Abstract:
A meter reading system is provided for use in reading the water, electricity or gas meters, in which a data logger and a meter are installed at user end. When desiring to obtain the readings of a meter at user end, a mobile meter reader sends a control signal via a communication method to the data logger and at the same time obtains the readout of user-end meter connected to the data logger. The meter reading system improves the situation of wrong recording of readout and saves the cost of labor in conventional manual meter reading.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a meter reading system, and more particularly to a reading system for water, electricity or gas meters. 
         [0003]    2. Related Art 
         [0004]    Utilities such as water, electricity and gas are typically connected to the households through pipes and conduits, and meters are installed at households to measure the consumption of water, electricity or gas. Water, electric power or gas companies usually send a work to the households to record readings from the water, electricity or gas meters regularly and bill the consumers. 
         [0005]    Manual meter readings at times result in error due to mistakes in manual recording. It is also uneconomical to send a worker to travel far to remote areas for meter reading, given the time and cost of labor incurred. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    To address the problem just mentioned, the present invention provides a meter reading system employing a mobile meter reader to send control signals via a communication method to control a data logger to obtain the readout of a meter connected thereto. 
         [0007]    The present invention discloses a meter reading system comprising a data logger, a mobile meter reader and a plurality of meters. Each meter in the system contains a reader and is electrically connected to a processor chip. The reader stores an identifier of the corresponding meter, and the meter is connected to the data logger via a wired transmission line or wireless transmission protocol. When desiring to obtain the readout of respective meter in the system, the mobile meter reader sends a control signal by microwave transmission or by sending a short message to the processor chip electrically connected to the data logger. The processor chip enables the reader to identify the location of each dial of the meter so as to measure the readout of the meter and transmit the readout and the identifier back to the processor chip. The processor chip sends the readout and identifier of respective meter via the data logger to the mobile meter reader to complete the action of meter reading. 
         [0008]    The processor chip can also be embedded in the data logger, where the data logger controls the processor chip and is connected to the meter via a wired transmission line or wireless transmission protocol. As such, the processor chip enables the reader to identify the location of each dial of the meter. After determining the readout of the meter, the reader sends the readout and its identifier to the processor chip in the data logger via a wired transmission line or wireless transmission protocol, which is then transferred to the mobile meter reader to complete the action of meter reading. The meter reading system disclosed in the invention can read simultaneously the readouts of a plurality of meters in the system through the control signals sent by the mobile meter reader. It helps improve the situation of wrong recording of readout and save the cost of labor in conventional manual meter reading. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a meter reading system according to a first embodiment of the invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2A  shows the mechanical structure of the meter in the meter reading system of the invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2B  shows the mechanical structure of the meter in the meter reading system of the invention; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of a meter reading system according to a second embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    The implementation of the invention is described in detail below with embodiments in reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a meter reading system according to a first embodiment of the invention. As shown, the meter reading system according to the first embodiment of the invention comprises a data logger  10 , a mobile meter reader  11  and a plurality of meters  12 . 
         [0015]    Each meter  12  in the system contains a reader, and the reader stores an identifier corresponding to respective meter  12 . Each meter  12  is electrically connected to a processor chip and electrically connected to the data logger  10  via a RS485 transmission line. 
         [0016]      FIG. 2A  and  FIG. 2B  shows the mechanical structure of the meter in the meter reading system of the invention. 
         [0017]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the mobile meter reader  11  can, according to actual needs, obtain the current readout of respective meter  12  in the system via microwave transmission or short message communication in the steps described below. 
         [0018]    When desiring to obtain the readout of individual meter  12  in the system, the user can operate the mobile meter reader  11  to send out a control signal to the data logger  10  through the communication method between the mobile meter reader  11  and the data logger  10 . The data logger  10  controls the processor chip to which a meter  12  is electrically connected. The processor chip enables the reader to read the face of dial  120  of respective meter  12  illuminated by the light-emitting tubes  121  disposed on one side of the dial  120 . Because the locations of the dial  120  of respective meter  12  are different, each dial has a corresponding code channel, hence resulting in light-blocking and light-transmitting functions. As such, a receiving tube  122  at the other side of the dial  120  of meter  12  receives a set of bright-dark signal, which is further processed and analyzed by the processor chip of respective meter  12  to determine the current location of the dial  120  of meter  12 , thereby obtaining the current readout of meter  12 . 
         [0019]    The readout of respective meter  12  as analyzed by the processor chip of the meter  12  and its identifier are then transmitted back to the data logger  10  via a RS485 transmission line. 
         [0020]    After receiving the readout and the identifier of each meter  12  connected to it, the data logger  10  transfers the information to the mobile meter reader  11  via peer-to-peer communication to complete the record action of meter reading. 
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of a meter reading system according to a second embodiment of the invention. As shown, the meter reading system according to a second embodiment of the invention comprises a data logger  20 , a mobile meter reader  21  and a plurality of meters  22 . 
         [0022]    Each meter  22  in the system contains a reader, and the reader stores an identifier corresponding to respective meter  22 . Each meter  22  is electrically connected to a processor chip with wireless transmission function and electrically connected to the data logger  20  via a JZ863 wireless transmission protocol. 
         [0023]      FIG. 2A  and  FIG. 2B  shows the mechanical structure of the meter in the meter reading system of the invention. 
         [0024]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , each meter  22  is connected to the data logger  20  via JZ863 wireless transmission protocol, while the mobile meter reader  21  can, according to actual needs, obtain the current readout of respective meter  22  in the system via microwave transmission or short message communication in the steps described below. 
         [0025]    When desiring to obtain the readout of individual meter  22  in the system, the user can operate the mobile meter reader  21  to send out a control signal to the data logger  20  through the communication method between the mobile meter reader  21  and the data logger  20 . The data logger  20  controls the processor chip to which a meter  22  is electrically connected. The processor chip enables the reader to read the face of dial  120  of respective meter  22  illuminated by the light-emitting tubes  121  disposed on one side of the dial  120 . Because of the locations of the dial  120  of respective meter  22  are different, each dial has corresponding code channel, hence resulting in light-blocking and light-transmitting functions. As such, a receiving tube  122  at the other side of the dial  120  of meter  22  receives a set of bright-dark signal, which is further processed and analyzed by the processor chip of respective meter  22  to determine the current location of the dial  120  of meter  22 , thereby obtaining the current readout of meter  22 . 
         [0026]    The readout of respective meter  22  as analyzed by the processor chip of the meter  22  and its identifier are then transmitted back to the data logger  20  via JZ863 wireless transmission protocol. 
         [0027]    After receiving the readout and the identifier of each meter  22  connected to it, the data logger  20  transfers the information to the mobile meter reader  21  via peer-to-peer communication to complete the record action of meter reading. 
         [0028]    The processor chip can also be embedded in the data logger, where the data logger controls the processor chip and is connected to the meter via wired transmission line or wireless transmission protocol. As such, the processor chip enables the reader to identify the location of each dial of the meter. After determining the readout of the meter, the reader sends the readout and its identifier to the processor chip in the data logger via a wired transmission line or wireless transmission protocol, which is then transferred to the mobile meter reader to complete the action of meter reading. The mobile meter reader can be substituted by a stationary meter reader which is installed at a fixed location to obtain the readouts of meters in the system installed in adjacent areas. 
         [0029]    To sum up, the meter reading system disclosed by the invention possesses the following advantages: 
         [0030]    1. It has extensive applications, applicable to water meter, electric meter and gas meter. 
         [0031]    2. The mobile meter reader allows the reading of every meter in the system in a short period of time, thereby saving time and the cost of labor. 
         [0032]    3. The meters are read through photoelectric action. As the meter reader is charged and activated only when it is working, it has practical application and consumes less electricity. 
         [0033]    4. After the mobile meter reader finishes the reading, each meter&#39;s readout in its record system can be relayed to the control center server via WLAN, WiFi, 3G or ADSL for further analysis of the system operation. 
         [0034]    The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed in the examples. However the examples should not be construed as a limitation on the actual applicable scope of the invention, and as such, all modifications and alterations without departing from the spirits of the invention and appended claims shall remain within the protected scope and claims of the invention.