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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7370005 | Inventory replication based upon order fulfillment rates A load balancing technology segregates various inventory types (e.g., potatoes vs. milk, vs. pretzels, vs. tissue paper, etc.) based upon how frequently they are ordered in a distribution center. Inventory types that are ordered at the slowest rate are not “replic... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7355867 | Power supply for an electric meter having a high-voltage regulator that limits the voltage applied to certain components below the normal operating input voltage Disclosed is an invention relating to a power supply for use in an apparatus for measuring electrical energy, comprising, in one embodiment, a first switching device, a device for storing electrical charge in electrical connection with the first switching device, a ... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7356046 | Method and apparatus for remotely monitoring and controlling devices A system for remotely monitoring and controlling devices. A software-based protocol converter converts asynchronous serial control and data signals from a host application computer program to Internet Protocol (“IP”) packet-switched signals. The converted signal... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7343255 | Dual source real time clock synchronization system and method A dual source real time clock (RTC) synchronization system and method for implementation within automatic meter reading (AMR) systems that provide system-wide device time synchronization. In one embodiment, a microcontroller-implemented RTC counts elapsed seconds fr... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7339805 | Power supply having voltage blocking clamp A power supply comprises a rectifier, a transformer, a switching member, a controller and a voltage blocking clamp. A power supply can receive an alternating current (AC) input voltage having any magnitude within a wide range of AC input voltage magnitudes and can p... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7284836 | Nozzle arrangement including an actuator A nozzle arrangement 1 for use in an ink jet print head, the nozzle arrangement 1 comprising a substrate, a nozzle chamber 2 positioned at least partially on the substrate, a channel 3, in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber 2 | 10/23/2007 |
| 7280643 | Audio status communication from an embedded device An embedded device configured to provide an audio status output is disclosed. The embedded device includes a processor, an input button in electronic communication with the processor and a speaker in electronic communication with the processor for outputting an audi... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7248180 | Meter reading system A reduced power-consumption meter reading system has a clock for counting elapsed time and days and outputting a first output signal for a predetermined time during a month, a first power supply activated by the first signal of the clock, and an image-processing uni... | 07/24/2007 |
| 7245625 | Network-to-network adaptor for power line communications A portable, pluggable power line communications device provides convenient interfacing and connectivity between separate data networks interconnected over the same conventional electric power conveying media. The power line communications device plugs into a single ... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7239982 | Information processing device and method The present invention suppresses charges incurred by data communications. A controller transmits data values acquired by sensors to a data center at predetermined intervals. When a predetermined interval has elapsed, a data value to be transmitted is compared with t... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7240283 | Data transmission and rendering techniques implemented over a client-server system A technique is disclosed for generating formatted information for display on a computer system. The computer system may be configured to include at least one interface for communicating with a server computer system. A request is sent from the computer system to the... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7231482 | Method and system for monitoring and transmitting utility status via universal communications interface A method and system for monitoring utility meter status, and transmitting a status message via an output device connected to a universal communications interface in the event that the utility meter status meets a predetermined condition. Typically, the predetermined... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7180282 | Apparatus for metering at least one type of electrical power over a predetermined range of service voltages Methods and apparatus for supplying power for use in metering electrical energy over a wide range of voltages with a single meter are disclosed. The wide ranging meter includes a processing unit for processing divided input voltage and a current component in order t... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7161345 | Power monitoring system that determines phase using a superimposed signal A power monitoring system comprising a first current sensor suitable to sense first changing electrical current within a first conductor to a first load and a first conductor. A second conductor sensing a first voltage potential provided to the first load. A power m... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7049976 | User-installable power consumption monitoring system A system and method for remotely monitoring power usage from a watt-hour meter or power meter. The system may include a sensor, sensor terminal, and data collection unit. The sensor may be disposed external from the power meter and be consumer installable in an unob... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7046682 | Network-enabled, extensible metering system To allow meter data users to have access to needed information and at the same time address the rapidly shifting requirements of the deregulated marketplace, a new business model, apparatus and system are provided. A common metering device measures raw data and a sy... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7039509 | Wireless supplement and/or substitute for aircraft flight recorders A method for preserving information from an airborne aircraft (10) includes receiving an activation signal, and in response thereto, establishing a call from the aircraft (10) to a ground support facility (210) over a wireless telecommunications... | 05/02/2006 |
| 6999567 | Method and system for communicating from an automatic meter reader In a system where an automatic meter reader device communicates with a host at a remote location using a communication line that is shared with at least one other user, conflicts between the use of the communication line by the automatic meter reader and/or by the h... | 02/14/2006 |
| 6956934 | Management system and method, and data processing apparatus A center apparatus manages a to-be-managed apparatus, wherein: the center apparatus performs a management operation on the to-be-managed apparatus by making a call to the to-be-managed apparatus so as to establish a communications circuit therewith according to pred... | 10/18/2005 |
| 6924747 | System for exchanging data In a system for the exchange of data, including a teleservice terminal apparatus, a user apparatus adapted to exchange data with the teleservice terminal apparatus, a central control unit having access to a public communication network, and a subcontrol unit connect... | 08/02/2005 |
| 6889212 | Method for enforcing a time limited software license in a mobile communication device A mobile communication device (104) loads an application bundle (200), which includes a software application (202) and an indication of a time limited license (206). To enforce the time limited license, the mobile communication device, up... | 05/03/2005 |
| 6240167 | Telephone-linked commodity-billing method A method for billing consumers of on-demand commodities consumed at a site remote from the site at which they are produced. It is modeled after certain contemporary telephone-company billing practices, though it is not limited to use with telephone compan... | 05/29/2001 |
| 6034619 | Digital alarm receiver for automated handling of data formats A digital alarm receiver interacts with a multiplicity of transmitters having a plurality of different transmitter formats. The receiver adapts automatically to different formats received over the same input line. A series of different handshake signals a... | 03/07/2000 |
| 5999680 | Telecommunications method for using incomplete call time The present invention relates to a method for using the silent interval during which an incoming call is still on hook to send limited data to a switch for storage and eventual retrieval. The system may be used in connection with a global positioning appl... | 12/07/1999 |
| 5982862 | Dial inbound meter interface unit which derives power from telephone line when telephone is ringing The invention is a dial inbound MIU which includes a rechargeable power supply, such as a double layer capacitor (sometimes called a "supercapacitor" or a "SuperCap") or a rechargeable battery. The power supply can be recharged from the telephone line, ei... | 11/09/1999 |
| 5905778 | Notification apparatus for outbound data communication system A time independent, data communication system via non-dedicated telephone transmission lines, to remotely notify a local computer to dial out to a data network is disclosed. The local computer dial out is initiated if the telephone connected to the local ... | 05/18/1999 |
| 5844808 | Apparatus and methods for monitoring and communicating with a plurality of networked remote vending machines Devices and methods to monitor a distributed system for supplying goods or services and to generate messages concerning the state of the system and the supplied goods or services, Two-way communication within the system occurs between remote local units a... | 12/01/1998 |
| 5655011 | Selection of terminal equipment in response to a data message received during silent intervals of ringing Responding by telcommunication terminals to data messages received during the silent intervals of ringing to immediately answer a call, perform monitoring activities, provide selective answering of incoming calls, and perform control functions. For provid... | 08/05/1997 |
| 5590179 | Remote automatic meter reading apparatus Instantaneous current and voltage values are digitized at each of a plurality of electrical utility customer sites and integrated by a processor to calculate electrical power consumed at each customer site. A communication interface couples the processor ... | 12/31/1996 |
| 5485509 | Telemetry device including a dynamic off-hook detector The telemetry device of the present invention overcomes the wide variation in operating parameters found in the telephone system by automatically tuning itself to the operating conditions sensed on the telephone line. More particularly, the invention dyna... | 01/16/1996 |
| 5434911 | Call in-bound remote reading and data collection system A call in-bound remote reading and data collection system for the remote reading of utility meters, including a data processor and a remotely located meter interface unit (MIU) interconnected to at least one utility meter to be read. Also disclosed is a m... | 07/18/1995 |
| 5381462 | Utility monitor communications systems A utility meter reading and communications system gathers data from utility meters and sends that data to a utility company's central data collection point (host computer) via phone lines. The system places a call on the user's telephone line at a specifi... | 01/10/1995 |
| 5265032 | Method for controlling LP gas inventory A computerized method for sensing the level of liquefied gas in a tank at a remote location and transmitting data between the location of the tank and the computer to maintain files for inventory control. A microprocessor collects electrical signals from ... | 11/23/1993 |
| 5239575 | Telephone dial-inbound data acquisition system with demand reading capability A telephone dial-inbound data acquisition system with demand reading capability. The system has particular application for remotely reading utility meters. A remote data unit (RDU) dials up a host computer on a periodic basis. The RDU is assigned a callba... | 08/24/1993 |
| 5235634 | Apparatus and method for activating an inbound telemetry device An inbound telemetry device and method of operation thereof are provided in which the inbound telemetry device becomes activated should one or the other of two different events occur. The inbound telemetry device is located at a predetermined site and is ... | 08/10/1993 |
| 5202916 | Signal proessing circuit for use in telemetry devices A signal processing circuit is provided, one embodiment of which is employed in an inbound telemetry device such as an inbound MIU, another embodiment of which is employed in an outbound telemetry device such as an outbound MIU, for example. The inbound s... | 04/13/1993 |
| 5193111 | Automated data transmission system A method and apparatus for controlling the transmission of data, via a telephone network (20), between a first location (2,14,16) where data is collected and a central station (22). Data transmission is effected by: collecting and storing data (24-36) at ... | 03/09/1993 |
| 5181241 | Lead line supervision system A data transmission system uses a malfunction detection circuit for detecting malfunction conditions between a data transmitting station and a data receiving station connected with first and second data transmission lines. The malfunction circuit senses a... | 01/19/1993 |
| 5151932 | Method and system for selectively communicating with a telephone or a non-telephone terminal through a public telephone network A system for communicating through a public telephone network includes a terminal side adapter which connects either a telephone set or a non-telephone terminal (such as a gas meter terminal) to the telephone network. Communication with the non-telephone ... | 09/29/1992 |
| 4856054 | Meter reader A method of and apparatus for remotely reading at least one of a plurality of utility meters at a subscriber's location using the subscriber's non-dedicated telephone communication line is disclosed in which the device is activated only during a certain t... | 08/08/1989 |
