Patent ID: 9523587
Filing Date: 2016-12-20
CPC Classification: G01D,Y02B,Y04S

Claim Text:
1. A method of remote metering the consumption of utilities distributed through a public distribution network to a plurality of consumers, each consumer being associated with at least one remote meter, each of said remote meters including a program memory, a controller that executes programs stored in said program memory, and a data element memory that stores data elements indicative of the consumption of said utilities, said method comprising: each of the plurality of remote meters measuring a consumption of said utilities and storing utility consumption related data for reporting such data to a concentrator associated with said plurality of remote meters, said concentrator communicating with said plurality of remote meters, collecting utility consumption related data, performing tasks concerning administration of its associated remote meters, transmitting a first request for status data to one of the plurality of remote meters, and transmitting a second subsequent request indicating an amount of utility consumption related data to said one of the plurality of remote meters, and said one of the plurality of remote meters transmitting said requested status data in response to the first request and subsequently transmitting said amount of utility consumption related data to said concentrator in response to the second request from said concentrator, said amount being determined at the collector on the basis of said status data received from said one remote meter in the first request, wherein the status data comprises one or more of a time value indicating a date and time of most recently measured utility consumption related data and an indicator indicating a storage location at the one remote meter of the most recently measured utility consumption related data.