Patent Application
20200217705
Not Applicable
The invention generally relates to remote utility meter reporting systems. More particularly, the invention relates to means and methods of creating high output transmission system that comports with changing water levels within a meter pit.
While the general idea of using a buoy to support an antenna in a marine environment is known, see U.S. published patent application US2010022755, the known prior art fails to solve the challenges of placing an analogous buoy within the confines of a water meter pit.
The present invention overcomes shortfalls in the related art by presenting an unobvious and unique combination and configuration of methods and components to construct a Wireless Pit Meter Transmitter Unit (WPM) to overcome the prior art challenge of wireless transmissions from water meter pits that are submersed in water.
In a disclosed embodiment, a water meter is disposed within a water meter pit wherein the water meter measures and reports the movement of water passing through the meter. Reading from the water meter are transmitted to an antenna disposed upon a floating buoy. The buoy may have a wire or other means of connection to the water meter. Electronic signals are passed from the water meter to the buoy. As the buoy floats upon the water within the meter pit, the buoy transmits water meter signals to pit lid repeater (PLR). The PLR in turn transmits the water meter signal to a receiver wherein the receiver may take many forms, such as gateway, a communications tower or other means of connection with the connection eventually leading to a billing facility or other relevant destination related to water delivery.
The invention overcomes shortfalls in the related art by providing artful means of sending a radio signal out of a subterranean water meter pit with the water meter pit containing every changing amounts of water. The artful use of a buoy, the buoy having an antenna to transmit to the PLR overcomes the problem of having a wireless transmission with in a water meter pit, wherein the water meter pit if full of water, severely restricting wireless transmission.
In the prior art, pit lid radio units may be disposed at the top of a water meter and use a cable and connector to the submerged water meter. A problem with the prior art is that RF or radio frequency propagation is very limited once the water meter is totally immersed in water. The presently disclosed embodiments overcome shortfalls in the prior art by eschewing internal cables and connectors, thus saving construction costs. The disclosed embodiments overcome shortfalls in the related art by decreasing installation time and by increasing system reliability. Tests have shown that the disclosed embodiments are up to ten times more reliably as comparted to the prior art solutions.
Disclosed embodiments are sometimes called or may be referred to as WPM or wireless pit meter transmitter unit. A disclosed embodiment or WPM may comprise a complete wireless water reading and water consumption reporting solution for water meters that are disposed within water meter pits, wherein the water meter pits may be totally submersed in water.
While radio wave propagation water and out of the water into the air is very limited in range, the disclosed embodiments or WPM solution overcome such shortfalls by using a buoy having an antenna, wherein the buoy floats on top of the water in the meter pit, thus enabling wireless communication all the way from the water meter onward to the lid repeater or PLR, with the lid repeater able to communicate with a radio network gateway system. Thus, the disclosed embodiments
In general, disclosed embodiments include meter reading systems that wirelessly transmit data to repeaters or central receiving units. Transmitted meter readings may be used for billing purposes and/or investigation of utility breakages or other problems as the disclosed embodiments provide two way communication between a water meter and centralized system, wherein a municipal water district or other water provider may be the recipient of the transmitted water data.
Fixed radio networks or local radio systems may be spread about a water district or other relevant area such that a plurality of disclosed water meter transmission systems may be remotely read with the transmitted water meter information processed for billing and other purposes and use.
Disclosed embodiments or components of disclosed embodiments may be referred to as IWM or integrated water meter wherein a IWM may comprise an on board short range transceiver, such as one in the 246 GHz ISM band or other unlicensed bands or unregulated radio frequency bands.
Disclosed embodiments or components of disclosed embodiments may comprise buoy or other flotation device equipped with an antenna that is built in or otherwise disposed upon or within the buoy. A disclosed buoy with an antenna may be floating within the IWM or meter pit, thus enabling a reliable and economical short range communication between the IWM and the PLR or pit lid repeater.
Disclosed embodiments or components of disclosed embodiments may comprise pit lid repeater or PLR which may communicate by radio waves over to and from a network gateway, over relatively long distances of a few miles.
These and other objects and advantages will be made apparent when considering the following detailed specification when taken in conjunction with the drawings.
100 a disclosed system in general
200 network topology
210 server
220 billing computer
225 billing center
230 IP connection
235 IP cloud
240 home equipped with a disclosed embodiment
250 gateway
255 network gateway
260 communication tower
300 buoy with antenna
320 wire from water meter to buoy
230 IP connection
400 pit lid repeater or transmitter assembly or PLR
405 antenna cover
410 spiral antenna
415 antenna insulator
425 electronics board
427 battery pack of board for electronics 325
430 main housing
450 installation nut
500 IWM or integrated water meter
600 water
700 water meter vault
710 vault lid
The following detailed description is directed to certain specific embodiments of the invention. However, the invention can be embodied in a multitude of different ways as defined and covered by the claims and their equivalents. In this description, reference is made to the drawings wherein like parts are designated with like numerals throughout.
Unless otherwise noted in this specification or in the claims, all of the terms used in the specification and the claims will have the meanings normally ascribed to these terms by workers in the art.
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in a sense of “including, but not limited to.” Words using the singular or plural number also include the plural or singular number, respectively. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below,” and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application.
The above detailed description of embodiments of the invention is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed above. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. For example, while steps are presented in a given order, alternative embodiments may perform routines having steps in a different order. The teachings of the invention provided herein can be applied to other systems, not only the systems described herein. The various embodiments described herein can be combined to provide further embodiments. These and other changes can be made to the invention in light of the detailed description.
Any and all the above references and U.S. patents and applications are incorporated herein by reference. Aspects of the invention can be modified, if necessary, to employ the systems, functions and concepts of the various patents and applications described above to provide yet further embodiments of the invention.
These and other changes can be made to the invention in light of the above detailed description. In general, the terms used in the following claims, should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification, unless the above detailed description explicitly defines
The buoy 300 has an antenna that uses radio waves or other means of wireless communication to transmit transmitting water meter data from the wire 320 to the pit lid repeater 400 or PLR. A pit lid repeater may be disposed both in the water meter vault and outside of the vault, with the out part comprising, see
Referring to
The disclosed embodiments may include the following items:
Item 1. A remote access water meter system 100 comprising:
