Telephone-switched network, automatic meter-reading system based upon service address

• US 5,128,988 A
• Filed: 03/19/1990
• Issued: 07/07/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ameritech Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ameritech Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jahr, Ronald S., Cowell, Thomas H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwyer, James L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woo, Stella L.
• Application Number:
  US07/495,789
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 379/107, 379/45, 379/37, 379/213, 379/201, 379/214, 340/870.02, 340/870.03
• US Class Current: 379/106.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C

Abstract

A computer-based system for correlating an address to the current switched network telephone number(s) assigned to and operational at the address. This Telehpone Number Administration System is a data processing system which communicates with one or more other data processing systems using any of several types of telecommunication facilities. One of the data processing systems, the User system, transmits an address to the Telephone Number Administration System. The Telephone Number Administration System includes a data storage facility containing records which relate addresses and possibly other information to the current telephone number or numbers which are assigned to and operational at each address. Upon receiving an address from a User system, the Telephone Number Administration System performs a search of the records and identifies the telephone number(s) assigned to the address or addresses which most closely match the address received from the User system. The telephone number(s) obtained from this search may be transmitted by the Telephone Number Administration System back to the User system or to any other data processing systems which require the result of this correlation.

Claims

1. A system for the automatic meter-reading of customer-premise equipment comprising:

a utility user'"'"'s computer system;

switch-controller means of a telephone company for achieving switched connection to the customer-premise equipment for actuating the customer-premise equipment for taking the reading of at least one meter at the customer-site; and

number-across controller means in operative communication between said utility user'"'"'s system and said switch-controller means for intermediating between said utility user'"'"'s system and said switch-controller means;

said utility user'"'"'s system comprising means for generating and sending customer-address message commands to said number-access controller means;

said number-access controller means comprising first means for receiving said message-commands;

a telephone-company data base comprising correlated data of telephone-number/customer-address for each telephone line serviced thereby;

said number-access controller means also being in operative communication with telephone-company data base, and further comprising second means for extracting a respective telephone number from said telephone-company data base corresponding to a customer-address represented by said utility user'"'"'s system'"'"'s message-command;

said number-access controller means comprising third means for transmitting said respective telephone-number to said switch-controller means, whereby said switch-controller means may thereby perform the necessary switching operations for coupling said number-access controller means to the respective customer-premise equipment for actuating said equipment to obtain a reading of a meter thereat;

said number-access controller means further comprising fourth means for storing in memory all of the telephone-number-customer-address pairs of the customer-sites of said utility user, after having looked up each said telephone-number one time from said telephone-company data base.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said number-access controller means comprises fifth means for sending the reading transmitted through said switch-controller means to said utility user'"'"'s system.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first means comprises a modem-interface, and said third means comprises a hard-wire, fixed coupling means.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said number-access controller means comprises memory means for storing therein software programs for performing three tasks, a first said task controlling the communications between said number-access controller means and said utility user'"'"'s system, a second said task controlling the communications between said number-access controller means and said telephone-company data base, and a third said task controlling the communications between said number-access controller means and said switch-controller means;

said memory means comprising a first portion thereof for storing a first program for said first task, a second portion for storing a second program for said second task, and a third portion for storing a third program for said third task.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein said first program of said first memory portion comprises first means for determining if the message-command from said utility user'"'"'s system is a customer-address command, and second means for routing said message-command to one of said second and third programs depending upon if the command from said utility user'"'"'s system is a customer-address command.