Remote meter reading system providing demand readings and load control from conventional KWH meters
First Claim
1. An electro-optical remote electrical utility meter reading system comprising:
- first means generating a plurality of signals with each signal representing a predetermined quantity of the utility measured and with the number of signals generated being quantitatively in direct proportion to the utility measured by the meter;
second means associated with said first means and being adapted to convert said signals into digital pulses;
third means having a memory receiving and storing said digital pulses;
fourth means having a memory module with logic circuitry providing time correlated intelligence reflecting the rate at which increments of electrical power are consumed;
fifth means comprising an electro-optical transponder effective in response to interrogation by laser radiation pulses to cause said third means to transfer pulses from said third means to said fifth means, and to emit said pulses in the form of laser radiation;
sixth means comprising an interrogator at a location remote from said transponder to trigger said interrogation and to receive said pulses from said transponder;
seventh means receiving signals from said interrogator for selectively providing intelligence reflecting the measured quantities.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electro-optical remote meter reading system providing automatic load control and time related and peak demand readings from conventional electric power meters, including an electro-optical monitor unit having a non-contact meter scanner providing meter data to a digital storage and readout unit, and an electro-optical transponder effective to receive and to transfer data from the latter unit and to convert such data into a train of laser radiation pulses which are emitted in response to interrogation by a laser radiation pulse from a remote mobile interrogator unit which triggers the noncoded interrogation of the transponder. The interrogator includes a laser receiver and a pulse converting sub-system and is associated with further digital data processing equipment. A variant of the reading system interacts with a plurality of meters in a common location and provides sequential interrogation of a common, i.e. single, transponder, associated with the plurality of meters.
159 Citations
16 Claims
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1. An electro-optical remote electrical utility meter reading system comprising:
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first means generating a plurality of signals with each signal representing a predetermined quantity of the utility measured and with the number of signals generated being quantitatively in direct proportion to the utility measured by the meter; second means associated with said first means and being adapted to convert said signals into digital pulses; third means having a memory receiving and storing said digital pulses; fourth means having a memory module with logic circuitry providing time correlated intelligence reflecting the rate at which increments of electrical power are consumed; fifth means comprising an electro-optical transponder effective in response to interrogation by laser radiation pulses to cause said third means to transfer pulses from said third means to said fifth means, and to emit said pulses in the form of laser radiation; sixth means comprising an interrogator at a location remote from said transponder to trigger said interrogation and to receive said pulses from said transponder; seventh means receiving signals from said interrogator for selectively providing intelligence reflecting the measured quantities. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An electrooptical remote meter reading system, in which the meter or status indicator has a mechanical representation, comprising;
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a monitor unit effective to count increments of movement comprising electro-optical light radiation monitoring and digital storage means being effective to electro-optically detect a change in the mechanical representation and to translate such change into electronic didigral pulses, digital circuitry to manipulate said digital pulses to provide representations of utility consumption rate and wherein said digital circuitry brackets utility consumed into mutually exclusive, time of day storage registers; and digital memories to store the digital representations, said monitor unit further including electro-optical transponder means for receiving said digital pulses from said transponder means for receiving said digital pulses from said storage means, converting said digital pulses into light radiation and for transmitting said radiation, said radiation being a carrier for a train of pulses; and remote electro-optical interrogator means located at a point spaced from said monitor unit and effective to electro-optically trigger said transponder and to receive said train of pulses from said transponder. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification