Antenna for electric meter and method of manufacture thereof
AssigneeTransData, Inc.
InventorsLawrence R. Porter, John Paul King, Doug Justice
Life of this patent
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Abstract
For use with an electric meter chassis having a dielectric housing protruding therefrom, an antenna for allowing electric meter circuitry within the chassis to communicate wirelessly through the dielectric housing and a method of manufacturing the same. In one embodiment, the antenna includes: (1) antenna elements, located within the dielectric housing and adapted to transmit and receive electromagnetic radiation and (2) a balance circuit, coupled to the antenna elements to cause the antenna elements to act as an antenna and couplable to an unbalanced output port of a wireless communication circuit, that balances an impedance of the unbalanced output port thereby to balance the antenna.
Claims30
An antenna for use with an electric meter chassis having a dielectric housing protruding therefrom, said antenna allowing electric meter circuitry within said chassis to communicate wirelessly through said dielectric housing, comprising:
- antenna elements, located within said dielectric housing and adapted to transmit and receive electromagnetic radiation;
- and
- a balance circuit, coupled to said antenna elements to cause said antenna elements to act as said antenna and couplable to an unbalanced output port of a wireless communication circuit, that balances an impedance of said unbalanced output port thereby to balance said antenna.
A method of manufacturing an antenna for use with an electric meter chassis having a dielectric housing protruding therefrom, said antenna allowing electric meter circuitry within said chassis to communicate wirelessly through said dielectric housing, comprising the steps of:
- locating antenna elements within said dielectric housing, said antenna elements adapted to transmit and receive electromagnetic radiation;
- and
- coupling a balance circuit to said antenna elements to cause said antenna elements to act as said antenna, said balance circuit couplable to an unbalanced output port of a wireless communication circuit to balance an impedance of said unbalanced output port and thereby balance said antenna.
An electric meter, comprising:
- an electric meter chassis having a dielectric housing protruding therefrom;
- electric meter circuitry;
- a wireless communication circuit coupled to said electric meter circuitry;
- and
- an antenna for allowing said electric meter circuitry to communicate wirelessly through said dielectric housing, including:
- antenna elements, located proximate said electric meter circuitry, adapted to transmit and receive electromagnetic radiation, and
- a balance circuit, coupled to said antenna elements to cause said antenna elements to act as said antenna and to an unbalanced output port of said wireless communication circuit, that balances an impedance of said unbalanced output port thereby to balance said antenna.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.