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Utility meter and submetering system

  • US 4,804,957 A
  • Filed: 09/17/1986
  • Issued: 02/14/1989
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/27/1985
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A utility metering system for metering a multiplicity of utility users comprising:

  • a plurality of utility metering devices responsive to the utility consumption of said utility users and providing utility data signals indicative of said consumption;

    at least one data collection computer having data input/output means for communicating with said metering devices and for collecting said utility data signals;

    a billing computer having means for communicating with said data collection computer and for receiving said collected utility data signals from said data collection computer; and

    wherein said data input/output means includes a serial data channel for transmitting and receiving data, a serial multiplexing means coupled to said serial data channel, a plurality of transceiver means each for communicating with a different one of said utility metering devices and coupled to said serial data channel, and processor means for controlling said plurality of transceiver means, said processor means being preprogrammed to selectively enable a single transceiver means for transmitting data from said data channel to a utility metering device and said processor means being preprogrammed to selectively enable a plurality of transceiver means for receiving on said data channel data from a plurality of utility metering devices, whereby said data input/output means ensures that only one transceiver means is enabled for transmitting at a time while permitting a plurality of transceiver means to be enabled for receiving at a time.

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