Patent ID: 7221286
Filing Date: 2007-05-22
Classification: G01D,Y02B,Y04S

Abstract:
1. A system for obtaining and transmitting consumption measurement data from a utility meter, the utility meter being operable to generate data signals related to the flow of a commodity through the utility meter, the system comprising: a communication device coupled to the utility meter for receiving the data signals from the utility meter, for processing the data signal to determine accumulated data, and for wirelessly transmitting accumulated data to a remote monitoring location via an antenna, the communication device including a programming coil generally aligned with a programming port; and a reading module inductively coupled to the programming coil of the communication device, via a connector module, for receiving the accumulated data from the communication device, the reading module including a reading coil positioned beneath the top surface of the reading module such that the accumulated data is read by an interrogating device via the reading coil, the reading coil coupled to a first end of a communication wire and a transfer coil contained within the connector module coupled to a second end of the communication wire, wherein the transfer coil of the communication wire is electrically spaced from the programming coil of the communication device when the connector module is aligned with the programming port of the communication device.