Telephonic information communication method and apparatus

Claim 1

A method for automated utility meter reading over a telephone line of a customer, comprising: (a) electrically encoding one or more of a customer's utility meter readings; (b) transmitting the electrically encoded readings onto the customer's telephone line as an out-of-band frequency reading signal which is operatively transmitted concurrently over the customer's telephone line between the customer and the local distribution point with or without any customer voice communications; (c) performing steps (a) and (b) one or more times; (d) receiving selected out-of-band frequency readings at a local distribution point; (e) converting the received selected out-of-band frequency readings to data readings at the local distribution point; (f) selectively re-transmitting the data readings as in-band frequency reading signals over a telephone link connecting through a telephone company central office switch; and (g) acquiring the in-band frequency reading signals at one or more remote locations through the telephone company central office switch to provide the customer's utility meter readings automatically to the remote locations.

Claim 2

A method for automated utility meter reading over a telephone line of a customer, comprising: (a) electrically encoding one or more of a customer's utility meter readings; (b) transmitting the electrically encoded readings onto the customer's telephone line as an out-of-band frequency reading signal which is operatively transmitted concurrently over the customer's telephone line between the customer and the local distribution point with or without any customer voice communications; (c) performing steps (a) and (b) one or more times; (d) receiving selected out-of-band frequency readings at a local distribution point; (e) converting the received selected out-of-band frequency readings to data readings at the local distribution point; (f) selectively re-transmitting the data readings as in-band frequency reading signals over a telephone link connecting through a telephone company central office switch; and (g) acquiring the in-band frequency reading signals at one or more remote locations through the telephone company central office switch to provide the customer's utility meter readings automatically to the remote locations.

Claim 12

A method for automated reading of one or more types of utility meters of a plurality of customers using the customers' telephone lines, comprising: (a) electrically encoding one or more of each customer's utility meter readings; (b) transmitting each customer's electrically encoded readings onto the customer's telephone line as an out-of-band frequency reading signal which is operatively transmitted concurrently over the customer's telephone line between the customer and the local distribution point with or without any customer voice communications; (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) one or more times; (d) receiving the out-of-band frequency readings from selected customers at a local distribution point; (e) converting the received out-of-band frequency readings from selected customers to data readings at the local distribution point; (f) grouping the data readings from selected customers to provide a data reading packet; (g) selectively re-transmitting the data reading packet as an in-band frequency reading signal over a telephone link connecting through a telephone company central office switch; and (h) acquiring the in-band frequency reading signal at one or more remote locations through the telephone company central office switch to provide the customers' utility meter readings automatically to the remote locations.

Claim 13

A method for automated reading of one or more types of utility meters of a plurality of customers using the customers' telephone lines, comprising: (a) electrically encoding one or more of each customer's utility meter readings; (b) transmitting each customer's electrically encoded readings onto the customer's telephone line as an out-of-band frequency reading signal which is operatively transmitted concurrently over the customer's telephone line between the customer and the local distribution point with or without any customer voice communications; (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) one or more times; (d) receiving the out-of-band frequency readings from selected customers at a local distribution point; (e) converting the received out-of-band frequency readings from selected customers to data readings at the local distribution point; (f) grouping the data readings from selected customers to provide a data reading packet; (g) selectively re-transmitting the data reading packet as an in-band frequency reading signal over a telephone link connecting through a telephone company central office switch; and (h) acquiring the in-band frequency reading signal at one or more remote locations through the telephone company central office switch to provide the customers' utility meter readings automatically to the remote locations.

Claim 22

An apparatus for automated reading of one or more utility meters of each of a plurality of customers using the customers' telephone lines, comprising: encoding means operatively associated with one or more of each of said customers' utility meters for converting said customers' utility meter readings to an electrical signal; transmitting means electrically connecting said encoding means to said customers' telephone lines for converting said electrical signal to an out-of-band electrical signal having a frequency, wherein the frequency of said out-of-band electrical signal is sufficiently offset from customer voice communication frequencies to substantially reduce interference during concurrent transmission of both said out-of-band electrical signal and customer voice communications over said customers' telephone lines; scanning means located at a local distribution point for receiving said out-of-band electrical signal from each of said customers' telephone lines without disrupting customer voice communications, said scanning means having a plurality of input ports and an output port, said input ports being electrically connected to said customers' telephone lines and said scanning means selectively providing a selected meter reading at said output port; control means electrically connected to said scanning means for selecting the meter reading to be provided at said output port of said scanning means and for selectively grouping one or more of said selected meter readings from said scanning means as a data reading packet; re-transmitting means electrically connected to a telephone link connecting through a telephone company central office switch, and responsive to said control means for transmitting said data reading packet as an in-band electrical signal, said in-band electrical signal being transmitted over said telephone link; and communication means located at a remote location for receiving said in-band electrical signal over said telephone link.

Claim 23

An apparatus for automated reading of one or more utility meters of each of a plurality of customers using the customers' telephone lines, comprising: encoding means operatively associated with one or more of each of said customers' utility meters for converting said customers' utility meter readings to an electrical signal; transmitting means electrically connecting said encoding means to said customers' telephone lines for converting said electrical signal to an out-of-band electrical signal having a frequency, wherein the frequency of said out-of-band electrical signal is sufficiently offset from customer voice communication frequencies to substantially reduce interference during concurrent transmission of both said out-of-band electrical signal and customer voice communications over said customers' telephone lines; scanning means located at a local distribution point for receiving said out-of-band electrical signal from each of said customers' telephone lines without disrupting customer voice communications, said scanning means having a plurality of input ports and an output port, said input ports being electrically connected to said customers' telephone lines and said scanning means selectively providing a selected meter reading at said output port; control means electrically connected to said scanning means for selecting the meter reading to be provided at said output port of said scanning means and for selectively grouping one or more of said selected meter readings from said scanning means as a data reading packet; re-transmitting means electrically connected to a telephone link connecting through a telephone company central office switch, and responsive to said control means for transmitting said data reading packet as an in-band electrical signal, said in-band electrical signal being transmitted over said telephone link; and communication means located at a remote location for receiving said in-band electrical signal over said telephone link.

Claim 29

An apparatus for automated acquisition of one or more of a customer's utility meter readings using the customer's telephone line, comprising: acquisition means electrically connected to the customer's telephone line for converting said utility meter readings to an out-of-band electrical signal having a frequency and for transmitting said out-of-band electrical signal over the customer's telephone line, wherein the frequency of said out-of-band electrical signal is sufficiently offset from customer voice communication frequencies to substantially reduce interference during concurrent transmission of both said out-of-band electrical signal and customer voice communications over said customer's telephone lines; and signal shifting means located at a local distribution point for converting said out-of-band electrical signal from said customer's telephone line to an in-band electrical signal having a frequency within the range of customer voice communications, said in-band electrical signal being configured to be transmitted over a telephone link connecting through a telephone company central office switch to a remote location to thereby provide said customer's utility meter readings to said remote location automatically.

Claim 30

An apparatus for automated acquisition of one or more of a customer's utility meter readings using the customer's telephone line, comprising: acquisition means electrically connected to the customer's telephone line for converting said utility meter readings to an out-of-band electrical signal having a frequency and for transmitting said out-of-band electrical signal over the customer's telephone line, wherein the frequency of said out-of-band electrical signal is sufficiently offset from customer voice communication frequencies to substantially reduce interference during concurrent transmission of both said out-of-band electrical signal and customer voice communications over said customer's telephone lines; and signal shifting means located at a local distribution point for converting said out-of-band electrical signal from said customer's telephone line to an in-band electrical signal having a frequency within the range of customer voice communications, said in-band electrical signal being configured to be transmitted over a telephone link connecting through a telephone company central office switch to a remote location to thereby provide said customer's utility meter readings to said remote location automatically.

Claim 31

A method for customer information communication between a customer and a requesting location over existing communication lines, comprising: (a) transmitting a request for customer information from a requesting location by telephone through a telephone company switch to a local distribution point; (b) receiving the request for customer information at the local distribution point; (c) transmitting the request for customer information from the local distribution point to the customer over existing communication lines modulated at a first out-of-band frequency range as an out-of-band frequency request; (d) receiving the out-of-band frequency request from the local distribution point to provide an information request to the customer; (e) electrically encoding customer information responsive to the information request to the customer; (f) transmitting the electrically encoded customer information over the existing communications lines modulated at a second out-of-band frequency range as an out-of-band frequency information reading; (g) receiving the out-of-band frequency information reading at the local distribution point; and, (h) re-transmitting the out-of-band frequency information reading from the local distribution point at in-band-frequencies through a telephone company switch to the requesting location.

Claim 32

A method for customer information communication between a customer and a requesting location over existing communication lines, comprising: (a) transmitting a request for customer information from a requesting location by telephone through a telephone company switch to a local distribution point; (b) receiving the request for customer information at the local distribution point; (c) transmitting the request for customer information from the local distribution point to the customer over existing communication lines modulated at a first out-of-band frequency range as an out-of-band frequency request; (d) receiving the out-of-band frequency request from the local distribution point to provide an information request to the customer; (e) electrically encoding customer information responsive to the information request to the customer; (f) transmitting the electrically encoded customer information over the existing communications lines modulated at a second out-of-band frequency range as an out-of-band frequency information reading; (g) receiving the out-of-band frequency information reading at the local distribution point; and, (h) re-transmitting the out-of-band frequency information reading from the local distribution point at in-band-frequencies through a telephone company switch to the requesting location.

Claim 39

A method for customer control communication between a customer and a requesting location over existing communication lines, comprising: (a) transmitting a customer control request from a requesting location by telephone through a telephone company switch to a local distribution point; (b) receiving the customer control request at the local distribution point; (c) transmitting the customer control request from the local distribution point to the customer over existing communication lines modulated at a first out-of-band frequency range as an out-of-band frequency request; and, (d) receiving the out-of-band frequency request from the local distribution point to provide a control signal to the customer.

Claim 40

A method for customer control communication between a customer and a requesting location over existing communication lines, comprising: (a) transmitting a customer control request from a requesting location by telephone through a telephone company switch to a local distribution point; (b) receiving the customer control request at the local distribution point; (c) transmitting the customer control request from the local distribution point to the customer over existing communication lines modulated at a first out-of-band frequency range as an out-of-band frequency request; and, (d) receiving the out-of-band frequency request from the local distribution point to provide a control signal to the customer.