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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7324825 | Remote telemetry device The systems and methods disclosed herein relate to digital data communication systems, and more particularly, the systems and methods relate to systems and methods for facilitating digital communication between a modem equipped meter and a central data acquisition s... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7260499 | Fuel delivery system with enhanced functionality and diagnostic capability A control system for a fuel delivery system provides enhanced functionality and diagnostic capabilities relative to known systems. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, enhanced functionality and diagnostic capability is provided by integrating the pump co... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7256505 | Shaft mounted energy harvesting for wireless sensor operation and data transmission A device for monitoring a rotating shaft is provided. The device measures strain in the shaft and provides angular velocity and torque in the shaft. The device includes a sensor, sensor conditioning circuitry, a microprocessor, and a transmitter, all located on a ro... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7212360 | Information processing equipment and data transfer method Provided is information processing equipment capable of efficiently performing data transfer restarted after it is suspended because a possibility of being affected by an impact derived from dropping or the like is predicted or detected. During transfer of data from... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7202800 | Mobile communication-based remote meter reading system and method A remote meter reading system is provided. The system comprises a meter reading system for sending metering information of a subscriber via the infrastructure of a mobile communication system; and a remote control system in communication with the meter reading syste... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7126494 | Remote access to electronic meters using a TCP/IP protocol suite An electronic meter incorporates a TCP/IP protocol suite and an HTTP server to provide two-way access to the meter data. Alternatively, the TCP/IP protocol suite may be incorporated into a gateway serving multiple meters connected through a power line or wireless tw... | 10/24/2006 |
| 7110778 | Remote telemetry device The systems and methods disclosed herein relate to digital data communication systems, and more particularly, the systems and methods relate to systems and methods for facilitating digital communication between a modem equipped meter and a central data acquisition s... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7102533 | Automatic meter reading system and method using telephone line An automatic meter reading system includes meter-reading devices attached to respective utility meters and a remote control center collecting measured commodity utilization from the meter-reading devices through a telephone network when a meter reading request signa... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7084783 | Electronic meter with enhanced thermally managed communications systems and methods An electronic meter that is capable of handling an analog cellular phone or radio modem under the meter cover provides significant improvements in the thermal management and power handling that is associated with a circuit switched wireless device. The electronic me... | 08/01/2006 |
| 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 |
| 7043459 | Method and apparatus for metering electricity usage and electronically providing information associated therewith A Metering Billing and Information Solutions (“MBIS”) system for metering electricity usage and processing associated information includes an automated meter which electronically communicates metering information to a data processing system. The data processing ... | 05/09/2006 |
| 7026949 | Method for transmitting and receiving messages in home appliance networking system A method for transmitting and receiving messages in a home appliance networking system, wherein a first home appliance connected to a network appends a unique message identification number to a header of a message and transmits the resulting message to a second home... | 04/11/2006 |
| 7019666 | Adapter for a meter An adapter is interposed between a standard resource meter and its socket, to provide RF-capabilities. Communications between meter and adapter are effected by optical technology. The adapter has emergency battery back-up capabilities. ... | 03/28/2006 |
| 6940421 | Method and apparatus for efficient use of communication channels for remote telemetry A remote telemetry system utilizing dual communication pathways comprising low-cost remote communications devices operating on existing wire-based communications systems, wireless communications systems, and/or a combination thereof, to provide real-time reading and... | 09/06/2005 |
| 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 |
| 6828906 | Device for responding to state request on an open phone line Provided is an apparatus and method for detecting a state of a device such as a meter or appliance and transmitting to a remote location a particular tone or tones corresponding to the detected state. The transmission is initiated either by a predetermined series of... | 12/07/2004 |
| 6442264 | Telephone call router for transferring data to and from data collection apparatus A method and apparatus for selectively connecting different types of devices at a customer's premises to an incoming telephone call. A database of usage codes includes caller ID values and prioritization values for each type of device. A determination is ... | 08/27/2002 |
| 6347135 | Apparatus and method for powering a telephone-based inbound telemetry device A telephone-based automatic meter reading (AMR) system includes a telemetry device through which a host computer can collect meter readings remotely. The telemetry device has one or more ports to read one or more meters at pre-scheduled time intervals. Al... | 02/12/2002 |
| 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 |
| 6016339 | Telecommunication network using signalling without activating alerting devices in consumer's premises A telecommunications network includes digital main switching units and local exchanges. The local exchange is arranged to permit alternative alert signals to consumer premises by way of the local loop. The alternative signals may be cadenced to provide in... | 01/18/2000 |
| 5651057 | Method of communicating data from remote devices to a central computer via a telecommunications link A method for communicating data from one or more remote computerized coin telephone auditing devices to a central computer via a telephone line, which comprises the steps of receiving input data signals at a remote computerized auditing device, decoding t... | 07/22/1997 |
| 5311581 | Remote meter reading method and apparatus A remote meter reading system has equipment at a telephone company office coupled by modems to a utility company computer which issues requests for customer data. Telephone test trunks are used to access individual meter sites and initiate meter readings ... | 05/10/1994 |
| 5204896 | Outbound telemetry device A outbound telemetry device type of meter interface unit (MIU) is provided which enables the automated collection of utility consumption information from a telephone subscriber's site via a conventional subscriber phone line between a central office and t... | 04/20/1993 |
| 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 |
| 5197095 | System for remote transfer and collection of data, in particular from meters A system for remote transfer and collection of data such as quantities of energy of fluid measured by a utility meter. Each meter includes a unit for storing and transmitting date from the meter to a remote data collector via at least one common wire conn... | 03/23/1993 |
| 5161182 | Remote meter reading method and apparatus A remote meter reading system has equipment at a telephone company office coupled by modems to a utility company computer which issues requests for customer data. Telephone test trunks are used to access individual meter sites and initiate meter readings ... | 11/03/1992 |
| 5010568 | Remote meter reading method and apparatus A remote meter reading system has equipment at a telephone company office coupled by modems to a utility company computer which issues requests for customer data. Telephone test trunks are used to access individual meter sites and initiate meter readings ... | 04/23/1991 |
| 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 |
| 4852152 | High impedance signal detection device A low power consuming signal detection device for attachment to a telephone line. The device has an impedance of at least five megohms across the telephone lines. The device includes a power supply having an input impedance of least five megohms and an am... | 07/25/1989 |
| 4811011 | Automatic metering apparatus An automatic utility meter reading and monitoring system comprises at each customer premises at least one sensor for automatically reading the amount of usage of a utility service, processing means for accepting data for said at least one sensor, and a co... | 03/07/1989 |
| 4804957 | Utility meter and submetering system The utility meter is a microprocessor-based circuit using Hall effect electric current sensors to measure power usage by residential and commercial customers. An analog signal from the Hall effect sensor is converted to a digital signal which is fed to th... | 02/14/1989 |
| 4713837 | Communication network A communication network advantageously uses existing broadcast channels to instruct remote receivers and eventually use automatic dial-up capability for forming a telephone communication link with a central processing facility. The network is capable of p... | 12/15/1987 |
| 4710919 | Multiplex system for automatic meter reading A remote meter reading system employing a plurality of multiplexers coupled between the telephone central office and remote interrogatable utility data sources. A number of lines are connected to a single data channel through a plurality of multiplexers. ... | 12/01/1987 |
| 4674113 | Frequency responsive apparatus for reading a meter over a telephone line There is disclosed a system for reading a meter, e.g., a utility meter, over a telephone line. The system includes circuitry for detecting when an input signal within a predetermined frequency range is present. The input signal is fed to two timing device... | 06/16/1987 |
| 4654868 | Time independent data transmission system having capability for accessing a plurality of data devices A time independent data transmission system which allows a computer to access a selected one of a plurality of data devices at a location remote from the computer at any time via a non-dedicated telephone line is disclosed. The system is coupled to a tele... | 03/31/1987 |
| 4578536 | Centerpoint automatic meter reading system A utility meter reading system for sending utility usage information over a plurality of telephone lines is disclosed including a plurality of interface devices, at least one interface coupled to each of the telephone lines and each interface coupled to a... | 03/25/1986 |
| 4540849 | Meter interface unit for utility meter reading system A meter interface unit for interconnecting utility meter reading apparatus to a telephone line to allow the automatic reading of utility usage at the telephone central office in response to an interrogation signal from the telephone central office. The me... | 09/10/1985 |
| 4504831 | Utility usage data and event data acquisition system A utility usage data and event data acquisition system effective to acquire input serial data messages representing the amount of consumed utility services and/or binary event data from one or several external sources having differing drive signal require... | 03/12/1985 |
| 4489220 | Test set A test set designed for testing meter reading units as well as telephone line connections for automatic utility meter reading systems. The test set is capable of simulating the meter reading apparatus when testing the telephone line and of simulating the ... | 12/18/1984 |
| 4394540 | Remote meter reader and method for reading meters over non-dedicated telephone lines A meter reader is disclosed for automatically reading utility meters at a telephone subscriber station and transmitting the meter data read to a central office over non-dedicated telephone lines in response to a call initiated by the central office. The m... | 07/19/1983 |
