Using wireless data transmission to maintain intrinsic safety of a gas meter
AssigneeNatural Gas Solutions North America, LLC
InventorsJeff Thomas Martin, Andrew Logan Perkins
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gas meter is outfit with near field communication (NFC) devices for in-situ exchange of data. The NFC devices reside in separate compartments. A first compartment houses electronics necessary to generate values for volumetric flow of material in a pipe. The gas meter includes a second compartment with an access point that allows data, including telemetry data, to transmit from the gas meter to a remote device. In operation, the NFC devices exchange data between the first compartment and the second compartment, often through a wall or barrier that prevents flow of fluid between the compartments.
Claims20
An electronics assembly for a gas meter, comprising:
- an electronics unit with a first housing that encloses electronics in a first compartment, the electronics operative to generate data for volume flow of fluid;
- a first wireless component disposed in the first compartment;
- a second wireless component disposed outside of the first compartment;
- a non-NFC antenna connected to the second wireless component and disposed outside of the first compartment to allow data to exchange without intervening components between the non-NFC antenna and the second wireless component;
- and
- a wall separating the first wireless component from the second wireless component,
- wherein the first wireless component and the second wireless component are operative to generate a field that penetrates through the wall.
An electronics assembly for a gas meter, comprising:
- first electronics operative to generate data that corresponds with volume flow of fluid, the electronics comprising a first near-field communication (NFC) device;
- second electronics comprising a second near field communication device (NFC) and a non-NFC antenna operative to broadcast and receive data, the second NFC device and the non-NFC antenna connected to allow data exchange without intervening components between them;
- and
- a wall separating the first electronics and the second electronics,
- wherein the first electronics and the second electronics are operative to exchange data with one another via the first NFC device and the second NFC device.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a gas meter;
- and
- an electronics unit coupled with the gas meter, the electronics unit operative to generate a value for volumetric flow rate for flow of material through the gas meter, the electronics unit comprising,
- a first housing;
- a second housing attached to the first housing, wherein a peripheral wall of the first housing separates a first compartment of the first housing and a second compartment of the second housing;
- a signal transfer unit comprising two wireless components, one each disposed in the first compartment and the second compartment, respectively, and operative to wirelessly transmit data through the peripheral wall;
- and
- a non-NFC antenna disposed in the second compartment and connected to the wireless component of the signal transfer unit disposed in the second compartment to allow data exchange without intervening components between them.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.