Method and apparatus for obtaining information from a utility meter

• US 20040032504A1
• Filed: 07/23/2003
• Published: 02/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ngrid Intellectual Property Limited (National Grid PLC)
• Original Assignee: Lattice Intellectual Property Limited
• Inventors: Shan, Qing, Flowers, Stephen William, Ullathorne, David Paul
• Granted Patent: US 6,985,173 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.99
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/006 Remote reading of utility meters to a non-fixed location, i.e. mobile location
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/39 Scanning a visible indication of the measured value and reproducing this indication at the remote place, e.g. on the screen of a cathode ray tube mechanical adjustment G01D5/264
• 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 method and apparatus for obtaining information from a utility meter. A digital camera is used to take a digital image of information displayed on the utility meter. The digital image is passed to a computer that is arranged to extract information displayed on the utility meter from the image. The information may be used for a variety of purposes such as updating databases with details of utility meters and for billing purposes.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining information from a utility meter, the method comprising using a digital camera to take a digital image of information displayed on the utility meter, passing the digital image to a computing means and using the computing means to extract information displayed on the utility meter from the image.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the information extracted from the image is stored.

3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the information extracted from the image relates to the amount of commodity measured by the meter.

4. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the information extracted from the image identifies the particular meter in the image.

5. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a handheld portable digital camera is used to take a digital image of information displayed on the utility meter.

6. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the computing means is connected to the digital camera when the digital image of information displayed on the utility meter is taken.

7. A method according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the digital camera is not connected to the computing means when the digital camera is used to take an image of the information displayed on the utility meter.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein a plurality of images are taken with the digital camera and the camera then communicates with the computing means to pass the digital images to the computing means.

9. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the computing means extracts information displayed on the utility meter from the image by calibrating the image.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the computing means calibrates the image by identifying two points on the image which correspond to points which are at known relative positions on the utility meter.

11. An apparatus for obtaining information from a utility meter, the apparatus comprising a digital camera to take a digital image of information displayed on the utility meter, computing means to receive the digital image taken by the digital camera and the computing means being arranged to extract information displayed on the utility meter from the digital image.

12. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the digital camera is a handheld portable digital camera.