US 2014/0110472 A1 · METER READING

Abstract

This invention relates to a method and reader system for reading a mechanically variable display, particularly those provided with a meter, as well as to a metering system and a meter for measuring a commodity. In particular, the invention relates to a method and reader system for electronically reading a variable display comprising one or more mechanically variable display elements variably displaying one or more machine readable code/s which involves receiving reading data from an optical reader device, the reading data comprising at least an electrical signal, or information associated therewith, associated with at least one machine readable code read by the optical reader device; and processing the received reading data to determine a reading or character string associated displayed by, or associated with, the variable display.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A method for electronically reading a variable display comprising one or more mechanically variable display elements variably displaying one or more machine readable code/s, the method comprising:

receiving reading data from an optical reader device, the reading data comprising at least an electrical signal, or information associated therewith, associated with at least one machine readable code read by the optical reader device;
and
processing the received reading data to determine a reading or character string associated displayed by, or associated with, the variable display.

A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the variable display is associated with a meter such that the display elements comprises display wheels which rotatably display the machine readable codes corresponding to numeric or alphanumeric values or characters.

A reader system for electronically reading a variable display comprising one or more mechanically variable display elements variably displaying one or more machine readable code/s, the reader system comprising:

an optical reader device configured to read a machine readable code displayed by at least one display element;
and
a processor communicably coupled to the optical reader device, the processor comprising:
a receiver module configured to receive, from the optical reader device, reading data comprising at least electrical signals, or information associated therewith, associated with the machine readable code/s read by the optical reader device;
and
a reading determining module configured to process the received reading data to determine a reading or character string displayed by, or associated with, the machine readable codes displayed by the variable display.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Meter reading

Life of this patent

Meter reading

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims26