Abstract: An electro-optical remote meter reading system providing automatic load control and time related and peak demand readings from conventional electric power meters, including an electro-optical monitor unit having a non-contact meter scanner providing meter data to a digital storage and readout unit, and an electro-optical transponder effective to receive and to transfer data from the latter unit and to convert such data into a train of laser radiation pulses which are emitted in response to interrogation by a laser radiation pulse from a remote mobile interrogator unit which triggers the noncoded interrogation of the transponder. The interrogator includes a laser receiver and a pulse converting sub-system and is associated with further digital data processing equipment. A variant of the reading system interacts with a plurality of meters in a common location and provides sequential interrogation of a common, i.e. single, transponder, associated with the plurality of meters.

Abstract: An electro-optical remote meter reading system, including an electro-optical monitor unit having a non-contact meter scanner providing meter data to a digital storage and readout unit, and an electro-optical transponder effective to receive and to transfer data from the latter unit and to convert such data into a train of laser radiation pulses which are emitted in response to interrogation by a laser radiation pulse from a remote mobile interrogator unit which triggers the non-coded interrogation of the transponder. The interrogator includes a laser receiver and a pulse converting sub-system and is associated with further digital data processing equipment. A variant of the reading system interacts with a plurality of meters in a common location and provides sequential interrogation of a common, i.e., single, transponder, associated with the plurality of meters.