Patent ID: 8055590

Claim:
A method for remotely monitoring a meter with a meter display, the method comprising: receiving a picture of the meter display sent by a remote portable communication device; storing the picture in a datastore; analyzing the picture to determine a current value of the meter display; determining a first location of the remote portable communication device at the time that the picture was taken; and identifying the meter arranged at a different location from the first location of the remote portable communication device by: retrieving a second location of the meter; and comparing the second location of the meter with the first location of the remote communication device to determine whether the second location of the meter is within a pre-determined geographical area around the first location of the remote communication device; accepting the current value when the second location is within the pre-determined geographical area around the first location; and rejecting the current value when the second location is outside the pre-determined geographical area around the first location.