US 6,437,692 · Granted 2002-08-20

The Wireless Meter-Reading Patent That Launched Remote Monitoring

Imagine sensors scattered around a neighborhood that wirelessly report information—like how much electricity or water you've used—back to a central computer that collects and stores all that data. This patent describes a system where wireless transmitters send readings to transceivers, which funnel everything through a gateway to a central computer that can also send control signals back out to devices.

Curated and verified by the IsItPatented Editorial team

The plain-English version

What it protects

The claims cover a networked system for remotely monitoring utility meters and environmental conditions using distributed wireless transmitters that send data to transceivers, which relay information through a local gateway to a central computer. What's protected here is the specific architecture: multiple wireless transmitters paired with sensors, multiple transceivers placed around a region, a gateway for translation and data transfer, and a networked computer that collects, stores, and acts on that data—including the ability to send control signals back to actuators at remote locations.

Why it matters

Filed in 1999 and granted in 2002, this patent covers foundational infrastructure for what became known as automated meter reading (AMR) and the broader smart grid concept. Instead of meter readers physically walking to homes to record usage, wireless networks could do it remotely and continuously. This created the technical and legal foundation for utility companies to deploy monitoring systems at scale, reducing labor costs and enabling real-time data collection—a shift that became central to modern utility operations and later to smart home and IoT ecosystems.

Real-world use

Every time a utility company remotely reads your electric or water meter without sending a person to your house, they're using technology descended from this patent's core architecture: wireless sensors reporting back to a central system.

Original USPTO abstract

The present invention is generally directed to a system for monitoring a variety of environmental and/or other conditions within a defined remotely located region. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a system is configured to monitor utility meters in a defined area. The system is implemented by using a plurality of wireless transmitters, wherein each wireless transmitter is integrated into a sensor adapted to monitor a particular data input. The system also includes a plurality of transceivers that are dispersed throughout the region at defined locations. The system uses a local gateway to translate and transfer information from the transmitters to a dedicated computer on a network. The dedicated computer, collects, compiles, and stores the data for retrieval upon client demand across the network. The computer further includes means for evaluating the received information and identifying an appropriate control signal, the system further including means for applying the control signal at a designated actuator.

Patent details

Publication number: US 6,437,692
Filing date: 1999-11-12
Grant date: 2002-08-20
Assignee: Statsignal Systems, Inc.
Inventor(s): PETITE THOMAS D., HUFF RICHARD M.
CPC class: G01D4/004

View original record on Google Patents →

Want to file your own patent?

If you're building an IoT or smart-home gadget that talks wirelessly to a central hub, search IsItPatented's free scanner to see what foundational patents might already claim similar monitoring architectures.

Free patentability scan