System for billing individual units of a multi-unit building for water use and for water related energy use
US6161100A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 8, 1996 |
| Grant date | Dec 12, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 8, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY04S20/30
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A system for billing individual units of a multi-unit building for water use or water related energy use wherein the multi-unit building is supplied water from a common source and the individual unit has a plurality of water using structures each supplied by one or a pair of water pipes supplied from a common source. The system includes a monitor for determining the volumetric flow through each of the water pipes and/or the temperature of the water and periodically transmits a signal encoded with the volumetric flow and temperature or the heat energy used and the identification of the individual unit. A remote receiver receives the encoded signals from each of the monitors, defines a total volumetric flow of water and/or total heat energy use for the individual unit for a selected period of time, computes a water consumption/heat energy charge and prepares and forwards a bill to the individual unit.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.