Jon Howes, the high-tech entrepreneur and founder of the design company NeUW, has come up with a way to save us from the plague which affects all our lives - the knock on the door on Saturday morning heralding the arrival of the guy who's come to read the meter.
"At the start of this month I used an idea for monitoring energy consumption as an example in discussions with an IP law solicitor", says Howes, "before smart meters arrive in all of our houses: It would be possible to capture an image of a meter and, through local capabilities or transmitting an [(optionally) low resolution] image to a server, the current meter reading could be stored and used. "
"iPhone and Android apps came to mind as did embodiments where the user's identity-related-information, location and other info is sent to a server for processing", explains Howes, "this was immediately labelled as potentially patentable - but the main point was that it is the sort of capability that would enable a range of interesting software applications - and their rapid migration to hardware through XMOS chips or similar as more smart meters arrive."
Howes floats the possibility of getting Google to implement the back-office and Android Apps parts of MeterSnapApp.
This, he reckons would:
"1. Be child's play for them since they already have their 'auto translation of a foreign language menu image' service in place.
2. Would fit perfectly into the Google PowerMeter infrastructure
3. Prepare the way for a firestorm of UK Apps development."
Howes continues: "The example served to make my point: Avoiding a patent application, and making a public disclosure of the 'MeterSnapApp, should enable many more innovative software players to enter the market and use the MeterSnapApp as part of their solution."
"Having MeterSnapApp operational now would enable the Apps community to
develop interesting products," adds Howes, "and using MeterSnapApp as a testing ground for the real features desired in Smart Meter control, could help make a success of the Smart Meter roll out. This seems a very good thing. It fits with good strategies for use of investment, it avoids the troubles of being fabless and trying to hit the moving Smart Meter target and succeeding, and it allows UK businesses (maybe also building with XMOS chips) to win major shares of market & mind now."
Well, I have to say, it sounds a lot simpler than the 'smart-meter' projects for which the likes of IBM and Intel have applied for multi-billions of bucks under President Obama's stimulus package.
Good Luck Jon, and bon voyage for the MeterSnapApp.
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Why does everything have to be over-engineered?
My Electricity Company recently sent me a free monitor (including batteries!) to allow me to monitor my useage and I update my meter reading monthly via the internet. No more knocks on the door, no estimated bills, better rates and a yearly discount. I even get e-mail & sms reminders to read the meter at the right time.
Both the electricity meter & the gas meter are located in dark cupboards and would be difficult to photograph clearly. I can read them easily in seconds with a torch and update online in minutes.
Well Raj, that's OK if you don't mind poking around with a torch in dark cupboards. My gas meter is not only in a dark cupboard but is situated 1.5 inches above ground level so I have to lie down with a torch to read it. Then there's the perennial problem of the over-estimate meaning I have to phone up and go through the tortures of the utility's automated menu to give the right reading or, alternatively, go through the tortures of loggiing on and remembering passwords usernames etc. So, over-engineered or not, a way to get the utility companies to debit me for the amount of gas I've used is, to me, a vision of convenience.