US 2015/0088734 A1 · WIRELESS UTILITY METER READING SYSTEM AND METHOD

Abstract

A wireless meter reading system and method are provided to facilitate billing a consumer for utility usage. The method comprises providing a camera or imaging device optionally coupled to a utility meter at a consumer site. The camera or imaging device operates to provide one or more wireless meter reading images of the utility meter from time to time. The one or more wireless meter reading images comprise utility usage data and identifying data of the utility meter. The one or more wireless meter reading images are transmitted to the utility provider. The utility consumer receives from the utility provider a billing statement for utility usage at the consumer site for a defined time period. The billing statement is based on the one or more wireless meter reading images transmitted to the utility provider.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A method of billing a consumer for utility usage, said method comprising:

providing a camera or imaging device optionally coupled to a utility meter at a consumer site, wherein the camera or imaging device operates to provide one or more wireless meter reading images of the utility meter from time to time, and wherein the one or more wireless meter reading images comprise utility usage data and identifying data of said utility meter;
transmitting the one or more wireless meter reading images to the utility provider;
and
receiving from the utility provider a billing statement for utility usage at the consumer site for a defined time period, said billing statement based on the one or more wireless meter reading images transmitted to the utility provider.

1 more element

A method comprising:

retrieving, from one or more databases, a first set of information including billing activities attributable to a utility provider and payment activities attributable to one or more utility consumers;
retrieving, from one or more databases, a second set of information including billing activities attributable to a financial transaction processing entity and purchasing and payment activities attributable to said one or more utility consumers;
analyzing the first set of information and the second set of information to identify one or more correlations between utility usage and utility consumers;
and
generating one or more predictive models based at least in part on the one or more correlations.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Wireless utility meter reading system and method

Life of this patent

Wireless utility meter reading system and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims26