Utility usage monitoring systems

A device for monitoring usage of a particular utility and displaying the accumulated usage in terms of approximate cost of the utility used comprising:

• first means for providing a pulse train having a repetition rate responsive to the rate of usage of the utility;
• an electronic numeric display;
• a calculator chip coupled to said electronic numeric display, said calculator chip having an automatic constant capability whereby successive summing operations will successively add a predetermined constant to a running total for display in numeric form on said electronic numeric display;
• a keyboard coupled to said calculator chip for manually entering said predetermined constant;
• said
• means coupled to said first means and said calculator chip for initiating said successive summing operations responsive to said repetition rate of said first means.

A device for monitoring usage of a particular utility and displaying the accumulated usage in a monetary designation comprising;

• means for providing a first signal having a repetition rate responsive to the rate of usage of the utility;
• microprocessor means for providing a second signal responsive to the cumulative repetition of said first signal, said microprocessor means being means for operating under program control, said microprocessor means including program storage means for storing a program, and constants storage means for storing constants for determinging the relationship between said second signal and said first signal;
• means for displaying said second signal in numerical form, and
• printing means and resetting means, said printing means being coupled to said microprocessor means for printing out the previously cumulated charge, said resetting means being a means for resetting the cumulative charge being displayed at the start of each billing period, said printing means and said resetting means being cooperatively operative to print out the previously cumulated charge and to then reset the cumulative charge at the conclusion of one billing period and in start of the next billing period.

A device for monitoring usage of a particular utility comprising:

• first means for providing a first signal indicative of the rate of usage of the utility;
• microprocessor means coupled to said first means for providing a second signal responsive to said first signal and indicative of the cumulative charge for the utility, said microprocessor means including constants storage means for storing constants for determining the relationship between said second signal and said first signal, said constants storage means being an electrically alterable storage means;
• reader means coupled to said constants storage means for reading constants information carried by a machine readable data storage device into said constants storage means,
• printing means and resetting means, said printing means being coupled to said microprocessor means for printing out the previously cumulated charge, said resetting means being a means for resetting the cumulative charge at the start of each billing period, said printing means and said resetting means being cooperatively operative to print out the previously cumulated charge and to then reset the cumulative charge at the conclusion of one billing period and in start of the next billing period, and
• clock means for providing signals indicative of the end of each billing period, said clock means being coupled to said printing means and said resetting means, said clock means being operative to cause the print out of the cumulative charge at the end of the billing period and to reset the cumulative charge to start the next billing period.

A device for monitoring usage of a particular utility comprising:

• first means for providing a first signal indicative of the rate of usage of the utility;
• microprocessor means coupled to said first means for providing a second signal responsive to said first signal and indicative of the cumulative charge for the utility, said microprocessor means including constants storage means for storing constants for determining the relationship between said second signal and said first signal, said constants storage means being an electrically alterable storage means;
• reader means coupled to said constants storage means for reading constants information carried by a machine readable data storage device into said constants storage means;
• printing means and resetting means, said printing means being coupled to said microprocessor means for printing out the previously cumulated charge, said resetting means being a means for resetting the cumulative charge at the start of each billing period, said printing means and said resetting means being cooperatively operative to print out the previously cumulated charge and to then reset the cumulative charge at the conclusion of one billing period and in start of the next billing period, and
• clock means coupled to said microprocessor for providing signals indicative of the time of day, said constants storage means being a means for storing constants representing a first cost per unit of the utility for application during off peak hours and a second cost per unit of the utility for application during peak hours, whereby the relationship of said second signal and the repetition of said first signal may be varied with the time of day.

A device for monitoring usage of a particular utility comprising:

• first means for providing a first signal indicative of the rate of usage of the utility;
• microprocessor means coupled to said first means for providing a second signal responsive to said first signal and indicative of the cumulative charge for the utility, said microprocessor means including constants storage means for storing constants for determining the relationship between said second signal and said first signal, said constants storage means being an electrically alterable storage means;
• reader means coupled to said constants storage means for reading constants information carried by a machine readable data storage device into said constants storage means;
• printing means and resetting means, said printing means being coupled to said microprocessor means for printing out the previously cumulated charge, said resetting means being a means for resetting the cumulative charge at the start of each billing period, said printing means and said resetting means being cooperatively operative to print out the previously cumulated charge and to then reset the cumulative charge at the conclusion of one billing period and in start of the next billing period, and
• clock means and control means coupled to said microprocessor means, said clock means being a means for providing signals indicative of the time of day, said control means being a means for shedding predetermined loads based upon time of day.

A method of monitoring usage of a particular utility comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing an alterable memory for storing constants to determine the charge for utility usage for different times of day,
• (b) providing a reader for reading the constants into the alterable memory from a mailable machine readable storage medium,
• (c) providing an electronic computational device to determine the utility charge based upon a signal indicative of the rate of usage of the utility, constants stored in the alterable memory and the time of day,
• (d) entering the constants into the alterable memory by insertion of a machine readable storage medium having the constants stored thereon into the reader,
• (e) measuring the usage of the utility and providing a signal indicative thereof to the computational device,
• (f) computing with the computational device the cummulative charge for the utility usage using the signal produced in step (e) and the applicable stored constants for the respective time of day, and
• (g) providing an output representing the cumulative charge for the utility.

A device for monitoring usage of a particular utility comprising:

• first means for providing a first signal indicative of the rate of usage of the utility;
• microprocessor means coupled to said first means for providing a second signal responsive to said first signal and indicative of the cumulative charge for the utility, said microprocessor means including constants storage means for storing constants for determining the relationship between said second signal and said first signal,
• clock means coupled to said microprocessor means for providing signals indicative of the time of day, said constants storage means being a means for storing constants representing a first cost per unit of the utility for application during off peak hours and a second cost per unit for the utility for application during peak hours, whereby the relationship of said second signal with said first signal may be varied with the time of day, and
• output means coupled to said microprocessor means for providing an output responsive to said second signal.

A device for monitoring usage of a particular utility comprising:

• first means for providing a first signal indicative of the rate of usage of the utility;
• microprocessor means coupled to said first means for providing a second signal responsive to said first signal and indicative of the cumulative charge for the utility, said microprocessor means including constants storage means for storing constants for determining the relationship between said second signal and said first signal, and for storing constants indicative of the allotted utility usage in a particular time period;
• reader means coupled to said constants storage means for reading constants information carried by a machine readable data storage device into said constants storage means;
• clock means and control means coupled to said microprocessor means, said clock means being a means for providing signals indicative of the time of day, said control means being a means for shedding predetermined loads based upon time of day and the allotted utility usage;
• and
• output means coupled to said microprocessor means for providing an output responsive to said second signal.

A device for monitoring usage of a particular utility comprising:

• first means for providing a first signal indicative of the rate of usage of the utility;
• microprocessor means coupled to said first means for providing a second signal responsive to said first signal and indicative of the cumulative charge for the utility, said microprocessor means including constants storage means for storing constans for determining the relationship between said second signal and said first signal, said constants storage means being an electrically alterable storage means;
• reader means coupled to said constants storage means for reading constants information carried by a machine readable data storage device into said constants storage means;
• clock means coupled to said microprocessor for providing signals indicative of the day and time of day, said constants storage means being a means for storing constants representing a first cost per unit of the utility for application during off peak hours and a second cost per unit of the utility for application during peak hours, whereby the relationship of said second signal and the repetition of said first signal may be varied with the time of day;
• and
• printing means coupled to said microprocessor means and being responsive to said clock means for printing out a previously cumulated charge after the end of a billing period.

A device for monitoring usage of a particular utility comprising:

• first means for providing a first signal indicative of the rate of usage of the utility;
• microprocessor means coupled to said first means for providing a second signal responsive to said first signal and indicative of the cumulative charge for the utility, said microprocessor means including constants storage means for storing constants for determining the relationship between said second signal and said first signal, and for storing constants indicative of the allotted utility usage in a particular time period;
• reader means coupled to said constants storage means for reading constants information carried by a machine readable data storage device into said constants storage means;
• and,
• clock means and control means coupled to said microprocessor means, said clock means being a means for providing signals indicative of the time of day, said control means being a means for shedding predetermined loads based upon time of day and the allotted utility usage.