Remotely controlling and metering liquid dispensation

Claim 1

Apparatus for controlling and metering product dispensation comprising, means defining a central console unit at a central location for transmitting to and receiving from a plurality of remote stations at a corresponding plurality of remote locations, means defining a remote station at each remote location, dispensing means having an electric motor energized with electrical energy received over conventional electrical power lines at each of said remote locations having computer means for indicating the amount of material dispensed, said power lines also intercoupling said central and remote stations, a single central location transceiver at said central location and a remote location transceiver at each of said remote locations respectively intercoupled by said power lines, means for converting information provided by said computer means into representative digital data signals characteristic of the amount of material dispensed during the time interval beginning with restoration of said computer means to a predetermined initial condition, means for storing said representative digital data signals at each of said remote locations as the product is being dispensed, means including said transceivers and said power lines for transmitting control signals from said central location to each of said remote locations for enabling and disabling said dispensing means and for initiating reset of said computer means to said predetermined initial condition and the latter means for storing to a corresponding initial condition, means including said transceivers for interrogating each of the remote location storage means and transmitting the stored digital data therein from each of said remote locations to said central location, means at said central location responsive to the transmitted digital data signals for providing a visual display of the amount dispensed at each remote location represented by said transmitted digital data signals, and means for synchronizing the transmission of said digital data signals with the electrical energy of powerline frequency carried by said power lines, said transceivers including sources of radio frequency carriers and means for modulating said carriers with said control signals and said digital data signals for providing modulated carrier signals transmitted over said power lines by transmitter portions of said transceivers and demodulated by receiver portions of said transceivers.