The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 29, 1994
Filed:
Mar. 04, 1993
Charles J Cain, Greenville, NC (US);
Ronald R Genova, Reading, PA (US);
Utilex, Inc., Greenville, NC (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for communicating information between customer locations and remote locations desiring the information exchange which allows the communications to occur over existing communications lines without interfering with the existing uses of those lines. The apparatus includes an acquisition device located at the customer's location, and a signal shifting means located at a local distribution point in relatively close proximity to the customer's location which receives an out-of-band signal from the customer location and converts it to an in-band signal transmitted over the greater distance to the remote location desiring the information exchange using normal telephone transmission through telephone company switch equipment. Also disclosed are methods for customer information exchange, in particular utility meter information, over existing communication lines, in particular telephone lines wherein the signals are transmitted out of band to a local distribution point then retransmitted to in-band signals for further transmission.