Patent ID: 8228209
Filing Date: 2012-07-24
Classification: G01D,H01Q,Y02B,Y04S,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An untethered antenna assembly integral to a utility meter dielectric cover for use in wireless communications systems with water, gas, or electric utility metering devices that include a meter body and a dielectric cover, said assembly comprising: at least one antenna having a portion of its resonant structure substantially incorporated into or disposed on an interior wall of the dielectric cover, each of said at least one antennas including a portion exposed for use as an antenna electrode; at least one meter body electrode mounted on the utility meter body for connection to a signal source via an antenna feed network; and a surface mount contact disposed on each of either of said at least one meter body electrode or said at least one antenna electrode, wherein each of said meter body electrodes and said antenna electrodes are electromagnetically connected to one another through electromagnetic coupling of said surface mount contact with either of said antenna electrode or said meter body electrode when the dielectric cover of the utility meter is installed and in a locked configuration; wherein an electromagnetic connection between said at least one antenna and said signal source is made entirely through the placement of the dielectric meter cover on the meter body, and the same electromagnetic connection is broken by the removal of the dielectric cover from the meter body, such that said at least one antenna and said antenna feed network includes no soldered or permanent cable-implemented physical connection between said antenna electrode and said meter body electrode.