Radiant energy – Photocells; circuits and apparatus – Optical or pre-photocell system
Patent
1993-04-20
1995-04-11
Nelms, David C.
Radiant energy
Photocells; circuits and apparatus
Optical or pre-photocell system
25023113, H01J 516
Patent
active
054060753
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a remote meter reading arrangement and particularly to such an arrangement that uses an optical fibre local transmission system.
2. Description of Related Art
The concept of remote meter reading has been considered for a number of years. However, most of the plans and designs to date have concerned individual utilities, involved new and incompatible designs for meters, have failed to take account of the installed base of mechanical meters and have failed to take the concept to its ultimate and logical conclusion, which is for an integrated meter reading scheme where all utilities share the same transmission system and a central billing authority which collates the data and presents its accounts for payment to users at a greater frequency than the utilities have done to date individually.
The Technology may conveniently be split into three sections.
It is an inconvenient fact that Domestic meters for Gas, Electricity and Water each in their own way occupy inhospitable environments for electronic devices.
Electricity meters suffer from power surges and electrical interference.
Gas meters should, ideally, be kept separate from electrical devices because of the risk of leakage and explosion.
Water meters are usually found in damp conditions and frequently become submerged.
While the technology exists to keep electronics working in the most evil of environments, it is usually at a cost. It is important for each section of the automated meter reader to be cheap and trouble free.
The simplest method of reading any existing mechanical meter is to exploit the dials which rotate as the utilities product is consumed. If a light is focussed on a section of the fastest rotating dial and a light sensitive transducer is similarly focussed on the same point, as the dial rotates, the light level returned to the transducer will vary.
The counters may not necessarily be rotating discs but may take any other convenient form such as a flap display or electronically designed L.E.D.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to improve and clarify the previous proposals for remote optical meter reading and is particularly concerned with the means for transmitting the light and for processing it when received in reflected form.
According to the present invention a meter reading arrangement comprises means for directing light at a meter having at least one moving indicator, wherein light is directed at the fastest moving indicator on the meter and an optical fibre transmission path links the meter to a remotely located meter interface unit, one end of the said fibre optical transmission path being directed at the said fastest moving indicator and the other onto transducer means at the interface unit, whereby each variation in light level reflected from the meter is transmitted to the interface unit for processing.
There may also be provided a second fibre optical transmission path over which light is directed from a remote source onto the meter for reflection to the interface unit. Focusing means may be provided adjacent the meter for focusing transmitted and/or reflected light.
The interface unit conveniently includes optical transducer means for sensing sequential variation changes in the amplitude of reflected transmitted light.
The meter interface unit may connect optically to a plurality of meters remotely situated from the interface unit and from each other, each meter being monitored over a separate optical path, and may integrate all the information provided by the variation counts for further onward transmission to another location where it can be interpreted for accounting, managerial and monitoring purposes.
The onward transmission means may be any suitable form which may include further optical fibre transmission cables, coaxial cables (such as used by cable TV), telephone lines, radio or mains carrier transmission over power cables.
Modulated light may be used to enhance the signal from the reflected light, to re
REFERENCES:
patent: 4213119 (1980-07-01), Ward et al.
GPT Limited
Nelms David C.
LandOfFree
Externally-mounted utility meter reading arrangement does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Externally-mounted utility meter reading arrangement, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Externally-mounted utility meter reading arrangement will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1540186