A method and a system for obtaining information from a utility meter
AssigneeNorthq Aps
InventorDan Iacoboae
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides a method for obtaining information from a utility meter, the method comprising steps of directing emitted radiation on to a rotating element of the utility meter, receiving incident radiation, the incident radiation comprising reflected radiation from a reflective surface of the rotating element, the reflective surface having a marker, determining an instant value of intensity of the incident radiation, determining a reference value from earlier ones of the determined values of the intensity of the incident radiation and detecting passing of the marker, as a function of the reference value and the instant value.
Claims18
A method for obtaining information from a utility meter, the method comprising steps of:
- emitting radiation on to a rotating element of the utility meter;
- receiving incident radiation comprising reflected radiation from a reflective surface of the rotating element, the reflective surface having a marker;
- at each of a plurality of points in time:
- determining, at the point of time, an instant value of intensity of the incident radiation;
- determining a reference value from values of the intensity of the incident radiation determined at other points in time of the plurality of points in time, the other points in time being earlier than the time;
- and
- detecting passing of the marker, as a function of the reference value and the instant value.
A system for obtaining information from a utility meter, the system comprising:
- a radiation emitter configured to direct emitted radiation on to a rotating element of the utility meter;
- a radiation detector configured to receive incident radiation comprising reflected radiation from a reflective surface of the rotating element, the reflective surface having a marker;
- a control module configured to, at each of plurality of points in time:
- determine, at the point in time, an instant value of intensity of the incident radiation;
- determine a reference value from values of the intensity of the incident radiation determined at other points in time of the plurality of points in time, the other points in time being earlier than the point in time;
- and
- detect passing of the marker as a function of the reference value and the instant value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.