US6612188B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Self-powered fluid meter
Assignee: UBS AG Stamford Branch
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Filing: 2001-01-03
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Granted: 2003-09-02
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Expires: 2021-01-03
Abstract
Abstract The present invention provides for a self-powered fluid meter that uses the kinetic energy of a fluid being measured to provide power for circuitry that may perform functions related to the fluid measurement. An element is placed within a rotating magnetic field created from the kinetic energy of a fluid. This element creates an electrical pulse to power the circuitry.
Inventors
- 👤 David Hamilton
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 22:42
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01F; G01F3/00; G01F3/02; G01F3/04; G01F3/06; G01F3/12; G01F15/00; G01F15/07; G01F15/075
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
119 words
A batteryless fluid meter comprising a housing of predetermined volume through which a fluid flows; a magnet having at least two poles, said magnet rotating in a predetermined relationship with said fluid flow, thereby creating a rotating magnetic field; a weigand sensor positioned within said magnetic field, said weigand sensor outputting an electrical pulse with each change in polarity of said magnetic field; a conditioning circuit for receiving each said electrical pulse and using the energy from said pulses to power a circuit; a totalizer circuit powered solely by the energy from said pulses operative to count said pulses and store said pulse count; whereby said pulse count is representative of the volume of fluid flow through said housing.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
119 words
A batteryless fluid meter comprising a housing of predetermined volume through which a fluid flows; a magnet having at least two poles, said magnet rotating in a predetermined relationship with said fluid flow, thereby creating a rotating magnetic field; a weigand sensor positioned within said magnetic field, said weigand sensor outputting an electrical pulse with each change in polarity of said magnetic field; a conditioning circuit for receiving each said electrical pulse and using the energy from said pulses to power a circuit; a totalizer circuit powered solely by the energy from said pulses operative to count said pulses and store said pulse count; whereby said pulse count is representative of the volume of fluid flow through said housing.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
The fluid meter of claim 1 , wherein said conditioning circuit comprises a rectifier to utilize pulses of positive or negative polarity.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The fluid meter of claim 1 , wherein said conditioning circuit comprises a capacitor to store energy from said pulses.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
The fluid meter of claim 1 wherein said pulse count is stored in a memory.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
The fluid meter of claim 4 wherein said memory is selected from the group consisting of: ferro-electric RAM and ferro-electric LCD memory.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The fluid meter of claim 1 further comprising a transmitter powered solely by the energy from said pulses.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
The fluid meter of claim 6 further comprising a register attached to said housing and wherein said magnet, sensor, conditioning circuit, totalizer circuit, and transmitter are contained within said register.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
112 words
A method of metering a fluid without utilizing a battery, said method comprising: directing a flow of fluid through a housing of predetermined volume; creating a magnetic field rotating in a predetermined relationship with said fluid flow; positioning a weigand sensor within said rotating magnetic field, whereby said weigand sensor outputs an electrical pulse each time said field changes polarity; receiving said pulses in a conditioning circuit and conditioning the energy from said pulses to be used as a power supply; and counting said pulses using a totalizer circuit powered solely from the energy of said pulses; whereby said pulse count is representative of the volume of fluid flow through said housing.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
112 words
A method of metering a fluid without utilizing a battery, said method comprising: directing a flow of fluid through a housing of predetermined volume; creating a magnetic field rotating in a predetermined relationship with said fluid flow; positioning a weigand sensor within said rotating magnetic field, whereby said weigand sensor outputs an electrical pulse each time said field changes polarity; receiving said pulses in a conditioning circuit and conditioning the energy from said pulses to be used as a power supply; and counting said pulses using a totalizer circuit powered solely from the energy of said pulses; whereby said pulse count is representative of the volume of fluid flow through said housing.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 8 , further comprising: storing said pulse count in a permanent memory.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 9 , further comprising: transmitting said pulse count to a receiver using a transmitter powered solely from the energy of said pulses.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2006-09-01 | 2007-03-03 | 2007-09-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2010-09-01 | 2011-03-03 | 2011-09-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2014-09-01 | 2015-03-03 | 2015-09-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |