Analog utility meter reading
AssigneeNext Future, LLC
InventorsJames L. Kennedy, Thomas Baird
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus to read an analog dial utility meter including a plurality of analog dials, where each dial includes a rotating dial indicator is provided. The apparatus is configured to analyze a digital image of the analog dial utility meter to determine a value of each dial of the utility meter. The method comprises receiving a digital image of the analog dial utility meter, and performing one or more processing and analysis steps to determine a meter reading of the utility meter.
Claims17
A method of reading a utility meter with a smart phone having a camera, a processor, and wireless communication transceiver associated therewith, the utility meter having a plurality of analog dials, the plurality of analog dials each having a rotatable dial indicator, the method comprising:
- taking a digital image of the plurality of analog dials of the utility meter with the camera of the smart phone;
- analyzing the digital image to identify the dial indicators in the digital image;
- analyzing the identified dial indicators to determine a value of the dials with the processor of the smart phone, wherein analyzing the identified dial indicators to determine a value of the dials includes determining angles of rotation of the identified dial indicators, and determining the value of the dials based at least in part on the determined angles of rotation of the identified dial indicators with the processor of the smart phone;
- and
- transmitting the determined value with the wireless communication transceiver of the smart phone, whereby the utility meter is read with the smart phone.
A smart phone configured to read a utility meter having a plurality of analog dials, the plurality of analog dials each having a rotatable dial indicator, the smart phone comprising:
- a housing;
- a processor, a memory, and a camera associated with the housing;
- and
- an application resident in the memory and configured to be executed by the processor to cause the processor to analyze a digital image of the rotatable dial indicators of the plurality of analog dials of the utility meter received from the camera to identify the dial indicators in the digital image and determine a value of each dial of the identified dial indicators, wherein the application is further configured to cause the processor to determine angles of rotation of the identified dial indicators, and determine the value of the dials based at least in part on the determined angles of rotation of the identified dial indicators, whereby the utility meter is read with the smart phone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.