Using wireless data transmission to maintain intrinsic saftey of a gas meter
AssigneeNatural Gas Solutions North America, LLC
InventorsJeff Thomas Martin, Andrew Logan Perkins
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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;
- an antenna coupled with the second component and disposed outside of the first compartment;
- 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 an antenna operative to broadcast and receive data;
- 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 disposed in each of the first compartment and the second compartment and operative to wirelessly transmit data through the peripheral wall;
- and
- an antenna disposed in the second compartment and connected to the signal transfer unit disposed in the second compartment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.