Automatic metering apparatus

An automatic utility meter reading and monitoring system for monitoring utility usage at a plurality of customer premises comprising:

• (a) at each customer premises,
• a plurality of meters for continuously monitoring consumption of a respective plurality of utility services;
• a sensor associated with each said meter for continuously reading said meter and providing an output representative of the reading thereof;
• a microcomputer having a unique address comprising a memory for storing data representing the readings of said meters, said microcomputer continually monitoring the output of each of the sensors associated with said plurality of meters and updating said memory with the latest readings of said meters, said microcomputer further having means for combining into a single frame a personal identification code assigned to each customer, a security code and data pertaining to the most recent readings of each of said meters;
• and
• a communications interface for transmitting said single frame to a remote location upon receipt of a polling request;
• and
• (b) at a central office connected to each customer premises by a remote data communications link:
• a main computer for continually polling each said customer premises at frequency intervals to initiate transmission of a said single frame, said main computer comprising means for separating data pertaining to said plurality of utility services from said single frame, means for storing the transmitted data on each of a plurality of individual customer records, means for scanning through each of the customer records to permit analysis of load distribution, and means for matching the transmitted personal identification code with a code stored in the computer and for activating an alarm in the event a customer is delinquent;
• and means for periodically transmitting said data separately to respective utility company computers to permit billing of each of a plurality of customers at periodic intervals, said frequent intervals being substantially shorter than said periodic intervals;
• whereby said polling of each of said customer premises at frequent intervals permits on-going real time load management information to be obtained in addition to billing information.