Meter register and meter register tampering detector

• US 7,343,795 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2006
• Issued: 03/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Arad Measuring Technologies Ltd
• Original Assignee: Arad Measuring Technologies Ltd
• Inventors: Winter, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, HARSHAD R
• Application Number:
  US11/545,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20070109209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 73273-275, 738/617.5
• US Class Current: 73/275
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/006 Remote reading of utility meters to a non-fixed location, i.e. mobile location
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/12 using electric or magnetic means G01D5/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/2515 with magnetically controlled switches, e.g. by movement of a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/075 with magnetic or electromagnetic coupling to the indicating device
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/56 by using electric or magnetic effects G01F1/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/007 comprising means to prevent fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/063 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/0755 involving digital counting
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 by structural association with other equipment or articles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2233 used in consumption-meter devices, e.g. electricity, gas or water meters
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0414 in a stacked or folded configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0421 with a shorting wall or a shorting pin at one end of the element H01Q9/0414 takes precedence
• 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 meter register includes a sealed register body having a face portion and a body that are coupled to form an internal cavity. The internal cavity includes a rotatble member, a power source and a visual display. A microprocessor is included that coacts with the power source and the rotatable member to determine a volume flow andlor a flow rate through the meter register. The visual display shows a volume of flew measured by the register corresponding to rotations of rotatable members. A detection switch is included for detecting tampering with said register actuating a signal when the register has been tampered with.

Claims

1. A meter register, comprising:

a sealed register body having a face portion and a body defining an internal cavity;

a rotatable member provided within said internal cavity;

a power source provided within said internal cavity, and analog odometer provided within said internal cavity and visible through said face portion; and

a microprocessor coacting with said power source, wherein said rotatable member coacts with said microprocessor to determine a volume of flow and/or a flow rate through a meter and wherein said analog odometer displays a volume of flow measured by the register that corresponds to a number of rotations of said rotatable member.

2. A meter register as claimed in claim 1, wherein said body comprises a metallic body, said metallic body attached to a clear face to form the sealed internal cavity via an elastomeric sealing member, said sealed internal cavity receiving said register body and said clear face forms said face portion.

3. A meter register as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a transmitting element and a plurality of sensors coacting with said rotatable member, whereby when said rotatable member rotates about an axis, the transmitting element activates said sensors that send signals to said microprocessor to correspond said signals with a flow rate an&

or flow volume measured by said meter register.

4. A meter register as claimed in claim 1, wherein said power source comprises a battery.

5. A meter register, comprising:

a sealed register body having a face portion and a body defining an internal cavity;

a rotatable member provided within said internal cavity;

a power source provided within said internal cavity, and a visual display provided within said internal cavity and visible through said face portion;

a microprocessor coacting with said power source, wherein said rotatable member coacts with said microprocessor to determine a volume of flow and/or a flow rate through a meter and wherein said visual display displays a volume of flow measured by the register that corresponds to a number of rotations of said rotatable member; and

a detection switch for detecting tampering of said register, whereby when said tampering switch is activated through tampering a fixed period of time, said register emits a signal that said register has been tampered with.

6. A utility meter, comprising:

a meter body having a chamber through which material passes;

a measuring unit contained within said chamber, said chamber comprising a rotating member, said rotating member having a magnetic member; and

a sealed register attached to said chamber, said register comprising;

a sealed register body having a face portion and a body defining an internal cavity;

a rotatable member provided within said internal cavity;

a power source provided within said internal cavity, and an analog odometer provided within said internal cavity and visible through said face portion; and

a microprocessor coacting with said power source, wherein said rotatable member coacts with said microprocessor to determine a volume of flow and/or a flow rate through a meter and wherein said analog odometer displays a volume of flow measured by the register that corresponds to a number of rotations of said rotatable member.

7. A meter as claimed in claim 6, wherein said power source comprises a battery.

8. A utility meter, comprising:

a meter body having a chamber through which material passes;

a measuring unit contained within said chamber, said chamber comprising a rotating member, said rotating member having a magnetic member;

a sealed register attached to said chamber, said register comprising;

a sealed register body having a face portion and a body defining an internal cavity;

a rotatable member provided within said internal cavity;

a power source provided within said internal cavity, and a digital display provided within said internal cavity and visible through said face portion; and

a microprocessor coacting with said power source, wherein said rotatable member coacts with said microprocessor to determine a volume of flow andlor a flow rate through a meter and wherein said digital display displays a volume of flow measured by the register that corresponds to a number of rotations of said rotatable member; and

said meter issues an alarm if the flow rate exceeds a fixed flow rate or the flow rate does not change over a period of time.