Patent Document

TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to automatic meter reading (AMR) systems, and in particular to utility meters using a radio transmitter for transmitting metering data signals to a radio receiver in a network for collecting utility metering data. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE BACKGROUND ART 
     Cerny et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,298,894, discloses a mobile automatic meter reading (AMR) system in which a utility meter transmitter receives signals from a signal transducer insta;;ed on a utility meter and transimits radio frequency (RF) meter data signals to an RF collection unit in a drive-by vehicle. In these mobile AMR systems, a vehicle or a person on foot with an RF collection unit (a walk- by collection system) can move through a neighborhood and collect a large number of readings per hour without entering any of the property of the customers. 
     Mobile collection units and their associated transmitters have operated in an ISM (Industrial, Scientific and Medical) frequency band around 915 Mhz, since these bands are available nationwide and do not require a license. For these units, transmissions are inly required to reach distances of a few hundred feet, but must be sent out frequently to be available for a drive-by or walk-by collection unit at random times of collection. The unlicensed band is in a narrow range of the radio frequency spectrum, where power associated with the transmission signals is limited to 1 milliwatt, to prevent interference in various areas where the equipment is operating with other RF signals in the enviroment. 
     Patterson, U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2005/0225455 discloses a narrow band transmitter with data profiling capability in which the transmitter operates at no more than 1 milliwatt. This was deemed advantageous for operation in a band not requiring FCC licensing and in a transmitter suitable for walk-by and drive-by reception of data from the transmitter. 
     Data profiling capability is desirable because it collects data at selected usage intervals and provides a record of data usage over many such intervals which provide a data profile to resolve various issues that may arise in the use of the equipment. This function has been carried out by modules separate from the AMR transmitter but located in the vicinity of the AMR transmitter. These are referred to as remote data profiling modules. This function has also been carried out by circuitry incorporated in a transmitter unit and these assemblies are often referred to as “integrated” or “integral” data profiling modules. 
     Fixed networks, as compared to networks using mobile collection units, transmit signals over distances of more than 1,000 feet and up to distances of one-half mile or more. Fixed network transmitters typically utilize a frequency-hopping, spread-spectrum type of transmission, which by regulation is permitted to use transmitter power up to one (1) watt, which is 1000 times greater than 1 mW limit for narrow band systems. 
     Today many new home constructions are larger than they were even 10 or 20 years ago. With meters located behind such homes or behind commercial buildings, the automatic reading of these meters with radio equipment is difficult for low power narrow band radios. The use of a higher power transmitter would improve the efficiency of reading of these meters. 
     It is therefore desirable to provide a higher power transmitter for mobile collection systems that will not be subject to the limitations of the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention provides a method and circuitry for transmitting AMR signals from a higher power transmitter to a mobile collection unit, and also providing for accumulation of data profiling data for collection in various ways described in this specification. 
     The method more particularly comprises transmitting a first plurality of signals representing meter data at a power of greater than 1 milliwatt up to and including 1 watt. 
     The utility usage data is determined and stored at first intervals of less than one day, and typically one hour or less. These utility usage data are accumulated over a data profiling period of days, weeks or months for viewing by a service person. 
     The method more particularly comprises: receiving a plurality of signals representing meter reading data from a utility meter signal source; determining utility meter usage over data intervals; storing the utility usage data at data intervals within a longer data profiling interval; reading out the data profiling data on demand; and transmitting a plurality of radio frequency meter reading data signals at a power level that is greater than 1 milliwatt. 
     The invention also relates to transmitter circuitry for carrying out the method of the invention the utility meter transmitter unit comprising: a metering signal section for receiving a plurality of signals representing meter reading data from a metering signal source; an arithmetic section for determining utility meter usage over data intervals; a storage section for storing the utility usage data corresponding to a data interval within a longer data profiling interval; a port for reading out the utility usage data corresponding to a data profiling interval; and transmitter circuitry capable of transmitting a first plurality of radio frequency meter reading signals at a power level that is greater than 1 milliwatt. 
     Other objects and advantages of the invention, besides those discussed above, will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the description of the preferred embodiments which follows. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and which illustrate examples of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an AMR system with walk-by and drive-by mobile receivers for receiving transmissions from a transmitter associated with a utility meter; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a metering data transmitter including a memory for storing meter usage data for data profiling; and 
         FIG. 3  is a screen display of a data profile of utility usage data. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , one example of an environment of the invention is provided by a subsurface pit enclosure  11 . The pit is typically made of metal, concrete, plastic or other materials and a lid which is removable to open the enclosure  11  for access. The pit enclosure  11  is located along the route of water supply pipe  17 . A water meter housing  16  is connected in the water supply line  17 . A water meter register unit  20  is mounted on top of the water meter housing  16 . As known in the art, a mechanism within the meter registers converts mechanical movements of a meter to visual and numerical representations of consumption often shown in an odometer type read-out device. The register  20  is preferably a unit that is commercially distributed by Badger Meter, Inc., the assignee of the present invention, under the trade designation “Recordall” Transmitter Register (RTR). Besides displaying units of consumption, this device  20  uses a transducer that is described in Strobel et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,868,566, entitled “Flexible Piezoelectric Switch Activated Metering Pulse Generators,” to convert the mechanical movements of the meter to electrical signals. Other metering transducers known in the art and using optics and an analog-to-digital encoder (ADE) circuit can also be used to send metering data signals from the register  20 . 
     The register  20  connects via a shielded cable  21  to a transmitter assembly  10 , which is housed in a tubular housing of plastic material that hangs down from the pit lid. The register  20  transmits electrical signals to the transmitter assembly  10 , for further transmission through a radio network. Besides the cable  21 , it is also known in the art to transmit these signals wirelessly to an antenna mounted in the pit lid as well. 
     The transmitter assembly  10  communicates via low power RF signals with a receiver which can be a mobile receiver (not shown) in a vehicle  27  or a handheld receiver  25  carried by a service person  26 . The pit transmitter assembly  10  transmits a plurality of signals making up an electronic message that includes an identification code, meter reading data, and an error code for checking the data at the receiving end. The meter data is collected from various customer locations for billing purposes. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a utility data transmitter unit  30  inside transmitter assembly  10  includes an electrical circuit typically formed on a circuit board and including a microelectronic CPU  36  operating according to a control program stored in a program memory  31 , which in this case is an a non-volatile memory, such as an EEPROM. The memory is non-volatile in that it can only be altered with a special programming unit, which communicates with the transmitter through an optical I/O port  32 . 
     As further seen in  FIG. 2 , the CPU  36  receives metering data signals from a metering transducer mentioned above through a meter signal input section  33 . This input section  33  can receive a pulse input or an input from an analog-to-digital encoder (ADE) circuit of a type known in the art. The input section  33  then transmits these signals to the CPU  36 . The CPU  36  then transmits these signals as metering data signals in a message protocol, which is converted to radio frequency (RF) signals by an RF modulator section  34 . 
     The distance between the meter with the meter register to the transmitter ranges from a foot or less to greater distances considered to be in the same “local area” which shall encompass a range up to about 250 feet. 
     The utility data transmitter unit  30  operates in one of two modes of operation, one-way or bidirectional. In the one-way mode, the transmitter unit “wakes up” periodically to transmit metering data to any compatible mobile collector within range. It would be desirable to provide a transmitter for mobile systems of the type used for fixed network systems utilizing a higher power level. In the present invention, this is accomplished by transmitting a frequency-hopping spread-spectrum mode of operation, which is the subject of different FCC regulations permitting a higher power level. This power level is limited to ¼ watt for a number of channels from 25 to 50 channels and to one (1) watt for systems utilizing at least 50 channels. In the present embodiment, the lower number of channels and the lower power limit is selected, but in other embodiments of the invention the higher number of channels can be used to further utilize the higher power limit. A power supply section  35  of the utility data transmitter unit  30  supplies the necessary power to the RF modulator section  34  as well as to other components of the transmitter unit  30 . 
       FIG. 2  also shows a handheld collection unit  25  of a type offered under the trade designation Badger-Radix that can be used to both collect metering data through RF signals and can also read data profiling data through an optical or touch type port  15  and I/O port  32  on the transmitter unit  30  that can also be optical, including a port for transmitting and receiving signals in the infrared frequency range, or another type of RF communication port. The handheld unit  25  is placed in a cradle  13  that includes an electrical connector that allows data to be exchanged with a computer  12  running a Windows® operating system. 
     It is also possible to collect data profiling data through the same RF messages used to transmit metering data, provided that a two-way protocol is used to request the data profiling data. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , a data profile has been downloaded to the computer  12  and is displayed in a screen display  40  comprising a window with a table have usage periods  42  of one hour in duration over a 22-hour time period. The usage numbers are given in numbers such as 0.1, 6.2, 1.3 and these are determined from the reading numbers. The usage numbers can be determined either by an arithmetic section in the CPU  36  or by using a separate usage counter within the CPU  36 . The data profile can be displayed in tabular or graphical form, including a bar graph. The table shown in  FIG. 3  relates to one transmitter which is identified by serial number in data window  41 . 
     This has been a description of the preferred embodiments, but it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that variations may be made in the details of these specific embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention, and that such variations are intended to be encompassed by the following claims.

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