Integrated meter module and utility metering system

• US 7,453,373 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2005
• Issued: 11/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Inventors: Larson, Gary L., Cumeralto, Scott, Fitzgerald, Aaron J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass; Jeff
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yacob; Sisay
• Application Number:
  US11/261,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20060114121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.02, 340/870.03, 340/870.2, 375/133, 375/200, 375/134, 361/671, 361/672, 361/673
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/30 using a wired architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/43 using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/50 using a mobile data collecting device, e.g. walk by or drive by
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

Utility meter modules, antenna modules, pit sets, and pit lid assemblies are described, with regard to automated meter reading (AMR) systems, that prevent metering signal attenuation, pit leakage, and battery drainage, along with other advantages, and which minimize the likelihood of damage and tampering.

Claims

1. An automated meter reading (AMR) system for wirelessly providing utility meter readings, the AMR system comprising:

a utility pit system having a pit housing to be at least partially received within a pit, and a pit lid for at least partially covering the pit housing;

a utility meter received within the pit housing; and

at least one utility meter reading module for obtaining utility data from the utility meter, wirelessly or via a wired connection, and wirelessly transmitting the utility data via a low-power, shorter-range wireless communications protocol to an active pit translator module that amplifies the utility data signal, and transmits the amplified utility data signal via a longer-range wireless communications protocol, wherein the utility meter reading module is under, over, or an integral part of the pit lid, or is an integral part of the pit housing, or an antenna of the utility meter reading module is under, over, or an integral part of the pit lid, or a combination thereof, and wherein;

the active pit translator module is configured to receive the utility data signal from the utility meter reading module, amplify the received signal to a power that is sufficient to reach a reader or high-power intermediate repeater and re-transmit the amplified utility data signal via a longer-range wireless communications protocol for reception by a reader or a high-power intermediate repeater;

the active pit translator module is substantially close to, under, over, or an integral part of the pit lid or is an integral part of the pit housing; and

an antenna of the active pit translator module is substantially close to, mounted over, an integral part of, or protruded through a hole in the pit lid or is an integral part of or protruded through a hole in the pit housing.

2. The AMR system of claim 1, wherein the low-power, shorter-range wireless communications protocol is chosen from RF(radio frequency), low frequency electromagnetic radiation, acoustic, Bluetooth, WiFi (Wireless Fidelity), ultrasound, IR (infrared), or IEEE 802.11 technology.

3. The AMR system of claim 1, wherein a utility data acquisition module sends a wake-up call to the active pit translator module to transmit the amplified utility meter readings to the utility data acquisition module.

4. The AMR system of claim 1, wherein the low-power, shorter-range wireless communications protocol operates at 217 MHz.

5. The AMR system of claim 1, wherein the utility meter reading module further comprises:

a piezoelectric device, a magnetic generator, or other transducers that generate energy and pulse information that represents a consumption reading for the meter;

an energy storage module for storing the generated energy;

a microprocessor for receiving the generated pulse information;

a memory for storing the meter consumption readings; and

a PAN (personal area network) radio receiving pulse information and radiating the received information to the active pit translator module.

6. The AMR system of claim 1, wherein the active pit translator module further comprises:

a battery for powering the active pit translator module;

a regenerative receiver for receiving low power signals from the utility meter reading module via a shorter-range communications protocol;

a microprocessor for verifying integrity of the low power signal and decoding the signal and for converting the low power signal to a higher power signal; and

a transmitter for transmitting the utility data signal at the higher power via a longer-range communications protocol.

7. An apparatus for wirelessly translating a utility consumption meter reading, a utility sensor reading, or both, from an access to the utility within a pit, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver unit for wirelessly receiving, via a shorter-range wireless communications protocol, a low power meter reading signal from a utility meter reading module, from utility sensors, or both;

an active transmitter unit for amplifying the received low power meter reading signal and transmitting the amplified readings signal via a longer-range wireless communications protocol to a mobile or stationary utility meter data gathering unit, wherein the transmitter unit is substantially close to, under, or an integral part of a pit lid of a utility meter pit or is an integral part of a pit wall, and wherein an antenna of the transmitter unit is substantially close to, mounted over, an integral part of, or protruded through a hole in the pit lid or is an integral part of, or protruded through a hole in the pit wall or implanted within at least one surface plane of the pit lid;

a battery unit for energizing the units; and

a processor unit coupled among the receiver unit, transmitter unit, and battery unit.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor unit is utilized for signal integrity verification, decoding, amplification, or a combination thereof.

9. A utility data gathering apparatus for wirelessly gathering utility meter data, the apparatus comprising:

an endpoint module for receiving utility data from a utility meter positioned in a utility meter pit and for wirelessly transmitting the received data via a low-power, shorter-range wireless communications protocol an active pit translator module to be amplified and relayed via a longer-range wireless communications protocol to remote receiving units, wherein the endpoint module is in close proximity of the utility meter; and

an active pit translator unit for receiving a low power data signal from the endpoint, amplifying the received signal to a power that is sufficient to reach a reader unit or high-power intermediate repeater, and re-transmitting the data signal via a longer-range wireless communications protocol to a reader unit or to a high-power intermediate repeating modules or to both, wherein the active pit translator unit is substantially close to, under, or integrated into a pit lid that at least partially covers the pit or is integrated into pit wall(s), and wherein an antenna of the active pit translator unit is substantially close to, mounted over, integrated into, or protruded through a hole in the pit lid or pit wall(s) or is implanted within at least one surface plane of the pit lid.

10. A utility meter pit set comprising:

a utility meter pit lid; and

a utility meter pit configured to house;

a utility metering unit for measuring utility consumption;

an active utility meter reading module for receiving utility data, wirelessly or via a wired connection, from the utility metering unit and transmitting the utility data, wirelessly to an active pit translator via a low- power, shorter-range wireless communications protocol, wherein the utility meter reading module is under, over, or an integral part of the pit lid, or an antenna of the utility meter reading module is under, over, or an integral part of the pit lid, or a combination thereof; and

an active pit translator for receiving the utility data signal from the utility meter reading module via the low-power, shorter-range wireless communications protocol, amplifying the received utility data signal and transmitting, via a longer-range wireless protocol, the amplified utility data signal to a mobile or stationary data gathering device, wherein the active pit translator is attached under or is at least partially implanted in the pit lid, and wherein the active pit translator is near to the utility meter reading module while the data gathering device is far from the utility meter reading module.

11. The pit set of claim 10, wherein an antenna of the active pit translator is substantially close to, mounted over, integrated into, protruded through a hole in the pit lid or pit wall(s), embedded within at least one surface plane of the pit lid, or a combination thereof.

12. The pit set of claim 10, wherein a memory module stores the utility data to be transmitted to the active pit translator upon a wake-up call.

13. The pit set of claim 10, wherein the utility meter reading module transmits stored utility data to the active pit translator upon receiving a wireless signal from the active pit translator.

14. The pit set of claim 10, wherein a high power signal transmission from the active pit translator energizes the utility meter reading module for a subsequent transmission to the active pit translator.

15. The pit set of claim 10, wherein a piezoelectric transducer, a magnetic transducer, or a non-battery electricity generating unit energizes the utility meter reading module.

16. The pit set of claim 10, wherein the utility meter reading module and the signal transceiver communicate with one another via RE (radio frequency), low frequency electromagnetic radiation, acoustic, Bluetooth, WiFi (Wireless Fidelity), ultrasound, IR (infrared), or IEEE 802.11 technology.

17. A utility meter pit set, including a pit housing that is at least partially within a pit, the pit set comprising:

an endpoint module for obtaining utility data from a utility meter situated within the pit housing and wirelessly transmitting the utility data to an active pit translator via a low-power, shorter-range wireless protocol; and

an active pit translator device for receiving the utility data signal from the endpoint module via the low-power, shorter-range wireless protocol, amplifying the received utility data signal, and transmitting the amplified data signal to a mobile or stationary data gathering machine via a longer-range wireless protocol, wherein the active pit translator is situated within a low power signal range of the endpoint module.

18. The pit set of claim 17, wherein one active pit translator device serves more than one utility meter.

19. An apparatus for wirelessly transmitting utility meter readings from a utility supply in a utility meter pit, the apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining utility data from the utility supply in the utility meter pit, wirelessly or via a wired connection, and wirelessly transmitting the utility data via a low-power, shorter-range communications protocol, wherein the means for obtaining utility data is near to the utility supply and toward a bottom of the utility meter pit; and

translator means for receiving the wirelessly transmitted utility data via the low-power, shorter-range communications protocol, for amplifying the received wirelessly transmitted utility data, and for relaying the amplified utility data to at least one data gathering unit via a longer-range communications protocol, wherein the translator means is substantially close to a top of the utility meter pit.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the relaying means is attached under or is at least partially an integral part of a pit lid or is an integral part of pit wall(s).

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein an antenna of the relaying means is substantially close to, mounted over, integral part of, or protruded through a hole in a pit lid that at least partially covers the pit or is an integral part of or protruded through a hole in pit wall(s) or is set in at least one surface plane of the pit lid.

22. A utility data gathering apparatus for wirelessly gathering utility meter data, utility sensor data, or both, the apparatus comprising:

an active utility meter data reading module, positioned in a utility meter pit, for receiving utility data from a utility meter that is also positioned in the utility meter pit, and for wirelessly transmitting the received data to an active pit translator module via a low-power, shorter-range communications protocol; and

an active pit translator module for receiving the data signal from the utility meter data reading module or utility sensors, amplifying the received signal to a power sufficient to reach a reader unit or high-power signal repeating module, and re-transmitting the amplified data signal via a longer-range communications protocol to a reader unit or to a high-power signal repeating modules or to both, wherein the active pit translator module is substantially close to, under, over, integral part of, or at least partially embedded into a pit lid, and wherein an antenna of the active pit translator module is substantially close to, mounted over, integrated into, or protruded through a hole in the pit lid or is implanted in at least one surface plane of the pit lid.