The invention relates to a remote reading meter. It is comprised of a disc or a drum divided into two zones at its external or peripheral surface, the first zone being made of high absorbing material (black) which absorbs the radiation emited, and the second zone being made of low absorbing material (white) absorbing radiations. At the vicinity of said surface, the sensor is arranged which comprises an emitter and a receiver, and which detects the radiation reflected by the absorbing zone. The frequency of the pulses generated at the receiver is proportional to the consumption or to the rotational velocity of the drum. The emitter-reciver assemby may be substituted by two optical fibres with emitter-receiver at the beginning. The emitter emits at a frequency remote from the light spectrum in order to avoid the interferences of the solar light. The device is connected to a control center in order to evaluate by data processing the consumption generated. The device can be applied to any type of meter. It solves the problem of displacement of a man to read meters.

A counter comprises a series of hollow digit-displaying drums (13-17), with mechanical driving connections (18 - 21) driving succeeding drums so that a decimal total number is set up. The higher significance digit drums (14 - 17) each carry an optical encoder comprising a cylindrical surface with slots forming a binary code which is related to the displayed digit. U-section reading devices (30 - 33) straddle the encoder to read the code and produce an electrical coded output.

To avoid problems caused by readings at changeover points, the lowest significance digit-displaying drum (13) is associated with an impulse drive which is triggered at each changeover point to drive the drum forward so that it does not come to rest at the changeover point. The impulse drive comprises an off-centre weight which rotates with the drum.

L'appareil, pour paiement par carte bancaire, comprend des moyens (12) de réception d'une carte bancaire (19), des moyens (13) de réception d'une facturette (20), un tambour (5, 6) d'impression à roues rotatives portant, chacune, une série de caractères et un chariot mobile (3) portant un rouleau d'impression (22). Chaque roue de tambour est solidaire en rotation d'un disque de codage portant une série de codes associés respectivement aux caractères de la roue. Des moyens de lecture des codes et des moyens (25) contrôlés par les moyens de lecture sont prévus pour enregistrer les positions angulaires des roues et donc des valeurs des caractères.

Les informations de paiement peuvent être transmises à un centre de traitement bancaire.

A counter comprises a series of hollow digit-displaying drums (13-17), with mechanical driving connections (18 - 21) driving succeeding drums so that a decimal total number is set up. The higher significance digit drums (14 - 17) each carry an optical encoder comprising a cylindrical surface with slots forming a binary code which is related to the displayed digit. U-section reading devices (30 - 33) straddle the encoder to read the code and produce an electrical coded output.

To avoid problems caused by readings at changeover points, the lowest significance digit-displaying drum (13) is associated with an impulse drive which is triggered at each changeover point to drive the drum forward so that it does not come to rest at the changeover point. The impulse drive comprises an off-centre weight which rotates with the drum.

This invention concerns a measuring transducer comprising at least one pair of coded revolving metric indicators (2, 2′, 2˝), each consisting of a metric drum (11, 11′, 11˝, 11‴) and at least one coded revolving element; said revolving coded metric indicators (2, 2′, 2˝) are keyed to the same shaft (9) and said coded revolving elements are each positioned out of phase ahead at an appropriate angle with respect to the preceding revolving coded element, or positioned further to the right.

Preferably decade wheels (14, 14′, 14˝, 14‴, 14^IV, 14^V) are foreseen as the coded revolving elements; said decade wheels and the metric drums (11, 11′, 11˝, 11‴) can be separate elements, connected to each other mechanically or by means of a small internal clutch (13). According to the invention, provision can be made for the coded revolving metric indicators (2′, 2˝) to be made enbloc.

Zur optischen Darstellung und optoelektrischen Abtastung des Inhalts von Zahlenrollen-Zählwerken ist jeder Zahl (15) der ZaMenrollen (11 bis 13) eine codierte optische Markierung (16) zugeordnet, die aus einem oder mehreren Flächenelementen (17) besteht. Die Markierungen (16) sind jeweils in einer Reihe angeordnet und mittels eines entlang der Reihe bewegbaren Lichtgriffels abtastbar. Die optischen Flächenelemente (17) überdecken die Zahlen (15) mindestens teilweise und bestehen aus einem teildurchlässigen retroreflektierenden Material. Bei diffuser Beleuchtung sind die Zahlen (15) durch die optischen Flächenelemente (17) hindurch sichtbar. Ein gerichteter Lichtstrahl wird dagegen an den optischen Flächenelementen (17) retroreflektiert.

A display register for displaying information which may vary over time has optically readable code markings associated with the display positions of the register. The optically readable code markings are, for example, bar codes which correspond to the value of the information being displayed by the register. In one version of the invention the bar codes are applied using visible ink adjacent to or over human perceivable markings on the display register. A hand-held laser scanning device is used to read the code markings. Alternatively, the bar codes are applied using an ultraviolet sensitive ink (which is otherwise invisible to the naked eye) directly over the human perceivable markings on the register. The bar codes are then scanned using a UV laser device. In addition to encoding the variable information displayed by the display register, fixed information, such as the serial number of the display register, location, manufacturer, etc., can be encoded on theface of the register and scanned by the scanning device. The display register may also have an auxiliary display position which will display a code indicative of tampering with the display register. The invention finds particular utility in the remote reading of billing meters, such as those used to measure the consumption of water, natural gas, or electricity.

The device serves (1) for automatically monitoring a metering device (101) such as an electric-power meter. It comprises a first window (21) for passage of light to and from the metering device (101), and a second window (22) that allows an observer (9) to visually read the metering device (101). It further comprises an infrared-light source for illuminating the metering device (101), and an image detector (4) for detecting an image of the metering device (101). A dichroic, semi-transparent mirror (5) reflects the infrared light scattered from the metering device (101) towards the image detector (4), while it transmits visible light towards the observer (9). Thus, the image detector (4) is shielded from undesired light of environment that could disturb the image. The device (1) may further comprise anti-reflection means for preventing a direct reflection of illuminating light (30) reaching the image detector (4). The device may be mounted on an existing counting mechanism (10) for its automatic monitoring, while a visual reading is still possible.

Die Erfindung bezieht sich auf den Ablesevorgang von Zählwerken, insbesondere mechanischen Rollenzählwerken. Um eine Möglichkeit zu schaffen, mit der der Ablesevorgang weniger aufwendig und kostengünstiger gestaltet werden kann, wobei diese Möglichkeit prinzipiell für alle Zählwerkgrößen gleichermaßen einsetzbar sein soll, und auch eine Nachrüstung bereits bestehende Zähler möglich sein soll, wird eine Ablesevorrichtung für Zählwerke, insbesondere mechanische Rollenzählwerke, mit einer elektronischen Bilderfassung und einer Ausgabeeinrichtung vorgeschlagen.