Meter and method for determining meter readings and method for the wireless transmission of electrical energy

• US 10,114,045 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2015
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gwf Messsysteme AG
• Original Assignee: Gwf Messsysteme AG
• Inventors: Mathis, Peter, Mettler, Roland, Helfenstein, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Tanmay
• Application Number:
  US15/533,192
• Publication Number:
  US 20170328938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 34087002
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/00 Tariff metering apparatus in taximeters G07B13/00; apparatus actuated by coins, cards or the like with meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas, or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/063 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/07 Integration to give total flow, e.g. using mechanically-operated integrating mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/0755 involving digital counting
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/26 using modulation of waves other than light, e.g. radio or acoustic waves
• 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: 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 meter includes a hermetically encapsulated electronic metering mechanism having a meter unit for the determination of meter readings, the metering mechanism including a data memory for storing the meter readings, and the metering unit including an antenna of a defined shape, and a readout unit arranged outside the metering mechanism for reading the meter readings from the data memory. The meter is operated according to a method for the determination of meter readings and for the wireless transmission of electrical energy. The shape of the readout unit antenna is identical to the shape of the metering unit antenna, wherein the congruent and predefined positioning of the readout unit antenna ensures an effective wireless energy supply to the metering unit by electromagnetic radiation through the readout unit, and, independently thereof, a stable wireless data coupling for the determination of meter readings between the metering unit and the readout unit.

Claims

1. A meter comprising:

a hermetically encapsulated electronic metering mechanism with a metering unit for determining meter readings, wherein the metering mechanism includes a data memory for storing the meter readings;

the metering unit including an antenna having a predefined antenna shape;

a readout unit for reading out the meter readings from the data memory arranged outside the metering mechanism;

the readout unit having an antenna with the predefined antenna shape corresponding to the antenna of the metering unit; and

wherein the readout unit and the metering unit are positioned relative to one another whereby the antenna of the readout unit and the antenna of the metering unit are arranged congruent with one another, and wherein electrical energy of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the antenna of the readout unit is initially used for establishing a data link between the antenna of the metering unit and the antenna of the readout unit, and wherein one of the meter readings is simultaneously determined by the metering mechanism due to the availability of the electrical energy, and wherein data is subsequently conditioned and synchronized between a main memory and a buffer memory of the data memory, and wherein a selected memory flag is set after the synchronization of the data between the buffer memory and the main memory has been completed, and wherein the readout unit is configured to initiate the transmission of the data once the selected memory flag is detected and is configured to immediately interrupt the transmission of electrical energy to the metering unit once an expected data volume has been received.

2. The meter according to claim 1 wherein the congruently arranged antennas of the metering unit and the readout unit are positioned in the meter to lie on top of one another, wherein the antennas overlap one another.

3. The meter according to claim 1 wherein the antenna of the readout unit and the antenna of the metering unit are each formed as a closed annular body.

4. The meter according to claim 1 wherein electrical energy is transmitted from the readout unit to the metering unit wirelessly by transmitting the electrical energy from the antenna of the readout unit to the antenna of the metering unit as electromagnetic radiation.

5. The meter according to claim 1 wherein the predefined antenna shape is sectionally circular with a curvature radius in a form of a circle segment.

6. The meter according to claim 1 wherein the antenna of the readout unit is arranged within the readout unit and the antenna of the metering unit is arranged within the metering unit, and the readout unit and the metering unit are positioned relative to one another by a coupling element.

7. The meter according to claim 1 wherein data including the meter readings is transmitted from the data memory of the metering unit to the readout unit through the data link between the antenna of the metering unit and the antenna of the readout unit established as at least one of a capacitive coupling and an inductive coupling.

8. The meter according to claim 1 wherein data including the meter readings is transmitted from the data memory of the metering unit to the readout unit digitally and with a reduced data volume in comparison with a standardized data set.

9. The meter according to claim 8 wherein the readout unit allocates the reduced data volume by an allocator function.

10. The meter according to claim 1 wherein the data within the buffer memory is read out and transmitted as part of data transmission between the metering unit and the readout unit.

11. The meter according to claim 1 wherein the readout unit can only read out data from the metering unit if the selected memory flag is set.

12. The meter according to claim 1 wherein transmission of data from the data memory of the metering unit to the readout unit is encrypted.

13. The meter according to claim 1 wherein the readout unit determines and adapts an impedance and a resonant frequency of the antenna of the metering unit for an optimized transmission of electrical energy from the antenna of the readout unit to the antenna of the metering unit.

14. A method for determining meter readings of a meter having a hermetically encapsulated electronic metering mechanism, a metering unit and a data memory for storing the meter readings, wherein the metering unit has an antenna with a predefined antenna shape, and wherein the method comprises the steps of:

arranging a readout unit for reading out the meter readings from the data memory outside the metering mechanism, wherein the readout unit has an antenna with the predefined antenna shape;

positioning the readout unit relative to the metering unit and arranging the antenna of the readout unit congruent with the antenna of the metering unit; and

establishing a data link between the antenna of the metering unit and the antenna of the readout unit and transmitting data including the meter readings from the data memory of the metering unit to the antenna of the readout unit wirelessly by the antenna of the metering unit, wherein electrical enemy of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the antenna of the readout unit is initially used for establishing the data link between the antenna of the metering unit and the antenna of the readout unit, wherein a one of the meter readings is simultaneously determined by the metering mechanism due to the availability of the electrical energy, wherein data is subsequently conditioned and synchronized between a main memory and a buffer memory of the data memory, wherein a selected memory flag is set after the synchronization of the data between the buffer memory and the main memory has been completed, and wherein the readout unit immediately initiates the transmission of the data once the selected memory flag is detected and immediately interrupts the transmission of electrical energy to the metering unit once an expected data volume has been received.

15. The method according to claim 14 including initially conditioning the data in the data memory of the metering unit when electrical energy is available, and setting the selected memory flag after the data conditioning has been carried out, wherein the readout unit can only read out the data of the metering unit if the selected memory flag is set.

16. The method according to claim 14 including transmitting the data with a reduced data volume in comparison with a standardized data set, and wherein the readout unit allocates the reduced data volume using an allocator function.

17. The method according to claim 14 wherein the data is read out from the buffer memory and subsequently transmitted to the readout unit as part of the data transmission between the metering unit and the readout unit.

18. A method for wireless transmission of electrical energy to a meter by electromagnetic radiation, the meter including a hermetically encapsulated electronic metering mechanism and a metering unit having an antenna with a predefined antenna shape, the method comprising the steps of:

arranging a readout unit outside of the metering mechanism, wherein the readout unit includes an antenna with the predefined antenna shape;

positioning the readout unit relative to the metering unit and arranging the antenna of the readout unit congruent with the antenna of the metering unit; and

transmitting electrical energy as electromagnetic radiation wirelessly from the antenna of the readout unit to the antenna of the metering unit to wirelessly supply the electrical energy to the metering unit, wherein electrical energy of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the antenna of the readout unit is initially used for establishing a data link between the antenna of the metering unit and the antenna of the readout unit, and wherein a reading is simultaneously determined by the metering mechanism due to the availability of the electrical energy, and wherein data is subsequently conditioned and synchronized between a main memory and a buffer memory, and wherein a selected memory flag is set after the synchronization of the data between the buffer memory and the main memory has been completed, and wherein the readout unit immediately initiates the transmission of the data once the selected memory flag is detected and immediately interrupts the transmission of electrical energy to the metering unit once an expected data volume has been received.