A smart reading device for a water meter and a controlling method thereof are provided. The smart reading device includes a fixing component, a casing, an image capturing component, an image analyzing component, and a transmitting component. The fixing component is used to be fixed onto the water meter. The casing is disposed on the fixing component. The image capturing component is disposed in the casing for capturing a numerical display area of the water meter so as to obtain a water consumption image. The water consumption image is analyzed by the image analyzing component or a relay device to obtain a water consumption value. The transmitting component is used for transmitting the water consumption value or the water consumption image to the relay device.

Techniques determine if an appliance having a fixed-rate of gas-consumption is degrading over time. In one example, a flowrate of gas at a service site is obtained. The flowrate of gas is disaggregated to obtain a flowrate of gas corresponding to an appliance having a generally fixed-rate of gas-consumption. The flowrate of gas of the appliance is compared to historical gas consumption by the appliance. Based at least in part on the comparing, it may be determined that performance of the appliance has changed over time. For example, the gas consumption of a hot water tank may increase due to mineral build-up in the bottom of the tank. Responsive to the determined degradation of the appliance, warnings may be sent, repairs may be made, and/or appliance(s) may be replaced.

A meter apparatus and method of operating a removable meter apparatus are described. The meter apparatus includes a tag associated with unique tag identification information and configured to be permanently affixed to a location housing at a unique physical location, and includes a removable meter unit configured to mate with the location housing and receive the tag identification from the tag and report the tag identification to a data manager configured to associate an identifier of the removable meter unit with the tag identification and unique physical location, and associate configuration information for the physical location with the removable meter unit and the tag identification. The unique physical location can comprise a single-space parking location.

A method of registering and locating a water resource includes incentivizing an owner for registering the water resource and associating owner contact information and coordinate location data of the water resource to the water resource. An online database stores the coordinate location data of the water resource, the owner of the water resource, and the owner contact information received from the first electronic device. A second electronic device displays on an electronic map the coordinate location data of the water resource within an area of the electronic map. The user of the second electronic device is informed, after selection of the water resource, the name of the owner of the water resource, the owner contact information of the water resource, the coordinate location data of the water resource, and an account of the owner is credited if the water resource is used.

Techniques determine if an appliance having a fixed-rate of gas-consumption is degrading over time. In one example, a flowrate of gas at a service site is obtained. The flowrate of gas is disaggregated to obtain a flowrate of gas corresponding to an appliance having a generally fixed-rate of gas-consumption. The flowrate of gas of the appliance is compared to historical gas consumption by the appliance. Based at least in part on the comparing, it may be determined that performance of the appliance has changed over time. For example, the gas consumption of a hot water tank may increase due to mineral build-up in the bottom of the tank. Responsive to the determined degradation of the appliance, warnings may be sent, repairs may be made, and/or appliance(s) may be replaced.

Systems and methods are provided for optically reading data from metering equipment by using a camera to record images of a meter, and converting the displayed data measurement regions of the images into alphanumeric data for reporting over a wireless network to a database system for storage, analysis and reporting. One implementation of the device is a water meter reading device integrated into a form factor that replaces the lid of a water meter box. The device captures images of the meter face, converts the images using optical character recognition software into usage data, meter identification and date/time of the data capture and sends the data to a database over a wireless data network.

A rotary element is equipped with a pattern representing a reflected binary code on at least three bits. A detection circuit is configured to sense the pattern and deliver an incident signal encoded in reflected binary code on at least three bits. The incident signal is converted by a transcoding circuit into an intermediate signal encoded in reflected binary code on two bits. A decoding stage decodes the intermediate signal and outputs at least one clock signal representing the amount of rotation of the rotary element and a direction signal representing the direction of rotation. A processing circuit determines the movement of the rotary element, and has at least one general purpose timer designed to receive the at least one clock signal and direction signal.

A method includes receiving, from a first head end system (HES), a first raw file including a first set of events in a first HES specific format, and modifying the first set of events in the first raw file by a first HES adapter to create a first unified formatted file. The first unified formatted file is in a unified format, and the first HES adapter is connected to the first HES. The method further include transforming, by a core HES adapter, the first unified formatted file to a first data management formatted file according to a data management format, and consuming the first data management formatted file.

An optical meter reader apparatus for reading data from a meter includes a housing; a housing extension connected to the housing, the housing extension having a flat face; a first slot formed on the flat face; a second slot formed on the flat face; and an optical communication module located within the housing and the housing extension and configured to exchange information with the meter using infrared waves.

An infrastructure and methods for the analysis of flow in pipe systems. In a preferred form, the infrastructure and methods account for energy status of a sensor device and wear cost functions. The infrastructure comprises a controller and a plurality of sensor devices coupled to the pipe system to collect measurements related to one or more of the following: vibration, magnetic field, fluid pressure, temperature, humidity, chemical composition of the fluid, fluid flow or fluid throughput. The controller has access to a database containing one or both of—(i) current energy status of a sensor device and/or (ii) a cost allocation relating to use of a sensor device and assigns workloads using energy status and/or cost.