System and method for accurate reading of rotating disk

• US 7,019,667 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2004
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Landis+Gyr Inc. (Landis+Gyr Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Statsignal Systems Incorporated (Statsignal)
• Inventors: Davis, James, Petite, Thomas D., Huff, Richard M.
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, ALBERT KANG
• Application Number:
  US10/930,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20050030199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.02, 324/142, 250/229, 250/230, 250/231, 250/233
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/008 Modifications to installed utility meters to enable remote reading
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• 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

A novel system and method for achieving accurate readings of the rotational speed, number of revolutions and direction of rotation of a utility system. More specifically, a system and method for retrofitting existing utility meters with a lightweight tape, having contrasting sections of reflective and non-reflective material applied thereto, which is read by optical sensors as the lightweight tape passes by with the revolutions of the disk of the utility meter. Additionally, the system and method detects unauthorized use of the utility or tampering with the utility meter and its functions.

Claims

1. A system for reading and monitoring a rotating disk, comprising:

an adhesive material applied to a portion of the rotating disk that is less than the circumference of the disk and having at least one highly reflective section and at least one substantially non-reflective section so as to produce contrasting sections of reflective material and non-reflective material on the adhesive material;

an optical sensor configured to produce a first output corresponding to detections of the highly reflective section of the adhesive material and a second output corresponding to detections of the substantially non-reflective sections of the adhesive material;

a processor coupled to the optical sensor configured to interpret the outputs produced by the optical sensor; and

a transceiver coupled to the processor for transmitting data to a remote location.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein rotations of the rotating disk correspond to a speed of another process that is monitored.

3. The system of claim 2, where speed of the rotating disk is constant.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the speed of the rotating disk is variable.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the adhesive material is a lightweight tape.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the lightweight tape is comprised of Mylar®

.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the adhesive material is applied to a surface of the rotating disk and at least one optical sensor is aligned with the adhesive material so as to read the reflective and non-reflective sections of the adhesive material as the disk rotates.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the adhesive material has more than one reflective section and more than one non-reflective section.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the reflective sections have a predefined width and spacing and the non-reflective sections have a predefined width and spacing.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the reflective sections have equivalent widths and spacing and the non-reflective sections have equivalent widths and spacing.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the widths and spacing of the non-reflective sections are non-equivalent so that the optical sensor may detect the rotational direction of the rotating disk.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine rotational speed and direction of rotation of the rotating disk in correspondence to the output by the first optical sensor as the first optical sensor detects the highly reflective sections of the adhesive material and the substantially non-reflective sections of the adhesive material.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second optical sensor wherein a first optical sensor and the second optical sensor are aligned with the adhesive material so as to read the reflective and non-reflective sections, wherein the processor is configured to determine rotational speed and direction of rotation of the rotating disk in correspondence to outputs by the first and second optical sensors.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a backend computer electrically coupled to the transceiver for receiving data corresponding to the detections of the highly reflective and the substantially non-reflective portions of the adhesive material.

15. A system for reading and monitoring a moving device having a sequence of highly reflective portions and substantially non-reflective portions, comprising:

a moving device that is a belt;

an optical sensor positioned to detect the sequence of highly reflective portions and substantially non-reflective portions of the moving device and configured to produce a signal corresponding to detections of the highly reflective and the substantially non-reflective portions of the moving device, wherein the sequence of highly reflective and non-reflective portions are positioned at a predetermined location on the moving device that is less than entire surface area of the moving device;

a processor coupled to the optical sensor configured to interpret signals produced by the optical sensor; and

a transceiver coupled to the processor for transmitting data to a remote location.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the sequence of highly reflective portions and substantially non-reflective portions of the moving device are integral to the moving device.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the sequence of highly reflective portions and substantially non-reflective portions of the moving device are comprised on an adhesive material that is applied to a portion of the moving device that is less than the outer boundary of the moving device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the adhesive material is a lightweight polyester film tape with light and dark combinations to measure or identify individual volumes and content based on movement in front of the optical sensor.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the moving device does not comprise a portion of a utility meter.

20. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a backend computer electrically coupled to the transceiver for receiving data corresponding to the detections of the highly reflective and the substantially non-reflective portions of the moving device.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the moving device has a rotational motion relative to the optical sensor.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the moving device has a non-rotational motion relative to the optical sensor.