Antenna for electric meter and method of manufacturing thereof
AssigneeTransData, Inc.
InventorsLawrence R. Porter, John Paul King, Doug Justice
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims27
For use with an electric meter chassis having a dielectric housing protruding therefrom, an antenna for allowing electric meter circuitry located in a circuit board rack within said chassis to communicate wirelessly through said dielectric housing, comprising:
- a wireless communication circuit couplable to said electric meter circuitry;
- and
- an antenna element located within said dielectric housing proximate said circuit board rack, said antenna element coupled to said wireless communication circuit.
For use with an electric meter chassis having a dielectric housing protruding therefrom, a method of manufacturing an antenna for allowing electric meter circuitry located in a circuit board rack within said chassis to communicate wirelessly through said dielectric housing, comprising the steps of:
- providing a wireless communication circuit couplable to said electric meter circuitry;
- and
- locating an antenna element within said dielectric housing proximate to said circuit board rack, said antenna element coupled to said wireless communication circuit.
An electric meter, comprising:
- an electric meter chassis having a dielectric housing protruding therefrom;
- electric meter circuitry located in a circuit board rack within said chassis;
- a wireless communication circuit couplable to said electric meter circuitry;
- and
- an antenna element located within said dielectric housing proximate said circuit board rack and coupled to said wireless communication circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.