초록 ▼

An electronic compact gas meter includes a solid state flow sensor for sensing gas flow rate, data acquisition circuits including an analog-to-digital converter coupled to the sensor for controlling same and providing an output indicative of gas flow, and a digital data processor for receiving the g

An electronic compact gas meter includes a solid state flow sensor for sensing gas flow rate, data acquisition circuits including an analog-to-digital converter coupled to the sensor for controlling same and providing an output indicative of gas flow, and a digital data processor for receiving the gas flow information from the analog-to-digital converter, processing the information and registering the volumetric gas flow reading at the meter and/or transmitting the volume flow information via RF or telephone communication lines to a remote location.

대표청구항 ▼

A compact gas meter for measuring usage of natural gas or the like by a consumer over a time interval to enable billing of the consumer by a utility, comprising: a housing having a passageway therethrough with a gas inlet adapted for connection to a source of natural gas provided by the utility and

A compact gas meter for measuring usage of natural gas or the like by a consumer over a time interval to enable billing of the consumer by a utility, comprising: a housing having a passageway therethrough with a gas inlet adapted for connection to a source of natural gas provided by the utility and a gas outlet adapted for connection to gas utilization means of the consumer, gas flow sensing means mounted on said housing and including a solid state flow sensor having a substrate bearing a thin film heating element and first and second thin film temperature sensing elements flanking said heating element, and means locating said flow sensor in said passageway to directly sense gas flow through said passageway, said flow sensor being oriented to extend generally coplanar with the direction of flow of the gas through said passageway, with one of said temperature sensing elements located upstream of the gas flow through said passageway and the other one of said temperature sensing elements located downstream of the gas flow, said flow sensor being operable when energized to provide an output signal indicative of gas flow rate through said passageway, signal processing circuit means mounted within said housing and electrically connected to said flow sensor, said signal processing circuit means including signal sampling means for periodically sampling the output signal provided by said flow sensor during sampling periods and generating a signal representative of gas flow volume over a predetermined time interval, power switch means responsive to said signal sampling means for energizing said flow sensor during said sampling periods, said signal sampling means defining operating cycles for said power switch means, each operating cycle including an active period of a given duration and an inactive period of a substantially longer duration, said power switch means energizing said flow sensor enabling said flow sensor to provide its output signal only during the active period of each operating cycle, and indicating means controlled by said sampling means to provide an indication of the gas flow volume measured by the gas flow sensor.