Low-power wireless interface for handheld smart metering devices

Advantages of smart metering are well known: more control of resource usage, accurate bills and better budgeting. For this reason roll out plans have been created not only for electricity, but also for gas distribution. In such a scenario, some additional difficulties arise due to the need of a wireless and autonomous functioning of meters. In particular, measurement techniques and communication protocols must take into account limited power source availability. In this work the need of a low power handheld device for maintenance (and monitoring) in the context of gas smart metering is addressed. The proposed architecture exploits smart devices (e.g. smartphones or tablets) as user-friendly terminals. Low power consumption is ensured using inductive coupling for data transmissions. A proof-of-concept prototype has been realized confirming the effectiveness of the proposed solution. In particular the consumption of the interface does not affect the overall system lifetime.