Patent ID: 7385524

Claim:
A utility meter reading device comprising: a sensor to generate a periodic input signal based on a commodity usage tracking signal, where the commodity usage tracking signal characterizes use of a commodity by a customer of a commodity provider; a processing module to generate usage data based on the periodic input signal and identification data corresponding to the meter; a transceiver operatively coupled to the processing module, the transceiver to condition the usage data for transmission; an antenna operatively coupled to the transceiver; a power supply to provide the reading device with a power signal; and a power conditioning unit operatively coupled to the power supply, the power conditioning unit conditioning the power signal for use in the reading device; said sensor receiving the tracking signal from the meter over a dielectric communication path; said sensor including a radioactive emission sensor such that the tracking signal corresponds to radioactive emissions originating from a movable component of the meter, wherein the radioactive emissions are continuously received by the sensor during movement of the movable component, wherein transitions of the movable component between a minimum distance from the sensor and a maximum distance from the sensor correspond to respective maximum and minimum values in radioactive emission strength and respective maximum and minimum amplitudes of the periodic input signal, wherein the processing module is configured to count revolutions of the movable component based on a period of the periodic input signal, and wherein changes in the period are proportional to a rate of commodity usage by the customer so that a higher rate of commodity consumption corresponds to a shorter period.