System and method for communicating and control of automated meter reading

• US 20020193144A1
• Filed: 05/06/2002
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensus USA Incorporated (Xylem, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Invensys Metering Systems/North America Incorporated
• Inventors: Belski, Timothy J., Gray, Bruce E., Johnson, Rex A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,657,552 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/063 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• 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: 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 for collecting and communicating flow data for a commodity including a liquid, a gas, or electricity transported via a metered system, using wireless data transfer, the meter including a housing, a sensor for sensing a resource flow rate, and a register for registering data input thereto, the register including a processor for processing data input thereto. A wireless transmitter is also provided for outputting the sensed data from the meter or receiving instruction information through an antenna. A TouchRead interface may also be provided for outputting the sensed data from the meter or receiving instruction information from a device external to the meter, which receives data output from the meter and/or outputs instruction information to the meter. The sensor, the processor, and the wireless transmitter are disposed within the housing.

Claims

1. A meter for collecting and communicating flow data for a commodity including a liquid, a gas, or electricity transported via a metered system, using wireless data transfer, the meter comprising:

a housing;

a sensor means for sensing a resource flow rate;

a register means for registering data input thereto, said register means comprising a processor means for processing data input thereto;

a wireless transmitter means for performing at least one of outputting the sensed data from the meter and receiving instruction information from an interface means external to the meter; and

an interface means external to the meter for performing at least one of receiving data output from the meter and outputting instruction information to the meter;

wherein the sensor means, the register means and the wireless transmitter means are disposed within the housing.

2. A meter for collecting and communicating flow data for a commodity including a liquid, a gas, or electricity transported via a metered system, using wireless data transfer, in accord with claim 1, wherein said wireless transmitter means disposed within the housing comprises an antenna and at least one of an RF transmitter and an RF transceiver.

3. A meter for collecting and communicating flow data for a commodity including a liquid, a gas, or electricity transported via a metered system, using wireless data transfer, in accord with claim 2, wherein said sensor means comprises a rotation sensor.

4. A meter for collecting and communicating flow data for a commodity including a liquid, a gas, or electricity transported via a metered system, using wireless data transfer, in accord with claim 3, wherein said sensor means comprises a magnetic sensor.

5. A meter for collecting and communicating flow data for a commodity including a liquid, a gas, or electricity transported via a metered system, using wireless data transfer, in accord with claim 3, wherein said sensor means comprises a Barkenhausen Effect sensor.

6. A meter for collecting and communicating flow data for a commodity including a liquid, a gas, or electricity transported via a metered system, using wireless data transfer, in accord with claim 1, wherein said interface means comprises an external antenna.

7. A meter for collecting and communicating flow data for a commodity including a liquid, a gas, or electricity transported via a metered system, using wireless data transfer, in accord with claim 1, wherein said register means is a solid state device.

8. A meter for collecting and communicating flow data for a commodity including a liquid, a gas, or electricity transported via a metered system, using wireless data transfer, in accord with claim 7, wherein said register means is programmable.

9. A meter for collecting and communicating flow data for a commodity including a liquid, a gas, or electricity transported via a metered system, using wireless data transfer, in accord with claim 3, wherein said meter is a water meter and said commodity is water.

10. A meter for collecting and communicating flow data for a commodity including a liquid, a gas, or electricity transported via a metered system, using wireless data transfer, in accord with claim 2, wherein said interface means, said wireless transmitter means, and said register means collectively comprise a software instruction set bearing instructions for performing at least one of transmitting and receiving data through said antenna and said at least one of said RF transmitter and said RF transceiver using at least one of a unidirectional or bi-directional communication protocol.

11. A meter for collecting and communicating flow data for a commodity including a liquid, a gas, or electricity transported via a metered system, using wireless data transfer, in accord with claim 10, wherein said software instruction set includes instructions for performing RF spread spectrum frequency hopping.

12. A meter for collecting and communicating flow data for a commodity including a liquid, a gas, or electricity transported via a metered system, using wireless data transfer, in accord with claim 5, wherein said register means comprises a software instruction set bearing instructions for pulse counting to determine a flow rate of said commodity.

14. A meter for collecting and communicating flow data for a commodity including a liquid, a gas, or electricity transported via a metered system, using wireless data transfer, in accord with claim 13,

wherein said wireless transmitter comprises an antenna and at least one of an RF transmitter and an RF transceiver, and

wherein said sensor comprises a magnetic rotation sensor utilizing the Barkenhausen effect to detect commodity flow.

15. A meter for collecting and communicating flow data for a commodity including a liquid, a gas, or electricity transported via a metered system, using wireless data transfer, in accord with claim 14,

wherein said control interface comprises an external antenna,

wherein said register is a programmable solid state device, and

wherein said meter is configured to output said processed signal from the meter using RF spread spectrum frequency hopping.

16. A meter for collecting and communicating flow data for a commodity including a liquid, a gas, or electricity transported via a metered system, using wireless data transfer, in accord with claim 13,

wherein said register and processor adapt said signal for RF transmission by a RF transmitter,

wherein said wireless transmitter is a RF transmitter inductively coupled through the housing to an external antenna.

13. A meter for collecting and communicating flow data for a commodity including a liquid, a gas, or electricity transported via a metered system, using wireless data transfer, the meter comprising:

a housing;

a sensor configured to output a signal representative of a resource flow rate;

a register cooperatively associated with a processor and configured to receive said signal output by said sensor, process said signal in accord with a communication protocol instruction set to adapt said signal for transmission by a transmitter, and store the processed signal in a data storage device;

a wireless transmitter configured to output said processed signal from the meter; and

a control interface disposed externally to the meter configured to perform least one of receiving data output from the meter and outputting instruction information to the meter;

wherein the sensor, the register, the processor, and the wireless transmitter are disposed within the housing.