GB2169728A - A meter reading system for electricity, gas or water - Google Patents

A meter reading system for electricity, gas or water Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2169728A
GB2169728A GB08500766A GB8500766A GB2169728A GB 2169728 A GB2169728 A GB 2169728A GB 08500766 A GB08500766 A GB 08500766A GB 8500766 A GB8500766 A GB 8500766A GB 2169728 A GB2169728 A GB 2169728A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
reading system
meter reading
consumer
meter
gas
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB08500766A
Other versions
GB8500766D0 (en
Inventor
Mary Bowyer
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to GB08500766A priority Critical patent/GB2169728A/en
Publication of GB8500766D0 publication Critical patent/GB8500766D0/en
Publication of GB2169728A publication Critical patent/GB2169728A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06M—COUNTING MECHANISMS; COUNTING OF OBJECTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06M3/00—Counters with additional facilities
    • G06M3/06—Counters with additional facilities for printing or separately displaying result of count
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01D—MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G01D4/00—Tariff metering apparatus
    • G01D4/002—Remote reading of utility meters
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y04—INFORMATION OR COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES HAVING AN IMPACT ON OTHER TECHNOLOGY AREAS
    • Y04S—SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS
    • Y04S20/00—Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof
    • Y04S20/30—Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Indication And Recording Devices For Special Purposes And Tariff Metering Devices (AREA)
  • Arrangements For Transmission Of Measured Signals (AREA)

Abstract

A meter reading system (2) for electricity, gas or water, which meter reading system (2) comprises supply station means (4) for supplying electricity, gas or water to a plurality of consumers, output monitoring means (10) for monitoring the output of the electricity, gas or water to individual consumers, and cost charging means (14) for providing a charge for each consumer consequent upon the monitored output to each consumer. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A meter reading system for electricity gas or water This invention relates to a meter reading system for electricity, gas or water.
Most domestic and industrial premises have electricity and gas meters. Some premises also have water meters. The reading of the various meters often gives rise to problems.
For example, the meter reader may call at an inconvenient time or when nobody is in. Further, many elderly persons are reluctant to admit strange persons into their homes. Costs are involved in sending meter readers to various premises to read meters and these costs are obviously increased if the meter reader has to revisit a premises because he or she could not gain entrance to the premises on the first visit.
It is an aim of the present invention to obviate or reduce the above mentioned problems.
Accordingly, this invention provides a meter reading system for electricity, gas or water, which meter reading system comprises supply station means for supplying electricity, gas or water to a plurality of customers, output monitoring means for monitoring the output of the electricity, gas or water to individual consumers, and cost charging means for providing a charge for each consumer consequent upon the monitored output to each consumer.
The supply station means may be a main supply station means such for example as a main electricity station, a main gas station or a main water pumping station. Alternatively, the supply station means may be a sub-station.
The output monitoring means may include a micro processor. The micro processor may include memory means and comparitor means.
The cost charging means may include printout means for providing a charge sheet that can be sent to the consumer for payment.
Obviously, facilities would be provided for the individual customers to check the charges rendered by the cost charging means if they thought that an error had occurred.
In the event that it should be desired to periodically return to manual reading, for example in the case of random checks by inspectors or in the case of a malfunction of the meter reading system, the meter for each consumer is advantageously provided in a container or room with a viewing slot through which the meter can be viewed by an inspector or other authorised person.
The viewing slot may be similar to a letter box.
The viewing through the viewing slot may be facilitated with the aid of magnifying means. The magnifying means may be a magnifying glass, mounted for example on a rod.
Alternatively, the viewing of the meter may be effected using fibre optic read out means.
For meter viewing in poor light conditions or at night time, illumination means are preferably provided. The illumination means may be a torch and the torch may be operated on a battery and/or mains.
The meter reading system, with or without the manual viewing, may be used as desired and it will preferably be used to submit readings to consumers of units of electricity, gas or water consumed on a frequent basis, in order to avoid presenting the customers with large bills covering relatively long periods.
The frequent meter inspections could be effective to help prevent meter tampering. Also to help prevent meter tampering, the container or room containing each meter could be provided with a metal casing to help render it more vandal-proof and tamper-proof.
Photographic means may be provided for providing a photographic record of readings made on each consumer's meter.
In order to avoid the cost of developing the photographic record, the various photographic records could be stored and only developed in cases of a customer query over charges made.
The photographic means may be a camera of the type that provides micro film or micro fiche. A periscope type camera could be employed using any desirable type of lens, for example a circular lens. Usually the camera would have an on/off switch.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows a meter reading system.
Referring to the drawing, there is shown a meter reading system 2 for electricity. The meter reading system 2 comprises supply station means 4 for supplying electricity to a plurality of customers via output lines 6. The output lines 6 lead to output monitoring means 10 for monitoring the output of electricity along the output lines 6. The output monitoring means 10 feeds via a line 12 to cost charging means 14 for providing a charge for each consumer consequent upon the monitored output to each consumer. When the cost charging means 14 has made its appropriate calculations, the electricity can continue along output line 16 and it can then be fed along individual output lines 18 which lead to individual consumers. Thus it will be appreciated that the meter reading system has provided a single central meter reading system that has been effective to monitor the electricity being supplied to each consumer and it has also been effective to provide a record of a charge to be made to each individual consumer via the cost charging means 14.
It is to be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention described above has been given by way of example only and that modificiations may be effected. Thus, for example, the meter reading system could be a meter reading system for gas or water instead of for electricity.

Claims (10)

1. A meter reading system for electricity, gas or water, which meter reading system comprises supply station means for supplying electricity, gas or water to a plurality of consumers, output monitoring means for monitoring the output of the electricity, gas or water to individual customers, and cost charging means for providing a charge for each consumer consequent upon the monitored output to each consumer.
2. A meter reading system according to claim 1 in which the output monitoring means includes a micro processor.
3. A meter reading system according to claim 2 in which the micro processor includes memory means and comparator means.
4. A meter reading system according to any one of the preceding claims in which the cost charging means includes print-out means for providing a charge sheet that can be sent to the consumer for payment.
5. A meter reading system according to any one of the preceding claims and including a plurality of meters, one for each consumer, the meter for each consumer being provided in a container or room with a viewing slot through which the meter can be viewed.
6. A meter reading system accprding to claim 5 in which the viewing through the viewing slot is facilitated with the aid of magnifying means.
7. A meter reading system according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and including a plurality of meters, one for each consumer, the meter for each consumer being associated with fibre optic read out means, the fibre optic read out means enabling the meter to be read.
8. A meter reading system according to any one of the preceding claims and including photographic means for providing a photographic record of readings made on each consumer's meter.
9. A meter reading system according to claim 8 in which the photographic means is a camera of the type that provides micro film or micro fiche.
10. A meter reading system for electricty, gas or water, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
GB08500766A 1985-01-11 1985-01-11 A meter reading system for electricity, gas or water Withdrawn GB2169728A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB08500766A GB2169728A (en) 1985-01-11 1985-01-11 A meter reading system for electricity, gas or water

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB08500766A GB2169728A (en) 1985-01-11 1985-01-11 A meter reading system for electricity, gas or water

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB8500766D0 GB8500766D0 (en) 1985-02-13
GB2169728A true GB2169728A (en) 1986-07-16

Family

ID=10572745

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB08500766A Withdrawn GB2169728A (en) 1985-01-11 1985-01-11 A meter reading system for electricity, gas or water

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2169728A (en)

Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB643515A (en) * 1947-03-01 1950-09-20 Automatic Telephone & Elect Improvements in or relating to photographic recording apparatus
GB1525079A (en) * 1975-07-31 1978-09-20 Stoppani Sa Apparatus for interconnecting a telephone line and a calculator
GB2041588A (en) * 1979-01-25 1980-09-10 Hutt P Apparatus for metering and displaying the cost of electrical energy consumption
GB2093615A (en) * 1981-01-28 1982-09-02 Atkins Patrick Ralph Home energy saving computer
GB2096370A (en) * 1979-02-21 1982-10-13 South Eastern Elec Board Electrical energy consumption meter
GB2100036A (en) * 1981-05-16 1982-12-15 Adagelynn Ltd Measuring the amount of a supplied commodity
GB2107093A (en) * 1981-09-16 1983-04-20 Walker Crosweller And Company Automatic reading of public utility meters or the like
EP0130475A1 (en) * 1983-07-01 1985-01-09 Rockwell International Corporation Meter data gathering and transmission system
GB2148565A (en) * 1983-10-20 1985-05-30 Jel Energy Conservation Servic Monitoring devices

Patent Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB643515A (en) * 1947-03-01 1950-09-20 Automatic Telephone & Elect Improvements in or relating to photographic recording apparatus
GB1525079A (en) * 1975-07-31 1978-09-20 Stoppani Sa Apparatus for interconnecting a telephone line and a calculator
GB2041588A (en) * 1979-01-25 1980-09-10 Hutt P Apparatus for metering and displaying the cost of electrical energy consumption
GB2096370A (en) * 1979-02-21 1982-10-13 South Eastern Elec Board Electrical energy consumption meter
GB2093615A (en) * 1981-01-28 1982-09-02 Atkins Patrick Ralph Home energy saving computer
GB2100036A (en) * 1981-05-16 1982-12-15 Adagelynn Ltd Measuring the amount of a supplied commodity
GB2107093A (en) * 1981-09-16 1983-04-20 Walker Crosweller And Company Automatic reading of public utility meters or the like
EP0130475A1 (en) * 1983-07-01 1985-01-09 Rockwell International Corporation Meter data gathering and transmission system
GB2148565A (en) * 1983-10-20 1985-05-30 Jel Energy Conservation Servic Monitoring devices

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB8500766D0 (en) 1985-02-13

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WAP Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1)