Remote meter reading method and apparatus
US5010568A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 4, 1989 |
| Grant date | Apr 23, 1991 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 4, 2009 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY04S20/30
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A remote meter reading system has equipment at a telephone company office coupled by modems to a utility company computer which issues requests for customer data. Telephone test trunks are used to access individual meter sites and initiate meter readings using a number of single frequency bursts. Meter sending units emit a pulse for each unit of consumption and a microprocessor counts the pulses in RAM to derive separate meter readings. When interrogated, the microprocessor outputs the readings in a binary coded decimal format to a DTMF tone generator which emits each decimal number as a tone pair which is transmitted via the telephone line and is detected at the telephone company, translated into ASCII code and transmitted by modem to the utility computer.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.