Remote metering system

A remote metering system for monitoring and transmitting data associated with energy usage as sensed by at least one pulse generating meter device, said system comprising:

• a local microcomputer based controller including a memory means for storing pulse data associated with the metering device and at least one scaling factor, means in the local controller for generating a plurality of distinctive output signals, with at least one of the output signals being the result of analyzing the meter pulse data in the memory as a function of said scaling factor prior to transmission, a remote display, means in the local controller for transmitting said output signals in the form of a plurality of serial data transmissions over one line to said remote display, and means in said remote display for receiving and displaying selected ones of said serial data transmissions whereby a user at the same location as the remote display may be informed of a variety of information relating to energy usage.

A remote metering system for use with a plurality of meters, said system comprising:

• a single microcomputer based control means having a plurality of inputs respectively coupled to the output of said meters, memory means for storing data including at least one scaling factor, means coupled to said inputs for storing data associated with each meter in predetermined locations in said memory, means for retrieving data associated with predetermined meters from the memory and analyzing it as a function of the scaling factor, interface means for providing a plurality of different outgoing data transmissions associated with selected data retrieved from said memory, said control means providing a coded identification signal preceeding each of said outgoing data transmissions;
• and
• a plurality of serially connected remote display means connected to said interface means by one communication line, with each display means including a decoder means for interpreting said identification signal so as to discriminate between different transmissions whereby each of the remote display means may display data associated with selected transmissions.

A controller for a remote metering system for monitoring a plurality of meters, said controller comprising:

• control means having a plurality of inputs respectively coupled to the outputs of said meters, memory means for storing data and a program for instructing said control means, means coupled to the inputs for storing data associated with each meter in predetermined locations in said memory, means for retrieving data associated with selected meters from the memory, interface means for providing output data transmissions associated with selected meter data to a remote data receiving device, said controller further including reset circuit means having a pulse generator for providing pulses of a predetermined frequency, said control means providing a reset signal to said reset circuit as said control means progresses through various instructions of the program, and said reset circuit means providing a signal to said control means to reinitialize said program if said reset signal is not received within a predetermined number of pulses.