Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02447550 2003-11-04
PATENT APPLICATION FOR:
Digital Meter for Displaying Rate of Electricity
Consumption in Monetary Units
Inventor and Applicant:
Stephen Bruneau
13 Darcy Street
St. John's
Newfoundland
Canada A1 C 5B9
(709) 722-6542
No of Claims: 11
October 31, 2003
CA 02447550 2003-11-04
DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to electronic speedometers and
odometers, and more particularly to the measurement of rotational frequency of
a
disk or wheel by means of a small sensor, and the associated calibration and
display of frequency data via an LCD display unit that is conveniently
positioned
away from the moving object. The present invention also relates generally to
the
reading of electric utility meters and the digital display of energy
consumption
information. Furthermore, the invention relates to the metering of consumer
consumption and subsequent display of actual cost at any instant in time
similar
to a fuel pump at a gasoline station. And lastly, the invention relates to
household
indoor/outdoor thermometers in the manner in which it is employed.
Specifically,
the purpose of the invention is to inform electricity consumers of their rate
of
expenditure and cumulative expenditure on electricity at any point in time.
Presently, electricity consumers have no easy or inexpensive means of
determining their rates of power consumption and no systematic means of
monitoring effectiveness of conservational measures. Reading one's own
electric
utility meter is not commonplace and involves watching, recording and
interpreting readings from the device wherever it may be. Meter readings by
utilities take place at varying intervals and bills are often based on
averaged or
projected consumption so that consumers would find it difficult to correlate
lifestyle and consumption habits to energy use. Furthermore, meter reading
intervals often span normal seasonal variations in heat and light demand,
further
complicating the assessment of electricity consumption.
The proposed device allows the user to get instantaneous feedback on
electricity
consumption in units that most people understand - monetary currency. The
device provides the user with instantaneous and/or averaged rates of
electrical
energy consumption, plus a reading of cumulative expenditure from a given
point
in time. The user may select the preferred display units using buttons on the
display portion of the device. Display units would include but may not be
limited
to dollars per hour, dollars per day and dollars per month. The cumulative
expenditure is simultaneously displayed as dollars over the previous number of
hours or days. Optionally, indoor and outdoor temperature, time and date may
also be integrated into the display on the device. This additional information
further enhances the ability of the user to gauge consumption as a function of
lifestyle by exposing some of the background environmental influences on the
rate of energy use.
The device is installed and is operated completely independent of the electric
system of the premises and does not require of the user any knowledge or
understanding of electrical systems in order to be effective. The device is
safe
and simplistic to install and requires very little effort to read or
understand.
The device is comprised of two components, a display unit (1 ) and a sensor
(2).
These may be interconnected by an electrical wire (3) or, alternatively, may
use
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CA 02447550 2003-11-04
remote wireless technology for transferring signal data from the sensor to the
display. The display device is intended to be positioned inside the premises,
for
example, in the kitchen on the wall next to a window, and may be affixed with
two-sided foam tape, a Velcro strip, a screw, a picture hook or by some other
common method of attachment. The LCD display window (4) and buttons for
controlling settings (5) on the display component of the device are positioned
and
sized for convenient use and interpretation by the user. The sensor (1 ) is
positioned by the user on, or adjacent to, the glass immediately in front of
the
edge of the rotating disk (7) inside the electric utility meter (6). The
method of
positioning and/or attachment for the sensor may include an adhesive strip for
direct attachment, or, a curved support wire anchored to the premises and not
in
contact with the utility's electric metering device. It is a feature of this
device that
due to the size and position of the sensor, the device does not interfere in
any
way with the normal operation or visibility of the electric utility meter.
The device operates in a very similar fashion to a bicycle
speedometer/odometer
in that a sensor detects wheel revolutions and transmits voltage signals to a
digital display where the information is interpreted and displayed as a speed
and
distance traveled. In the instance of the invention the speed of the rotating
disk in
the utility meter (directly proportional to instantaneous electricity
consumption) is
measured and calibrated so that the speed is displayed as a cost per unit time
and the distance is displayed as cumulative money spent on electrical energy.
The user must initially, and only once, input the meter calibration factor
(printed
on the face of all common meters) to obtain the rate of kilowatt-hour
consumption, and also must input the cost of electricity in cents per kilowatt-
hour
(as printed on the utility bill). Via the product of these factors the device
internally
calibrates signal data to accurately display the rate of money spent on
electricity.
The positioning of the device components is analogous to that of a digital
indooNoutdoor thermometer in that the user strategically places the small
sensor
outside, places the display unit in a convenient location inside, and ensures
that
the interconnecting wire is not at risk nor does it adversely affect the
premises.
In the drawings which form part of this specification, Figure 1 illustrates
the
components of the invention, and Figure 2 illustrates an alternate shape for
the
invention and conceptually the invention as it would appear installed.
A variation of the device is also claimed herein whereby the light sensor on
the
electric utility meter relays energy consumption information to a data
interpretation device affixed to, or incorporated with, a personal computer.
The
result being the display of, and manipulation of, household electricity
consumption data on the computer.
Another variation of the device is also claimed herein whereby a light sensor
detects the rate of movement of a natural gas and/or water utility meter and
transfers the data to a device for display of consumption in monetary units.
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