Meter reading device

• Main Author: CLAUDE YONNET
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 08.12.2010
• Subjects: ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVEREDIN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRICITY; MEASURING; MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PHYSICS; SIGNALLING; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; TESTING; TRANSMISSION; TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILARSIGNALS

The invention concerns the optical head 20 of a meter reading device. The optical head is suitable for communication with an optical meter-port 7 provided on a meter. The optical head comprises means 32, 33 for optically communicating with the meter-port, and a secondary optical port 38. Pass-through communication is provided between the meter-port and the secondary optical port. The optical head of the invention is preferably connected semi-permanently to a consumer automatic meter reading (AMR) device 22. The secondary optical port 38 is designed to replicate the meter-port 7. A utility company employee can use a portable meter reading device with a conventional optical head (13, Fig. 2) to read the meter locally, without disturbing the connection to the AMR, by interfacing the conventional optical head with the secondary optical port of the optical head of the invention. Preferably, the optical head of the invention comprises a first LED 32 / photodetector 33 pair for communicating with the meter-port and a second LED 34 / photodetector 35 pair in the secondary port, connected with the first LED / photodetector pair in a pass-through arrangement.