GAS METER HAVING ULTRA-SENSITIVE MAGNETIC MATERIAL RETROFITTED ONTO METER DIAL AND METHOD FOR PERFORMING METER RETROFIT

• US 20090153357A1
• Filed: 10/27/2008
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trilliant Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Trilliant Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Fischette, Robert Gerard, Bushman, Willard Thomas, Schoenman, Eric Michael, Vogel, William Steven
• Granted Patent: US 8,334,787 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.20
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/008 Modifications to installed utility meters to enable remote reading
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/063 using electrical means
• 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

Device, structure and method for retrofitting a utility meter such as a gas meter with a retrofit module or for new installations to conventional meters so that it can be read remotely and so that retrofit may be accomplished simply by unskilled workers and without damage or alteration of meter. The method for retrofitting a meter of the type having shaft driven dial with dial index pointer and index cover involves removing the meter index cover to access the meter index dial pointer; attaching a magnet to the pointer so that it is carried in orbit around the pointer shaft to which the pointer is attached; and mounting a sensor to the meter adapted to sense the passage of the pointer-mounted magnet and to detect the orbit of index pointer; the attaching of the magnet and the mounting of the sensor being performed without removing the meter dial index assembly.

Claims

1. A method for retrofitting a mechanical meter of the type having a meter shaft driven dial assembly with at least one dial index pointer and an index cover having a transparent portion for observing the dials and dial index pointers, the method comprising:

removing a meter index cover to permit access to a meter index dial pointer;

attaching a magnet to the index dial pointer so that it is carried in an orbit around a dial pointer shaft to which the dial pointer is attached; and

mounting a sensor to the meter, the sensor when installed being adapted to sense the passage of the index dial pointer mounted magnet and to detect at least a partial orbit of the index pointer;

the attaching of the magnet and the mounting of the sensor being performed without removing the shaft driven meter dial index assembly from the meter.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the magnet is attached to the meter index dial pointer using a cap or fitment that slips over or snaps onto the existing meter index dial pointer.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the retrofit index cover carries a sensor that is placed about a non-zero radius of the meter index pointer and is adapted to interact with the magnet to sense the transient passing presence of the magnet and to alter an electrical characteristic so as to indicate a rotation or partial rotation of the meter index dial pointer.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the retrofit method including removing the meter index cover, attaching the magnet, and mounting the replacement retrofit cover are performed without stopping gas flow through the meter and while the meter is in normal operation.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising after mounting the replacement retrofit cover, activating the AMR retrofit module electronics by passing a magnet over a portion of an AMR electronics components to initiate operation without needing to provide an external switch or opening the electronics module.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the magnet is attached to the index dial pointer without removing the index from the meter.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the magnet is held by a magnet holder cap and the cap is attached to the index dial pointer by placing the holder cap onto the index dial pointer without removing the index from the meter.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mounting of the sensor module to the meter includes mounting a replacement index cover to the meter which includes a preinstalled sensor.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mounting of the sensor module to the meter includes mounting the sensor to a replacement index cover and then installing the replacement index cover to the meter.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mounting of the sensor module to the meter includes mounting the sensor inside a mounting bezel of the meter supporting the index cover of the meter.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the detection of at least a partial orbit of the index pointer comprises detecting each full orbit of the index pointer.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the meter is a gas meter.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the meter is a water meter.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the meter is an electric meter.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the retrofit module is for installation on a utility meter of the type having an index assembly having at least one index dial and at least one index dial pointer that rotates about an index pointer shaft to indicate the flow of a utility commodity through the meter, and wherein the retrofit module further comprising:

an index cover at least a portion of which is transparent so that movement of the index dial and the index pointer to which the index cover is to be attached are visible to an observer during meter operation;

a carrier for holding a magnet to the at least one index pointer at a non-zero radial distance from the index pointer shaft so that the carried magnet orbits the index pointer shaft in operation as the utility commodity flows through the meter;

a sensor that is adapted to detect the passage of the magnet past the sensor on each orbit during operation; and

a sensor circuit that receives an input signal from the sensor and develops a count related to the number of times the sensor has detected the passage of the pointer carried magnet.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the meter is a consumer residential gas utility meter;

the retrofit index cover carries a sensor that is placed about a non-zero radius of the meter index pointer and is adapted to interact with the magnet to sense the transient passing presence of the magnet and to alter an electrical characteristic so as to indicate a rotation or partial rotation of the meter index dial pointer;

the method further comprising;

attaching the magnet to the index dial pointer without removing the index from the meter;

removing the meter index cover, attaching the magnet, and mounting the replacement retrofit cover are performed without stopping gas flow through the meter and while the meter is in normal operation; and

after mounting the replacement retrofit cover, activating the AMR retrofit module electronics by passing a magnet over a portion of an AMR electronics components to initiate operation without needing to provide an external switch or opening the electronics module.

17. An automatic meter reading (AMR) module for a utility meter of the type having an index assembly with at least one index dial and at least one index dial pointer that rotates about an index pointer shaft to indicate the flow of a utility commodity through the meter, the advanced metering reading module comprising:

an index cover at least a portion of which is transparent so that movement of the index dial and the index pointer to which the index cover is to be attached are visible to an observer during meter operation;

a carrier for holding a magnet to the at least one index pointer at a non-zero radial distance from the index pointer shaft so that the carried magnet orbits the index pointer shaft in operation as the utility commodity flows through the meter;

a sensor that is adapted to detect the passage of the magnet past the sensor on each orbit during operation; and

a sensor circuit that receives an input signal from the sensor and develops a count related to the number of times the sensor has detected the passage of the pointer carried magnet.

18. The AMR module as in claim 17, wherein the sensor is disposed within or on a surface of the index cover.

19. The AMR module as in claim 17, wherein the sensor is disposed inside a mounting bezel of the meter supporting the index cover of the meter.

20. The AMR module as in claim 17, wherein the sensor includes a switch that undergoes at least a transient state change during the passage of the magnet past the sensor.

21. The AMR module as in claim 20, wherein the at least transient state change comprises a change from a switch open state to a switch closed state.

22. The AMR module as in claim 20, wherein the at least transient state change generates a pulse signal that is detected by the sensor circuit and is used to develop the count.

23. The AMR module as in claim 20, wherein at least a transient state change during the passage of the magnet past the sensor comprises a state change until the next passage of the magnet.

24. The AMR module as in claim 17, wherein the sensor circuit further includes a memory or register for storing the count or at least one value or symbol representing the count.

25. The AMR module as in claim 17, wherein the sensor circuit further comprises:

a low-pass filter coupled to the sensor; and

a latch coupled to the low-pass filter.

26. The AMR module as in claim 17, further comprising a radio frequency transmitter and receiver;

wherein at least the transmitter being adapted to access the memory or register storing the count or at least one value or symbol representing the count and transmitting that count or at least one value or symbol representing the count to an external entity.

27. The AMR module as in claim 26, wherein the transmitter and receiver are adapted for operation on a radio frequency wireless network.

28. The AMR module as in claim 26, further comprising energy consumption control circuit to control the power or energy consumption of at least one of the sensor circuit, radio transmitter, radio receiver, memory, and any combination of two or more of these.

29. The AMR module as in claim 17, further comprising a cap or fitment for attachment to the meter dial index pointer and to carry the magnet along a radius of the dial index pointer.

30. The AMR module as in claim 17, further comprising an electronics module housing different from the index cover, the sensor circuit being disposed at least in part within the electronics module housing and the sensor being disposed at least in part within the index cover;

and the sensor being electrically coupled with the sensor circuit by electrical conductors.

31. The AMR module as in claim 17, further comprising an electronics module housing different from the index cover, the sensor circuit being disposed at least in part within the electronics module housing and the sensor being disposed at least in part within the index cover;

and the sensor being electrically coupled with the sensor circuit by electrical conductors.

32. The AMR module as in claim 31, wherein the sensor includes a switch that undergoes at least a transient state change during the passage of the magnet past the sensor;

and the switch is disposed within a portion of the sensor circuit disposed on or within the index cover.

33. The AMR module as in claim 26, wherein the radio frequency transmitter and receiver are disposed within an electronics module housing different from the index cover.

34. The AMR module as in claim 26, wherein the index cover and the electronics module housing are integrally formed or attached together and mount to the meter as a single assembly.

35. The AMR module as in claim 17, wherein the generated state change comprises a change in electrical capacitance.

36. The AMR module as in claim 17, wherein the generated state change comprises a change in electrical voltage.

37. The AMR module as in claim 17, wherein the generated state change comprises a change in electrical current.

38. The AMR module as in claim 17, wherein:

the sensor is disposed within or on a surface of the index cover;

the sensor includes a switch that undergoes at least a transient state change during the passage of the magnet past the sensor;

the at least transient state change comprises a change from a switch open state to a switch closed state;

the at least transient state change generates a pulse signal that is detected by the sensor circuit and is used to develop the count;

the sensor circuit further includes a memory or register for storing the count or at least one value or symbol representing the count; and

the AMR module further comprising;

a radio frequency transmitter and radio frequency receiver, wherein at least the transmitter being adapted to access the memory or register storing the count or at least one value or symbol representing the count and transmitting that count or at least one value or symbol representing the count to an external entity, and the radio frequency transmitter and radio frequency receiver are adapted for operation on a radio frequency wireless network;

energy consumption control circuit to control the power or energy consumption of at least one of the sensor circuit, radio transmitter, radio receiver, memory, and any combination of two or more of these; and

an electronics module housing different from the index cover, the sensor circuit being disposed at least in part within the electronics module housing and the sensor being disposed at least in part within the index cover, the sensor being electrically coupled with the sensor circuit by electrical conductors, and a radio frequency antenna coupled with the transmitter and receiver disposed in the electronics module housing at a location other than sandwiched between the meter body and the meter index.

39. The AMR module as in claim 17, further comprising a magnet adapted to be attached to the index dial pointer and to interact with the sensor as it rotates with the index dial pointer.

40. An apparatus comprising:

a sensor that is adapted to detect the passage of the magnet carried in a fitment on an outer radial portion of a meter index dial pointer past the sensor on each orbit during operation; and

a sensor circuit that receives an input signal from the sensor and develops a count related to the number of times the sensor has detected the passage of the pointer carried magnet.

41. A system for performing automated meter reading comprising:

an AMR retrofit assembly including a mechanical to electrical conversion device, a radio for communicating a meter reading to an external requestor and optionally for receiving data and commands;

a network for communicating the meter reading from the radio to the external requester wherein the external requestor comprises a requesting network server; and

the server for controlling the operation of the system.