System and method for communicating and control of automated meter reading

Claim 1

A system, for collecting and communicating flow data for a commodity including a liquid, a gas, or electricity transported via a metered system, using wireless data transfer, the system comprising: at least one meter positioned in the metered system for detecting the flow of the commodity, the meter having a first housing; an enclosed second housing positioned on each of the meters; a sensor contained within the second housing and configured to output a signal representative of a resource flow rate by measuring an output from said meter; a register contained within the second housing, the register including a processor configured to receive said signal output by said sensor, process said signal in accord with a communication protocol instruction set to adapt said signal for transmission, and store the processed signal in a data storage device; a programming port contained within the second housing and coupled to the processor, such that programming instructions and recorded information can be communicated to and from the processor from external to the second housing through the programming port; a wireless transmitter integrated with the processor and contained within the second housing, the transmitter configured to output said processed signal from the meter independently of the programming port, wherein the processed signal can be received from the register through both the programming port and the wireless transmitter; and an interface device disposed externally to the meter and the second housing and configured to perform at least one of receiving data output from the transmitter and outputting instruction information to the transmitter.

Claim 2

A system, for collecting and communicating flow data for a commodity including a liquid, a gas, or electricity transported via a metered system, using wireless data transfer, the system comprising: at least one meter positioned in the metered system for detecting the flow of the commodity, the meter having a first housing; an enclosed second housing positioned on each of the meters; a sensor contained within the second housing and configured to output a signal representative of a resource flow rate by measuring an output from said meter; a register contained within the second housing, the register including a processor configured to receive said signal output by said sensor, process said signal in accord with a communication protocol instruction set to adapt said signal for transmission, and store the processed signal in a data storage device; a programming port contained within the second housing and coupled to the processor, such that programming instructions and recorded information can be communicated to and from the processor from external to the second housing through the programming port; a wireless transmitter integrated with the processor and contained within the second housing, the transmitter configured to output said processed signal from the meter independently of the programming port, wherein the processed signal can be received from the register through both the programming port and the wireless transmitter; and an interface device disposed externally to the meter and the second housing and configured to perform at least one of receiving data output from the transmitter and outputting instruction information to the transmitter.

Claim 8

A system for collecting and communicating flow data for a commodity including a liquid, a gas, or electricity transported via a metered system, the system comprising: a plurality of gas and water meters positioned in the metered system for detecting the flow of the commodities, each meter including a first housing and an enclosed second housing; a sensor contained in the enclosed second housing of each meter and configured to output a signal representative of a commodity flow rate by measuring an output from said meter; a register including a processor contained within each enclosed second housing, the processor configured to receive the signal output by the sensor, process the signal, adapt the signal for transmission and store the processed signal in a data storage device; a wireless transmitter contained within each second housing and integrated with the processor such that the processor outputs the processed signal from the meter through the wireless transmitter; a programming port contained within each second housing and coupled to the processor of each second housing, wherein programming instructions and recorded information can be communicated to and from the processor of each second housing from external to the second housing independently from the wireless transmitter such that the processed signal can be received from each register through both the programming port and the wireless transmitter; and an electric meter including an interface device located remotely from each of the plurality of meters wherein the interface device is configured to receive the processed signal from the plurality of wireless transmitters and output instruction to the plurality of wireless transmitters, wherein the interface device is positioned in the metered system.

Claim 9

A system for collecting and communicating flow data for a commodity including a liquid, a gas, or electricity transported via a metered system, the system comprising: a plurality of gas and water meters positioned in the metered system for detecting the flow of the commodities, each meter including a first housing and an enclosed second housing; a sensor contained in the enclosed second housing of each meter and configured to output a signal representative of a commodity flow rate by measuring an output from said meter; a register including a processor contained within each enclosed second housing, the processor configured to receive the signal output by the sensor, process the signal, adapt the signal for transmission and store the processed signal in a data storage device; a wireless transmitter contained within each second housing and integrated with the processor such that the processor outputs the processed signal from the meter through the wireless transmitter; a programming port contained within each second housing and coupled to the processor of each second housing, wherein programming instructions and recorded information can be communicated to and from the processor of each second housing from external to the second housing independently from the wireless transmitter such that the processed signal can be received from each register through both the programming port and the wireless transmitter; and an electric meter including an interface device located remotely from each of the plurality of meters wherein the interface device is configured to receive the processed signal from the plurality of wireless transmitters and output instruction to the plurality of wireless transmitters, wherein the interface device is positioned in the metered system.

Claim 17

A system for collecting and communicating flow data for a commodity including a liquid, a gas, or electricity transported by a metered system, the system comprising: a plurality of meters positioned in the metered system for detecting the flow of the commodity, each meter having a first housing and an enclosed second housing; a sensor contained in the enclosed second housing of each meter and configured to output a signal representative of a commodity flow rate through the meter by measuring an output of said meter; a register contained within each enclosed second housing, the register including a processor configured to receive the signal output by the sensor, process the signal, adapt the signal for transmission from the second housing and store the processed signal in a data storage device; a wireless transmitter including an RF transmitter and an RF transceiver contained with each second housing and integrated with the processor; an antenna coupled to the processor such that the processor outputs the processed signal through the antenna; a programming port contained within each second housing and coupled to the processor of each second housing, each programming port including an inductive coil coupled to the processor such that programming instructions and recorded information can be communicated to and from the processor of each second housing independently from the antenna such that a processed signal can be received from each register through both the programming port and the antenna; and an interface device located remotely from each of the plurality of meters and enclosed second housings, the interface device being configured to receive the processed signal from the antennas and output instructions to the antennas, the interface device including a processor configured to receive the signals output by the plurality of antennas, process the received signals, adapt the signals for further transmission and store the processed signal in a data storage device.

Claim 18

A system for collecting and communicating flow data for a commodity including a liquid, a gas, or electricity transported by a metered system, the system comprising: a plurality of meters positioned in the metered system for detecting the flow of the commodity, each meter having a first housing and an enclosed second housing; a sensor contained in the enclosed second housing of each meter and configured to output a signal representative of a commodity flow rate through the meter by measuring an output of said meter; a register contained within each enclosed second housing, the register including a processor configured to receive the signal output by the sensor, process the signal, adapt the signal for transmission from the second housing and store the processed signal in a data storage device; a wireless transmitter including an RF transmitter and an RF transceiver contained with each second housing and integrated with the processor; an antenna coupled to the processor such that the processor outputs the processed signal through the antenna; a programming port contained within each second housing and coupled to the processor of each second housing, each programming port including an inductive coil coupled to the processor such that programming instructions and recorded information can be communicated to and from the processor of each second housing independently from the antenna such that a processed signal can be received from each register through both the programming port and the antenna; and an interface device located remotely from each of the plurality of meters and enclosed second housings, the interface device being configured to receive the processed signal from the antennas and output instructions to the antennas, the interface device including a processor configured to receive the signals output by the plurality of antennas, process the received signals, adapt the signals for further transmission and store the processed signal in a data storage device.