Meters and upgraded meter cover with sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9805518-B2
Application number	US-201715474773-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2017
Priority date	Dec 23, 2014
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

Meters and meter covers comprising: a removable cover housing configured to accommodate the upper portion of the internal components of an existing meter, the cover housing engageable with the housing base of the existing meter to cover and enclose the internal components of the existing meter; a sensor affixed to the cover housing, the sensor configured to collect environmental information pertaining to the local external environment of the existing meter; a wireless radio affixed to the cover housing, the wireless radio configured to transmit the environmental information to the existing meter or to a remote server in communication with the existing meter; and a power unit affixed to the cover housing, the power unit supplying power to the sensor and the wireless radio.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A meter cover comprising:
a) a removable cover housing configured to accommodate an upper portion of internal components of an existing meter, the cover housing engageable with a housing base of the existing meter to at least partially enclose the internal components of the existing meter, wherein the cover housing comprises left and right flares, protruding at least partially to the left and right, respectively, from the removable cover housing and adapted to house one or more sensors;
b) one or more sensors affixed to the left flare of the cover housing and housed in the left flare to collect information pertaining to the presence of an object in a first local external environment to the left of the existing meter or one or more sensors affixed to the right flare of the cover housing and housed in the right flare to collect information pertaining to the presence of an object in a second local external environment to the right of the existing meter; and
c) a wireless radio affixed to the cover housing, the wireless radio configured to transmit the information pertaining to the first or second local external environments to the existing meter or to a remote server in communication with the existing meter.

2. The meter cover of claim 1 , wherein the meter is a parking meter, the one or more sensors are vehicle sensors, the first and second local external environments are parking spaces, and the objects are vehicles.

3. The meter cover of claim 2 , wherein the parking meter is a single-space parking meter or a multi-space parking meter.

4. The meter cover of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors affixed to the left flare of the cover housing or the one or more sensors affixed to the right flare of the cover housing comprise a radar.

5. The meter cover of claim 4 , wherein the cover housing comprises a material that is at least partially radar transparent.

6. The meter cover of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors affixed to the left flare of the cover housing or the one or more sensors affixed to the right flare of the cover housing are mounted on a gimbal to facilitate positioning.

7. The meter cover of claim 1 , wherein the radio is a wireless radio that utilizes ISM-band, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or ZigBee.

8. The meter cover of claim 1 , further comprising an RF reader affixed to the cover housing and configured to receive a meter identification from a wireless tag associated with the existing meter.

9. The meter cover of claim 8 , wherein the wireless radio is further configured to transmit the meter identification in association with the information pertaining to the first or second local external environments of the existing meter.

10. The meter cover of claim 1 , wherein the meter cover is operationally self-sufficient, the one or more sensors and the wireless radio being not electrically connected to the existing meter.

11. The meter cover of claim 1 , further comprising a payment accepting unit affixed to the cover housing.

12. The meter cover of claim 1 , wherein at least one sensor is a camera.

13. The meter cover of claim 1 , further comprising an interface for connecting to a power unit of the existing meter, the power unit of the existing meter supplying power to the one or more sensors and the wireless radio.

14. A meter comprising:
a) a housing base;
b) a meter device at least partially disposed in the housing base;
c) a removable cover housing configured to accommodate an upper portion of the meter device, the cover housing engageable with the housing base of the existing meter to at least partially enclose the meter device, wherein the cover housing comprises left and right flares protruding at least partially to the left and right, respectively, from the removable cover housing and adapted to house one or more sensors;
d) one or more sensors affixed to left the flare of the cover housing and housed in the left flare to collect information pertaining to the presence of an object in a first local external environment to the left of the existing meter or one or more sensors affixed to the right flare of the cover housing and housed in the right flare to collect information pertaining to the presence of an object in a second local external environment to the right of the existing meter; and
e) a wireless radio affixed to the cover housing, the wireless radio configured to transmit the information pertaining to the first or second local external environments to the meter device or to a remote server in communication with the meter device.

15. The meter of claim 14 , wherein the meter is a parking meter, the one or more sensors are vehicle sensors, the first and second local external environments are parking spaces, and the objects are vehicles.

16. The meter of claim 15 , wherein the parking meter is a single-space parking meter or a multi-space parking meter.

17. The meter of claim 14 , wherein the one or more sensors affixed to the left flare of the cover housing or the one or more sensors affixed to the right flare of the cover housing comprise a radar.

18. The meter of claim 17 , wherein the cover housing comprises a material that is at least partially radar transparent.

19. The meter of claim 14 , wherein the one or more sensors affixed to the left flare of the cover housing or the one or more sensors affixed to the right flare of the cover housing are mounted on a gimbal to facilitate positioning.

20. The meter of claim 14 , wherein the radio is a wireless radio that utilizes ISM-band, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or ZigBee.

21. The meter of claim 14 , further comprising an RF reader affixed to the cover housing and configured to receive a meter identification from a wireless tag associated with the existing meter.

22. The meter of claim 21 , wherein the wireless radio is further configured to transmit the meter identification in association with the information pertaining to the first or second local external environments of the existing meter.

23. The meter of claim 14 , wherein the meter cover is operationally self-sufficient, the one or more sensors and the wireless radio being not electrically connected to the meter device.

24. The meter of claim 14 , wherein the cover housing comprises an interface for connecting to a power unit of the meter device, the power unit of the meter device supplying power to the one or more sensors and the wireless radio.

25. A method of upgrading a meter comprising:
a) disengaging a cover housing from a housing base of an existing meter to expose an internal meter device;
b) removing the cover housing; and
c) replacing the cover housing by engaging a replacement cover housing with the housing base to enclose the meter device;
provided that the replacement cover housing comprises: left and right flares protruding at least partially to the left and right, respectively, from the replacement cover housing and adapted to house one or more sensors; one or more sensors affixed to the left flare of the replacement cover housing and housed in the left flare to collect information pertaining to the presence of an object in a first local external environment to the left of the existing meter or one or more sensors affixed to the right flare of the replacement cover housing and housed in the right flare to collect information pertaining to the presence of an object in a second local external environment to the right of the existing meter; and a wireless radio aff

Assignees

• Ips Group Inc

Inventors

• King David William
• Schwarz Alexander
• Hunter Stephen John
• Randall Chad P

Classifications

• H04Q9/02

  Automatically-operated arrangements · CPC title

• H04Q2209/886

  using energy harvesting, e.g. solar, wind or mechanical · CPC title

• H04Q2209/47

  using RFID associated with sensors · CPC title

• G07B15/02 Primary

  taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems (G07B15/06 takes precedence; taximeters G07B13/00; parking meters per se G07F17/24) · CPC title

• H04Q2209/43

  using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth® or Zigbee® · CPC title