REMOTE METER READER SYSTEM

• US 3,742,142 A
• Filed: 12/28/1970
• Issued: 06/26/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stephen J. Martin
• Original Assignee: Stephen J. Martin
• Inventors: Martin, Stephen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Claffy, Kathleen H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stewart, David L.
• Application Number:
  US05/101,997
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 179/2A 340/171R,151,408
• US Class Current: 379/106.07
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C

Abstract

A method and apparatus by which a repeating event type meter, such as kilowatt hour meters as used by power companies, traffic counters as used by cities and counties, fuel meters showing number of gallons used, and other similar devices can be interconnected to a telemetering unit, and by remote control from a distant end, either through telephone lines, AC carrier lines or radio, the accumulated count can be displayed at the remote end.

Claims

1. A process for remote reading of meters, such as kilowatt hour meters, gas meters and fuel meters, which includes the steps of:

electrically interconnecting the meter to be read to a decimal accumulating counter means;

electrically connecting the counter means to a communication channel with interrogating and read-back circuitry, accumulating and storing unit counts from the meter to be read in the accumulating counter means;

interrogating the counter means through the communications channel;

resetting the counter means to zero, and simultaneously generating a plurality of series of tone bursts, each series of bursts containing bursts equal in number to the difference between the number in one stage of the counter and a predetermined number.

2. The process as set forth in claim 1 including the step of sensing remotely the communications channel to determine if the channel is in use;

and if not in use, seizing the communication channel by sending a tone; and

interrogating the counter means by a programming device and recording the data accumulated in the counter means.

3. The process as set forth in claim 2 wherein the step of interrogating includes the steps of transferring and displaying as many numbers as required to repeat the count on the meter being read at a reading station.

4. The process as set forth in claim 3 wherein a plurality of separate counters are included in the counter means, and a plurality of separate counters are provided at a reading station, the counters at the reading station being subtracting counters, and the process of interrogating includes the step of shifting from one subtracting counter to another at the reading station under control of a time period between tone bursts of the counter means, said time period being no less than 50% of the duty cycle of the tone bursts.

5. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the communication channel is a telephone line.

6. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the communication channel is a radio frequency carrier system.

7. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the communication channel is a power line carrier system.

8. The process as set forth in claim 1 including the step of feeding the information received at the reading station to a computer for processing of the data.