Communications and features protocol for a measuring water meter
View Patent ↗A measuring meter system with communications and features protocols for monitoring the meter has been developed. The system includes a meter that monitors usage of a distribution system, an electronic data recorder that processes data from the meter, and an external unit that controls the processing of data in the electronic data recorder with a communication protocol. The communication protocol includes an initialization signal, an interval identification signal, and a clock signal.
1. An apparatus for monitoring a meter, comprising:
a meter that monitors usage of a distribution system;
an electronic data recorder that processes data from the meter;
an external unit that controls the processing of data in the electronic data recorder with a communication protocol; and
where the communication protocol comprises,
an initialization signal,
an interval identification signal that identifies a present reading cycle for the data from the meter with a unique signal width of the interval identification signal, where the unique signal width comprises a multiple of a signal cycle width, and
a clock signal.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , where the meter is a utility meter.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , where the utility meter is a water meter.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 , where the water meter is self-powered.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , where the water meter is power by a Wiegand Wire.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 , where the Wiegand Wire powers the electronic data recorder.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , where the external unit is a meter interface unit.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , where the initialization signal is between 25 and 100 milliseconds in duration.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , where the clock signal operates at a frequency of 1200 hertz.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , where the clock signal operates at a frequency of 19.2 kilohertz.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 , where the electronic data recorder is activated on 15 minute intervals by the communications protocol.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , where the interval identification signal identifies each 15 minute interval in a one hour time period.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 , where the electronic data recorder processes data from the meter to detect a leak in the distribution system.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 , where the leak is continuous.
15. The apparatus of claim 13 , where the leak is intermittent.
16. The apparatus of claim 13 , where the electronic data recorder further processes data from the meter to determine how long the leak has been present.
17. The apparatus of claim 1 , where the electronic data recorder processes data from the meter to determine a flowrate in the distribution system.
18. The apparatus of claim 1 , where the electronic data recorder processes data from the meter to determine the direction of a flow in the distribution system.
19. The apparatus of claim 1 , where the electronic data recorder processes data from the meter to detect an absence of a flow in the distribution system.
20. An apparatus for monitoring a meter, comprising:
a meter that monitors usage of a distribution system;
an electronic data recorder that processes data from the meter to detect an absence of a flow in the distribution system and determine how long the flow has been absent;
an external unit that controls the processing of data in the electronic data recorder with a communication protocol; and
where the communication protocol comprises,
an initialization signal,
an interval identification signal that identifies a present reading cycle for the data from the meter with a unique signal width of the interval identification signal, where the unique signal width comprises a multiple of a signal cycle width, and
a clock signal.
21. The apparatus of claim 20 , where the electronic data recorder processes data from the meter to detect backflow in the distribution system.
22. The apparatus of claim 21 , where the backflow is continuous.
23. An apparatus for monitoring meter usage, comprising:
a meter that monitors usage of a distribution system;
means for receiving data from the meter;
means for processing data from the meter, where the means for processing data from the meter is controlled by an external unit with a communication protocol that comprises,
an initialization signal,
an interval identification signal that identifies a present reading cycle for the data from the meter with a unique signal width of the interval identification signal, where the unique signal width comprises a multiple of a signal cycle width, and
a clock signal; and
means for detecting a leak in the distribution system.
24. The apparatus of claim 23 , further comprising:
means for determining a flowrate in the distribution system.
25. The apparatus of claim 23 , further comprising:
means for determining the direction of a flow in the distribution system.
26. The apparatus of claim 23 , further comprising:
means for detecting an absence of a flow in the distribution system.
27. The apparatus of claim 23 , further comprising:
means for detecting a backflow in the distribution system.
28. A method for calculating utility usage patterns, comprising:
receiving usage data from a meter that monitors usage of a distribution system;
processing the usage data to calculate utility usage patterns, where the step for processing the usage data is controlled by an external unit with a communication protocol that comprises,
an initialization signal,
an interval identification signal that identifies a present reading cycle for the usage data with a unique signal width of the interval identification signal, where the unique signal width comprises a multiple of a signal cycle width, and
a clock signal; and
where the utility usage patterns identify predefined conditions in the distribution system.
29. The method of claim 28 , where the predefined conditions are indicated in levels of magnitude.
30. The method of claim 29 , where the predefined conditions are indicated in at least 3 levels of magnitude.
31. The method of claim 28 , where the utility usage patterns are determined on a moving time scale.
32. The method of claim 28 , where the predefined conditions comprise a leak in the distribution system.
33. The method of claim 28 , where the predefined conditions comprise a flowrate in the distribution system.
34. The method of claim 28 , where the predefined conditions comprise the direction of a flow in the distribution system.
35. The method of claim 28 , where the predefined conditions comprise an absence of a flow in the distribution system.
36. The method of claim 28 , where the predefined conditions comprise a backflow in the distribution system.
37. The method of claim 28 , where the meter is a water meter.
38. The method of claim 37 , where the water meter is self-powered.
39. The method of claim 38 , where the water meter is powered by a Wiegand Wire.
40. A method for calculating utility usage patterns, comprising:
step for receiving usage data of a distribution system;
step for processing the usage data to calculate utility usage patterns, where the step for processing the usage data is controlled by an external unit with a communication protocol that comprises,
an initialization signal,
an interval identification signal that identifies a present reading cycle for the usage data with a unique signal width of the interval identification signal, where the unique signal width comprises a multiple of a signal cycle width, and
a clock signal; and
step for identifying predefined conditions in the distribution system based on the utility usage patterns.