System for measuring and recording a utility consumption

Claim 1

A system for measuring and recording a utility consumption, said system comprising a data-gathering system and an interrogation unit; the data-gathering system including: a meter having a unique identification code for measuring and displaying a metered utility consumption and producing successive electrical pulses representative of an increment thereof, a sealed electronic module removably fixed to the meter and comprising: a first computer electrically coupled to the meter and responsive to the electrical pulses produced thereby for computing a utility consumption, a memory coupled to the first computer for storing data representative of said computed utility consumption and of said unique identification code, a first bi-directional data converter coupled to the first computer for converting in one direction said data to a representative r.f. signal and for converting in the second direction an r.f. signal to representative digital data, a first wideband coil antenna coupled to the data converter for transmitting and receiving an r.f. signal; and a power source for providing electrical power to the sealed electronic module; and the interrogation unit including: a non-contact portable communications interface for coupling the data-gathering system to a second computer so as to permit the second computer to read data stored in the memory of the data gathering unit and to write data thereto thereby allowing the computed utility consumption to be conformed to the metered utility consumption; said non-contact portable communications interface comprising: a second wideband coil antenna for communicating with the first coil antenna by mutual coupling, a second bi-directional data converter coupled to the second antenna for converting in one direction a received r.f. signal to digital output data and for converting in a second direction digital input data to an r.f. output signal and being further provided with coupling means for coupling to the second computer, and a power source for providing electrical power to the interrogation unit.

Claim 2

A system for measuring and recording a utility consumption, said system comprising a data-gathering system and an interrogation unit; the data-gathering system including: a meter having a unique identification code for measuring and displaying a metered utility consumption and producing successive electrical pulses representative of an increment thereof, a sealed electronic module removably fixed to the meter and comprising: a first computer electrically coupled to the meter and responsive to the electrical pulses produced thereby for computing a utility consumption, a memory coupled to the first computer for storing data representative of said computed utility consumption and of said unique identification code, a first bi-directional data converter coupled to the first computer for converting in one direction said data to a representative r.f. signal and for converting in the second direction an r.f. signal to representative digital data, a first wideband coil antenna coupled to the data converter for transmitting and receiving an r.f. signal; and a power source for providing electrical power to the sealed electronic module; and the interrogation unit including: a non-contact portable communications interface for coupling the data-gathering system to a second computer so as to permit the second computer to read data stored in the memory of the data gathering unit and to write data thereto thereby allowing the computed utility consumption to be conformed to the metered utility consumption; said non-contact portable communications interface comprising: a second wideband coil antenna for communicating with the first coil antenna by mutual coupling, a second bi-directional data converter coupled to the second antenna for converting in one direction a received r.f. signal to digital output data and for converting in a second direction digital input data to an r.f. output signal and being further provided with coupling means for coupling to the second computer, and a power source for providing electrical power to the interrogation unit.

Claim 10

A system for measuring and recording a utility consumption, said system comprising a data-gathering system, a central access unit and an interrogation unit; the data-gathering system including: a meter having a unique identification code for measuring and displaying a metered utility consumption and producing successive electrical pulses representative of an increment thereof, a sealed electronic module removably fixed to the meter and comprising: a first computer electrically coupled to the meter and responsive to the electrical pulses produced thereby for computing a utility consumption, a memory coupled to the first computer for storing data representative of said computed utility consumption and of said unique identification code, a first bi-directional data converter coupled to the first computer for converting in one direction said data to a representative r.f. signal and for converting in the second direction an r.f. signal to representative digital data, and a power source for providing electrical power to the sealed electronic module; the central access unit comprising a first wideband coil antenna coupled to the data converter in the data gathering unit for transmitting and receiving an r.f. signal; and the interrogation unit including: a non-contact portable communications interface for coupling the data-gathering system to a second computer so as to permit the second computer to read data stored in the memory of the data gathering unit and to write data thereto thereby allowing the computed utility consumption to be conformed to the metered utility consumption; said non-contact portable communications interface comprising: a second wideband coil antenna for communicating with the first coil antenna by mutual coupling, a second bi-directional data converter coupled to the second antenna for converting in one direction a received r.f. signal to digital output data and for converting in a second directional digital input data to an r.f. output signal and being further provided with coupling means for coupling to the second computer, and a power source for providing electrical power to the interrogation unit.

Claim 11

A system for measuring and recording a utility consumption, said system comprising a data-gathering system, a central access unit and an interrogation unit; the data-gathering system including: a meter having a unique identification code for measuring and displaying a metered utility consumption and producing successive electrical pulses representative of an increment thereof, a sealed electronic module removably fixed to the meter and comprising: a first computer electrically coupled to the meter and responsive to the electrical pulses produced thereby for computing a utility consumption, a memory coupled to the first computer for storing data representative of said computed utility consumption and of said unique identification code, a first bi-directional data converter coupled to the first computer for converting in one direction said data to a representative r.f. signal and for converting in the second direction an r.f. signal to representative digital data, and a power source for providing electrical power to the sealed electronic module; the central access unit comprising a first wideband coil antenna coupled to the data converter in the data gathering unit for transmitting and receiving an r.f. signal; and the interrogation unit including: a non-contact portable communications interface for coupling the data-gathering system to a second computer so as to permit the second computer to read data stored in the memory of the data gathering unit and to write data thereto thereby allowing the computed utility consumption to be conformed to the metered utility consumption; said non-contact portable communications interface comprising: a second wideband coil antenna for communicating with the first coil antenna by mutual coupling, a second bi-directional data converter coupled to the second antenna for converting in one direction a received r.f. signal to digital output data and for converting in a second directional digital input data to an r.f. output signal and being further provided with coupling means for coupling to the second computer, and a power source for providing electrical power to the interrogation unit.