver uses said power level data to automatically modify the remote receiver'"'"'s flight path through said predefined area to lower the UMT transmitter power level required for said UMT to communicate with said remote receiver.

16. An AMR system as in claim 11, further comprising a plurality of airborne remote receivers and wherein said predefined meter-schedule defines a real-time-data transmit window value and wherein each of said plurality of utility meters are configured to transmit said module-data-signal at least once during said real-time-data transmit window and wherein said plurality of airborne remote receivers are distributed throughout said predefined area to collectively collect real-time-data from a predefined percentage of said plurality of utility meters.

17. An AMR system as in claim 16, wherein at least one of said plurality of airborne remote receivers is deployed in a drone tower mode.

18. A universal meter interface unit (UMIU) configured for transmitting utility data, said meter interface unit comprising:

a UMIU housing suitably configured for housing UMIU components;

a controller electrically associated with a memory and disposed inside said UMIU housing wherein said controller is further electrically associated with programmable communication circuitry comprising a transceiver that is electrically associate with an antenna that is one of (a) disposed at least partially inside said UMIU housing and (b) external to said UMIU housing;

a register interface configured for being electrically associated with a utility meter via at least one of (a) a wired interface and (b) a wireless interface and wherein said register interface is further electrically associated with said controller and wherein said controller is configured to use said register interface to retrieve utility-data from said utility meter according to a predefined schedule;

a power pack that is one of (a) disposed inside said UMIU housing and (b) disposed within a power pack housing configured for being removably mechanically associated with said UMIU housing wherein said power pack is suitably configured for supplying power to said UMIU components including at least two of said controller, said transceiver and said register interface;

wherein said controller is configured to execute any one of a plurality of UMIU modes without hardware modification and according to a UMIU mode schedule and wherein said UMIU mode schedule comprise at least one of (a) a UMIU mode configured for drive-by interrogations, (b) a UMIU mode configured for fixed network interrogations, and (c) a UMIU mode configured for fly-by interrogations; and

wherein said controller is further configured to program said communications circuitry to transmit a meter-data-signal at any one of a plurality of power levels and wherein said meter-data-signal comprises at least part of said utility-data.

19. A UMIU configured for transmitting utility data as in claim 18, wherein said utility-data includes the power level at which the communication circuitry transmitted said meter-data-signal.

20. A UMIU configured for transmitting utility data as in claim 19, wherein said controller increases the power level at which the communication circuitry transmits said meter-data-signal until one of (a) a data received message is received from a remote device and (b) a predefined amount of time passes without receiving a data received message from a remote device.