EP0242090A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Remote reading of a metered quantity
Assignee: Smith Meters Ltd
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Filing: 1987-04-02
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-04-02
Abstract
Abstract A meter has a liquid crystal (20) on which is displayed the value of a metered quantity, for direct visual reading. A single flashing zone (26) is arranged to display a binary-coded representation of the same value as a timed sequence of flashes. The binary 0's and l's are represented by the presence or absence of flashes. The flashing code is read by a photo-electric sensor (22) which transmits electrical signals to remote reading station (24). Thus there are no direct connections to the meter. In an alternative arrangement, fibre optics transmit the flashes of light to a remote station.
Inventors
- 👤 John William Shadrach
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 19:53
CPC Classifications
G; G08; G08C; G08C23/00; G08C23/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
68 words
A meter adapted for reading at a remote reading station of the kind in which the meter is adapted to present its metered quantity as an electrical signal which may be read at the remote reading station, characterized by means (26) for displaying the electrical signal as a coded sequence of light flashes at the meter (ll), which flashes may be read at the remote reading station (24).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
68 words
A meter adapted for reading at a remote reading station of the kind in which the meter is adapted to present its metered quantity as an electrical signal which may be read at the remote reading station, characterized by means (26) for displaying the electrical signal as a coded sequence of light flashes at the meter (ll), which flashes may be read at the remote reading station (24).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
A meter adapted as claimed in claim l, further characterized by the coded sequence being a binary code in which the presence of a flash represents binary l and the absence of a flash represents binary 0 or vice versa.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
A meter adapted as claimed in claim 2, further characterized by the coded sequence being repeated cyclically with pauses or other identification signals to indicate the beginning of each sequence.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
A meter adapted as claimed in any of claims l to 3, further characterized by the means (26) for displaying the light flashes comprising an electrical lamp.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
54 words
A meter adapted as claimed in any of claims l to 3, further characterized by the means (26) for displaying the light flashes comprising a liquid crystal (20), there being also means (27, 30) for directing light at the liquid crystal, the selective reflection of the light from the crystal comprising the light flashes.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
84 words
A meter adapted as claimed in claim 5, further characterized by said meter including a battery-powered electronic circuit (l8) producing electrical signals representing the measure of metered quantity in both decimal and binary-coded forms, the decimal signal being directed to the liquid crystal (20) to produce a display in decimal form, the binary-coded signal being directed to a zone of the same liquid crystal to produce the light flashes, the means (27) for directing light at the liquid crystal producing reflection from both displays.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
A meter adapted for reading at a remote reading station as claimed in any of claims l to 6, further characterized by reading means comprising a fibre optic cable (30) located to transmit the light flashes.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
A meter adapted as claimed in any of claims l to 7, further characterized by a photo-electric sensor (22) located to detect the light flashes and directing consequent electrical signals to the remote reading station (24, 3l).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
43 words
A meter adapted as claimed in claim 7, as appendant to claims 5 or 6, further characterized by fibre optic cable means (30) arranged to direct light to the liquid crystal (20) and comprising said means for directing light at the liquid crystal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
l0. A meter adapted as claimed in claim 8, further characterized by both the means for directing light at the liquid crystal display and the photo-electric sensor means being energized from the reading station.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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