Aquatrol Corporation

Brown, Boveri & Co., Ag

Richard W Brown

Gary Winkler

Duane R Ardolf

A low-powered remote sensor is achieved by capacitively isolating a long duration perpetual timer which is powered by removing inductively coupled AC power from telephone lines or other long lines. Three embodiments are described using this concept. The first embodiment is a remote utility sensor designed to periodically dial and transmit data to a central site via telephone lines and report its functionality on a periodic basis. The second embodiment of the remote utility sensor is used for reporting utility usage for common utilities such as gas meters, water meters, electric meters and water softeners on a periodic basis over telephone lines. The third embodiment is a remote utility sensor which continually records utility usage and can be read by a portable recording device through a remote cabled interface.

Low-powered remote sensor

A data transmitter unit (22) for transmitting data over conventional telephone lines (26) from a remote location (24) to a central location (28). The data transmitter unit (22) derives its operational power supply from the telephone lines (26) to which it is interconnected, thereby doing away with the requirement for a separate power supply. The transmitter unit (22) includes ring detect circuitry (46) for detecting a ring signal on the telephone line (26). The ring detect circuitry (46) cooperates with the stand by power supply (38) charged by a charging circuit (36) to energize a logic module (44) and analog converter circuitry (40, 42) which is interconnected to sensors (30, 32). The logic module (44) controls operation of a tone generator (48) which transmits frequency signals representative of the input received from the sensors (30, 32) over the telephone lines (20, 26) to a central location (28).

Low-powered remote sensor and telephone line transmitter

Method for detecting the presence or absence of an audio-frequency signal (V.sub.T) superimposed on a power supply network, the audio-frequency signal (V.sub.T) having a known frequency (f.sub.T) and an amplitude (A.sub.T) lying within a permissible range of amplitudes (.DELTA.A.sub.T), where the power supply network transmits a signal mixture (V) containing a fundamental (V.sub.g, f.sub.g, A.sub.g), harmonic frequencies (V.sub.H, f.sub.H, A.sub.H) thereof and interference frequencies (V.sub.S, f.sub.S, A.sub.S), which includes, with a microcomputer (M.sub.C), generating a signal at the same point on adjacent waves of the fundamental (V.sub.g);

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Mound, MN, United States of America

Richard W Brown