Celebrity Inventors
Magician Harry Houdini patented a "Diver's Suit" enabling the wearer to "quickly divest himself of the suit while being submerged and to safely escape and reach the surface of the water."
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 5270704 | Autonomous pulse reading and recording system An autonomous pulse reading and recording system is aimed at expediting centralised reading of meters generating or sending out pulses, likewise expediting consumption billing. The system is specifically useful for water, gas or electricity meters, but ca... | 12/14/1993 |
| 5270958 | Method and apparatus for automatic return from test mode The apparatus for automatic return from test mode includes a switch or optical port on a meter bezel for initiating, upon user actuation, the storing of customer billing data in a meter register and converting the meter from a customer billing data record... | 12/14/1993 |
| 5243536 | Method and apparatus for measuring volt-amps reactive power using synthesized voltage phase shift In the present invention, true volt-amperes reactive power is measured by sampling instantaneous voltage values of voltage and substantially simultaneously instantaneous values of current of an arbitrary waveform, multiplying the voltage samples by the di... | 09/07/1993 |
| 5237507 | System for developing real time economic incentives to encourage efficient use of the resources of a regulated electric utility The electric utility industry is inexorably being forced into a less regulated, more competitive, and more conservation oriented mode of operation. It is therefore inevitable that electric energy will have to increasingly resemble a commodity that is boug... | 08/17/1993 |
| 5216623 | System and method for monitoring and analyzing energy characteristics A system for monitoring various, diverse energy characteristics of an energy consuming system. The system includes a data gathering device that accumulates data representing each of the sensed energy characteristics in real time, the data representing mag... | 06/01/1993 |
| 5214587 | Device for monitoring utility usage A device (10) for monitoring utility usage comprising a meter sensor assembly (16) attached to a utility meter (14) and a customer interface unit (20) placed inside a building (12). Sensor signals from the meter sensor assembly (16) are transmitted throug... | 05/25/1993 |
| 5153837 | Utility consumption monitoring and control system The present invention is a digital and analog system for generating an energy log for instant recall and display. The system is permanently programmed in read-only memory with the task of scanning sensor inputs, performing consumption calculations, updati... | 10/06/1992 |
| 5146067 | Prepayment metering system using encoded purchase cards from multiple locations A prepayment system for dispensing utilities using mag-stripe cards is disclosed wherein an accounting computer in a central office is used in conjunction with point-of-sale machines for encrypting a value message which is written onto the mag-stripe of a... | 09/08/1992 |
| 5136514 | Tariff arrangement with secure bidirectional interface A tariff arrangement which is preferably intended for an electricity meter comprises a microprocessor, a data memory and a bidirectional interface for transfer of data with a read-out device. For the duration of a data transfer operation a timing member i... | 08/04/1992 |
| 4998024 | Energy controlling system for time shifting electric power use The disclosed system reduces power use during peak loads by automatically shifting the energization of the water heater to periods of off-peak power use. An energy controller maintains a calendar clock and controls the application of power to an electric ... | 03/05/1991 |
| 4949272 | Flexible billing rate for mail communication systems A communication system for processing information for distribution, including: a central data station, a plurality of user stations, a communication link interconnecting the user stations with the central data station, each the user stations including mea... | 08/14/1990 |
| 4924404 | Energy monitor An energy monitor for monitoring energy consumed by each of a plurality of energy consuming devices is disclosed. The energy monitor comprises a processor, a memory, means for storing energy usage rate data in the memory, the energy usage rate data repres... | 05/08/1990 |
| 4908769 | Commodity metering systems A multi-rate commodity metering system comprises an electronic key containing an EEPROM, and a meter for metering the commodity and having a receptacle for receiving the key. The meter also contains a real-time clock. The key can operate as a prepayment d... | 03/13/1990 |
| 4858141 | Non-intrusive appliance monitor apparatus A non-intrusive monitor of energy consumption of residential appliances is described in which sensors, coupled to the power circuits entering a residence, supply analog voltage and current signals which are converted to digital format and processed to det... | 08/15/1989 |
| 4852030 | Time-of-use-meter with a calendar of cyclic events A time-of-use meter is provided with a means for storing a plurality of identifiers that each represent a cyclic event. These cyclic events are described in such a way that a single word of storage is sufficient to represent numerous occurrences of the cy... | 07/25/1989 |
| 4814996 | Portable energy cost calculation For measuring the current cost of an appliance, current cost-measuring apparatus includes a line voltage unit, which plugs into an electric outlet and into which the appliance is plugged, and a remote light-weight portable cost-measuring unit. It is adapt... | 03/21/1989 |
| 4805114 | Economical dispatching arrangement for a boiler system having a cogenerative capability An economical despatching arrangement for despatching load and fuel assignments on a multi-boiler cogenerative type steam generating plant includes a logic arrangement of determining a present value of flow of each fuel to each boiler, a logic arrangement... | 02/14/1989 |
| 4803632 | Intelligent utility meter system A data processor type utility meter for electricity, and/or water, gas and therms, is provided with a display which successively displays any or all of the following: (1) the meter serial number, (2) cumulative kilowatt hours, (3) present kilowatts being ... | 02/07/1989 |
| 4757456 | Device and method for utility meter reading A method and apparatus are described for directing operators to a plurality of locations to gather data in a portable data collection apparatus. The method provides for data compression for efficient utilization of solid state memory in the apparatus and ... | 07/12/1988 |
| 4675828 | Energy cost allocation system A system for allocating energy use among a plurality of heat exchange terminals each of which includes a heat exchanger and an electrically driven motor and electrical controls for controlling the operation of the motor. Each heat exchange terminal has as... | 06/23/1987 |
| 4674056 | Portable billing machine A portable meter-billing machine, for issuing bills to the customers of public utilities such as town gas and electricity which are supplied to the consumers through meters at the consumer's premises, comprises a portable carrying case for the official me... | 06/16/1987 |
| 4630211 | Watt-hour meter display for informing consumer of energy consumption The circular array of 200 equally angularly spaced marks about the surface of the rotating calibration disk of a watt-hour meter is optically sensed to provide a series of meter pulses indicative of the rate at which power is being consumed. Each meter pu... | 12/16/1986 |
| 4591988 | Energy cost allocation method and system A method for allocating energy costs comprises sensing a first parameter; comparing the sensed parameter with a selectable value of the parameter; initiating recording of data when the sensed parameter bears a predetermined relation to the selectable valu... | 05/27/1986 |
| 4568934 | Computer controlled energy monitoring system Apparatus for monitoring and displaying energy consumption which comprises at least one communications channel, at least one group of remote stations each comprising a plurality of information channels and connected to a respective communication channel, ... | 02/04/1986 |
| 4516213 | Multiple rate metering system A multiple rate metering system suitable for use with an existing single rate, electromechanical electricity meter employing an Eddy current disc mounted in a casing, comprises a first unit mountable inside the casing of the electricity meter, and a secon... | 05/07/1985 |
| 4511979 | Programmable time registering AC electric energy meter having randomized load control An electric energy meter for measuring various parameters of electrical energy consumption during time differentiated billing rate periods, and for controlling a load. A clock produces periodic timing pulses which are accumulated to represent the current ... | 04/16/1985 |
| 4481590 | Vending machine control circuit A vending machine control circuit having a plurality of capacitively coupled switches for enabling a customer to indicate his choice of a product to be vended. A logic circuit is responsive thereto for controlling the vending of products by the generation... | 11/06/1984 |
| 4449187 | Device for indirectly monitoring cumulative cost of utility consumption An electromechanical device for indirectly monitoring consumption of a utility in the home or commercial environment, using a clock to measure the time of operation of the utility consuming device and a calculator to convert the measured time into a cumul... | 05/15/1984 |
| 4446528 | Shoppers calculator A hand-held apparatus is provided for determining the most economical purchase among products available in at least two sizes and at different prices, in conjunction with a price reduction product ("cents off") coupon. While requiring no knowledge of alge... | 05/01/1984 |
| 4442492 | Device for central reading and registration of customers' power consumption A device is disclosed for central and automatic reading, registration and control of energy consumption meters located at consumer locations. The communiction between producer and consumer is made through codified signals, which by way of a modem are supe... | 04/10/1984 |
| 4405987 | Measuring processes and apparatus for determining tariff values for energy consumers In a measuring process for determining a tariff value for energy consumed, fixed quantity pulses are produced by means of a pulse generator 6 associated with a consumption meter 3. Measurement values which are proportional to the reciprocal of the time in... | 09/20/1983 |
| 4399510 | System for monitoring utility usage Electronic circuitry monitors the electrical energy consumption of a system and displays the current cost of the energy usage. The projected monthly billing cost is calculated at the current rate of consumption, and an alarm signal and control output are ... | 08/16/1983 |
| 4387296 | Portable utility billing apparatus A lightweight portable utility billing apparatus is described for enabling a utility (private or public) meter reader to: (1) read utility meters of a number of utility customers on a selected route and obtain current meter value information from each cus... | 06/07/1983 |
| 4352164 | Data recording method and apparatus A method and apparatus for recording utility meter readings is disclosed. The apparatus includes a solid state memory an internal clock and an input/output unit which, among other things, causes meter location and identification information to be written ... | 09/28/1982 |
| 4351028 | Meters for measuring electrical energy consumption An electrical energy consumption meter for use on a consumer's premises has data processing means responsive to the sensed voltage and current and to data such as tariff rates and clock information, for computing and displaying charges in monetary terms. ... | 09/21/1982 |
| 4334278 | Shoppers coupon calculator A hand-held apparatus is provided for determining the most economical purchase among products available in at least two sizes and at different prices, in conjunction with a price reduction product ("cents off") coupon. While requiring no knowledge of alge... | 06/08/1982 |
| 4317175 | Dynamic rate integrating demand monitor A dynamic rate integrating demand monitor which measures electric power to a customer load at closely-spaced time intervals and prices that load at each such interval on the basis of a predetermined set of factors.... | 02/23/1982 |
| 4291375 | Portable programmer-reader unit for programmable time registering electric energy meters A portable programmer-reader unit for programmable time registering AC electric energy meters utilizing replaceable program control data includes plural memory locations for programming, time and date synchronization, readout, and monitoring of the coded ... | 09/22/1981 |
| 4261037 | System for monitoring utility usage Electronic circuitry monitors the electrical energy consumption of a system and displays the current cost of the energy usage. The projected monthly billing cost is calculated at the current rate of consumption, and an alarm signal is generated if the pro... | 04/07/1981 |
| 4233590 | Supplemental energy register A supplemental energy register in which successive increments of consumed electrical energy are detected at a kilowatthour meter, and are translated into electrical pulse signals. Digital calculation and display logic is operated by the pulses, either dir... | 11/11/1980 |
