Patent ID: 6674371
Filing Date: 2004-01-06
Classification: G01D,Y02B,Y04S

Abstract:
A utility data gathering system for measuring the consumption of a provided utility comprising:at least one stator wheel comprising a plurality of conductive elements, wherein said stator wheel is centered about an axis; a digit wheel comprising at least one conductive element, wherein said digit wheel is rotatable about said axis; a microprocessor operable for applying a current sequentially to each of said conductive elements of the stator wheel; reading an output capacitance signal value along a region around the axis of the stator wheel wherein the signal is generated when at least one of said conductive elements of the digit wheel is proximate to at least one of said conductive elements of the stator wheel, said output capacitance signal having a value proportional to the distance of said conductive elements of the digit wheel; and comparing each of the output capacitance values to determine the position of said digit wheel wherein the position of said digit wheel relative to said stator wheel is a specific quantity related to said consumption of the provided utility.