Les Robinson

US Patent:

20120197552, Aug 2, 2012

Filed:

Dec 29, 2011

Appl. No.:

13/340380

Inventors:

Les Robinson - Watertown SD, US
Rod Redlin - Watertown SD, US
Angelo A. Polsinelli - Watertown SD, US
Keith W. Carlson - Watertown SD, US
Stephen A. Uban - Pillager MN, US

International Classification:

G06F 19/00

US Classification:

702 50

Abstract:

Systems and methods for monitoring a utility resource are disclosed. One system includes utility resource usage capture components connected to a utility resource management computing system via a satellite communications network. Each of the utility resource usage capture components includes a utility resource meter interface and a satellite communication module. The utility resource meter interface is configured to communicate with different types of utility resource meters from different manufacturers. Each of the utility resource usage capture components has a low power state and an operational state, and is configured to automatically enter the operational state, interrogate an associated utility resource meter, communicate the reading via the satellite communication module, and return to the low power state. The utility resource management computing system stores information regarding a location of each of the utility resource usage capture components and receives and stores readings from each of the utility resource usage capture components.