Magnetic sensor apparatus for remotely monitoring a utility meter or the like

A magnetic sensor apparatus for sensing an angular position of a pointer member fixedly mounted at one end to a rotatable shaft for rotational movement therewith as the shaft rotates about an axis of rotation, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) a permanent magnetic member interconnected to a free end of the pointer member for rotation with the pointer member about the axis of rotation, said permanent magnetic member having a circumferential path of travel about the axis of rotation, said permanent magnetic member further having a magnetic field having a direction associated therewith;
• (b) a circular array of at least ten spaced Hall Effect devices disposed concentrically about the axis of rotation and in alignment with but axially removed from said circumferential path of travel of said permanent magnetic member;
• (c) a support structure for supporting said Hall Effect devices, said Hall Effect devices being axially removed from said permanent magnetic member and mounted on said support structure with a major surface of said Hall Effect devices being perpendicular with respect to the direction of said magnetic field of said permanent magnetic member;
• (d) microprocessor means electrically interconnected to said Hall Effect devices for electrically driving said Hall Effect devices, said Hall Effect devices having a magnetic field sensitive state when so driven, said Hall Effect devices being necessarily configured and arranged with respect to said permanent magnetic member so as to be selectively activated by the proximate alignment therewith of said permanent magnetic member when in said magnetic field sensitive state, said Hall Effect devices so activated providing an output signal representative of the angular position of the pointer member;
• (e) said microprocessor means being further electrically interconnected to said Hall Effect devices for detecting said output signal;
• and
• (f) microprocessor logic means operatively interconnected to said microprocessor means for interpreting said electrical output signals and converting said electrical output signals to a digital value.

A magnetic sensor apparatus for sensing angular positions about axes of rotation of stages of a multistage meter;

• the apparatus comprising:
• (a) a separate magnetic field causing means associated with and being interconnected to each of the stages for rotation with each respective stage about its axis of rotation, said magnetic field causing means having a circumferential path of travel about the respective axes of rotation of the stages;
• (b) a separate circular array of spaced Hall Effect devices associated with each of the stages and concentrically positioned about their respective axes of rotation, each circular array of said Hall Effect devices being axially displaced from said corresponding magnetic field causing means said Hall Effect devices being in alignment with the circumferential path of travel of said corresponding magnetic field causing means:
• (c) microprocessor means operatively interconnected to said Hall Effect devices for electrically driving said Hall Effect devices, certain of said Hall Effect devices so driven being selectively activated by the proximate position therewith of said corresponding magnetic elements so as to provide electrical output signals representative of the angular position of the stages,
• (d) said microprocessor means being further operatively interconnected to said Hall Effect devices for monitoring said Hall Effect devices and obtaining said electrical output signals therefrom(.);
• and
• (e) microprocessor logic means operatively interconnected to said microprocessor means for interpreting said electrical output signals, said microprocessor logic means including pointer location interpretation means for comparing a previous dial reading under predetermined conditions.