Magnetic sensor apparatus for remotely monitoring a utility meter or the like

Claim 2

A magnetic sensor apparatus for sensing an angular position of a pointer member fixedly mounted on a rotatable shaft for rotational movement therewith as the shaft rotates about an axis of rotation, the apparatus comprising: (a) a permanent magnetic member being interconnected to a free end of the pointer member for rotation with the pointer member about the axis of rotation, said permanent magnetic member having a circumferential path of travel about the axis of rotation; (b) a circular array of spaced Hall Effect devices concentrically positioned about the axis of rotation, said Hall Effect devices being axially displaced from said permanent magnetic member of the pointer, said Hall Effect devices being in alignment with the circumferential path of travel of said permanent magnetic member; (c) microprocessor means operatively interconnected to said Hall Effect devices for electrically driving said Hall effect devices, certain of said Hall Effect devices so driven being selectively activated by the proximate position therewith of said permanent magnetic member so as to provide an electrical output signal representative of the angular position of the pointer member; (d) said microprocessor means being further operatively interconnected to said Hall Effect devices for monitoring said Hall Effect devices and obtaining said electrical output signals therefrom; (e) microprocessor logic means operatively interconnected to said microprocessor means for interpreting said electrical output signals and converting said electrical output signals to a digital value, said microprocessor logic means including pointer location interpretation means for comparing a previous dial reading when two Hall Effect devices are activated so as to interpret a correct location for the pointer; and (f) flux concentrator means for concentrating the magnetic field of the permanent magnetic member, a magnetic field of the permanent magnetic member having a steeper slope at its edges in the presence of the flux concentrator means than if the flux concentrator means were not present.

Claim 3

The magnetic sensor apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least ten equally spaced Hall Effect devices are positioned about the circumferential path of said permanent magnetic member, said Hall Effect devices being positioned intermediate of adjacent decimal numeral positions disposed concentrically about the axis of rotation.

Claim 4

A magnetic sensor apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said microprocessor logic means includes means for comparing the level of said input signals from all ten of said Hall Effect devices to a table of predetermined values so as to obtain a readout representative of the angular position of the pointer member.

Claim 5

A magnetic sensor apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further including control module means electrically connected to the microprocessor means including transmission means for transmitting over telephone lines the angular position of the pointer member to a remote location.

Claim 6

A magnetic sensor apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the permanent magnet member includes a three pole magnet comprising a central magnet and two end magnets positioned at opposite ends of the central magnet, the central magnet having a magnetic field associated therewith and the two end magnets each having a magnetic field associated therewith, the magnetic fields of the two end magnets opposing the magnetic field of the central magnet the magnetic field of the central magnet having steeper slope at its edges than if the two end magnets were not present.

Claim 7

A magnetic sensor apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the flux concentrator means includes a magnetically conductive soft material in a planar arrangement disposed generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the pointer member.

Claim 8

A magnetic sensor apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein the Hall Effect devices are positioned intermediate of the planar arrangement of magnetically conductive soft material and the permanent magnetic member.

Claim 9

A magnetic sensor apparatus in accordance with claim 7, wherein the magnetically conductive soft material is mumetal.

Claim 10

A magnetic sensor apparatus in accordance with claim 7 wherein the magnetically conductive soft material is steel.

Claim 11

A magnetic sensor apparatus for sensing an angular position of a pointer member fixedly mounted at one end to a rotatable shaft for rotational movement therewith as the shaft rotates about an axis of rotation, said apparatus comprising: (a) a permanent magnetic member interconnected to a free end of the pointer member for rotation with the pointer member about the axis of rotation, said permanent magnetic member having a circumferential path of travel about the axis of rotation, said permanent magnetic member further having a magnetic field having a direction associated therewith; (b) a circular array of at least ten spaced Hall Effect devices disposed concentrically about the axis of rotation and in alignment with but axially removed from said circumferential path of travel of said permanent magnetic member; (c) a support structure for supporting said Hall Effect devices, said Hall Effect devices being axially removed from said permanent magnetic member and mounted on said support structure with a major surface of said Hall Effect devices being perpendicular with respect to the direction of said magnetic field of said permanent magnetic member; (d) microprocessor means electrically interconnected to said Hall Effect devices for electrically driving said Hall Effect devices, said Hall Effect devices having a magnetic field sensitive state when so driven, said Hall Effect devices being necessarily configured and arranged with respect to said permanent magnetic member so as to be selectively activated by the proximate alignment therewith of said permanent magnetic member when in said magnetic field sensitive state, said Hall Effect devices so activated providing an output signal representative of the angular position of the pointer member; (e) said microprocessor means being further electrically interconnected to said Hall Effect devices for detecting said output signal; and (f) microprocessor logic means operatively interconnected to said microprocessor means for interpreting said electrical output signals and converting said electrical output signals to a digital value.

Claim 12

A magnetic sensor apparatus for sensing an angular position of a pointer member fixedly mounted at one end to a rotatable shaft for rotational movement therewith as the shaft rotates about an axis of rotation, said apparatus comprising: (a) a permanent magnetic member interconnected to a free end of the pointer member for rotation with the pointer member about the axis of rotation, said permanent magnetic member having a circumferential path of travel about the axis of rotation, said permanent magnetic member further having a magnetic field having a direction associated therewith; (b) a circular array of at least ten spaced Hall Effect devices disposed concentrically about the axis of rotation and in alignment with but axially removed from said circumferential path of travel of said permanent magnetic member; (c) a support structure for supporting said Hall Effect devices, said Hall Effect devices being axially removed from said permanent magnetic member and mounted on said support structure with a major surface of said Hall Effect devices being perpendicular with respect to the direction of said magnetic field of said permanent magnetic member; (d) microprocessor means electrically interconnected to said Hall Effect devices for electrically driving said Hall Effect devices, said Hall Effect devices having a magnetic field sensitive state when so driven, said Hall Effect devices being necessarily configured and arranged with respect to said permanent magnetic member so as to be selectively activated by the proximate alignment therewith of said permanent magnetic member when in said magnetic field sensitive state, said Hall Effect devices so activated providing an output signal representative of the angular position of the pointer member; (e) said microprocessor means being further electrically interconnected to said Hall Effect devices for detecting said output signal; and (f) microprocessor logic means operatively interconnected to said microprocessor means for interpreting said electrical output signals and converting said electrical output signals to a digital value.

Claim 13

A magnetic sensor apparatus for sensing angular positions about axes of rotation of stages of a multistage meter; the apparatus comprising: (a) a separate magnetic field causing means associated with and being interconnected to each of the stages for rotation with each respective stage about its axis of rotation, said magnetic field causing means having a circumferential path of travel about the respective axes of rotation of the stages; (b) a separate circular array of spaced Hall Effect devices associated with each of the stages and concentrically positioned about their respective axes of rotation, each circular array of said Hall Effect devices being axially displaced from said corresponding magnetic field causing means said Hall Effect devices being in alignment with the circumferential path of travel of said corresponding magnetic field causing means: (c) microprocessor means operatively interconnected to said Hall Effect devices for electrically driving said Hall Effect devices, certain of said Hall Effect devices so driven being selectively activated by the proximate position therewith of said corresponding magnetic elements so as to provide electrical output signals representative of the angular position of the stages, (d) said microprocessor means being further operatively interconnected to said Hall Effect devices for monitoring said Hall Effect devices and obtaining said electrical output signals therefrom(.); and (e) microprocessor logic means operatively interconnected to said microprocessor means for interpreting said electrical output signals, said microprocessor logic means including pointer location interpretation means for comparing a previous dial reading under predetermined conditions.

Claim 14

A magnetic sensor apparatus for sensing angular positions about axes of rotation of stages of a multistage meter; the apparatus comprising: (a) a separate magnetic field causing means associated with and being interconnected to each of the stages for rotation with each respective stage about its axis of rotation, said magnetic field causing means having a circumferential path of travel about the respective axes of rotation of the stages; (b) a separate circular array of spaced Hall Effect devices associated with each of the stages and concentrically positioned about their respective axes of rotation, each circular array of said Hall Effect devices being axially displaced from said corresponding magnetic field causing means said Hall Effect devices being in alignment with the circumferential path of travel of said corresponding magnetic field causing means: (c) microprocessor means operatively interconnected to said Hall Effect devices for electrically driving said Hall Effect devices, certain of said Hall Effect devices so driven being selectively activated by the proximate position therewith of said corresponding magnetic elements so as to provide electrical output signals representative of the angular position of the stages, (d) said microprocessor means being further operatively interconnected to said Hall Effect devices for monitoring said Hall Effect devices and obtaining said electrical output signals therefrom(.); and (e) microprocessor logic means operatively interconnected to said microprocessor means for interpreting said electrical output signals, said microprocessor logic means including pointer location interpretation means for comparing a previous dial reading under predetermined conditions.

Claim 15

A magnetic sensor apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further including transmission means electrically connected to the microprocessor means for transmitting a signal representative of the angular position of the pointer member to a remotely located computing means.

Claim 16

A magnetic sensor apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the magnetic sensor apparatus is interconnected to control module means including transmission means for receiving signals from a remotely located computing means and for transmitting the angular position of the pointer member to a remotely located computing means.

Claim 17

A magnetic sensor apparatus in accordance with claim 13, wherein said transmission means includes modem means for communicating over telephone lines.

Claim 18

A magnetic sensor apparatus in accordance with claim 13, wherein said transmission means includes wireless transmission means for communicating with the remotely located computing means by use of electromagnetic waves.

Claim 19

A magnetic sensor apparatus in accordance with claim 10, further including flux concentrating means for concentrating the magnetic field of the permanent magnetic member, the magnetic field having a steeper slope at its edges in the presence of the flux concentrator means than if the flux concentrator means were not present.