摘要 |
An automatic meter reading and control system for communicating with remote terminal points includes a reading control center which selectively communicates with a meter terminal unit at each terminal point by way of a section control unit, each section control unit serving several meter terminal units. The section control unit is responsive to various commands issued by the reading control center to selectively route the commands to specified meter terminal units or groups of meter terminal units to direct the meter terminal units to selectively carry out a meter reading operation, a load control operation, a user alert operation or transfer of previously stored meter data or switch status data from the meter terminal units to the reading control center in accordance with functions specified by the various commands. Each meter terminal unit will effect the immediate execution of the function specified by a function code portion of a received command upon recognition of a first address type contained in an action field portion of the received command, and its assigned address which forms a portion of the contents of the first address type. In addition, the meter terminal unit will, again upon recognition of its assigned address, effect the execution of a specified function at a specified future time when it recognizes a second address type, the time of execution being specified in a time field portion of the second address type. |