Patent ID: 8786706

Claim:
A method of reading a utility meter with a smart phone having a camera, a processor, and wireless communication transceiver associated therewith, the utility meter having a plurality of analog dials, the plurality of analog dials each having a rotatable dial indicator, the method comprising: taking a digital image of the plurality of analog dials of the utility meter with the camera of the smart phone; analyzing the digital image to identify the dial indicators in the digital image; analyzing the identified dial indicators to determine a value of the dials with the processor of the smart phone, wherein analyzing the identified dial indicators to determine a value of the dials includes determining angles of rotation of the identified dial indicators, and determining the value of the dials based at least in part on the determined angles of rotation of the identified dial indicators with the processor of the smart phone; and transmitting the determined value with the wireless communication transceiver of the smart phone, whereby the utility meter is read with the smart phone.