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METHOD FOR OPERATING AN ENERGY METER AND ENERGY METER

Publication No. EP3882595

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App No. EP21160833

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Filed by Diehl Metering GmbH

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Filed on 2021-03-04

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Issued/Published on 2025-08-06

Official EPO Register

Publication No. EP3882595 A1

Application No. EP21160833 Filed: 2021-03-04

Grant Date 2025-08-06 Mention of grant

Active Oppositions 1 Active EPO Oppositions

Patent Abstract / Summary

Verfahren zum Betrieb einer Energiezählereinrichtung (11) zur Ermittlung des Energieverbrauchs in einem Temperierungskreislauf (17), in dem ein Gemisch (18) aus wenigstens zwei Fluiden, insbesondere ein Wasser-Glykol-Gemisch, zirkuliert, wobei die Energiezählereinrichtung (11) eine Ultraschallmesseinrichtung (13) zur Ermittlung des Gemischdurchflusses durch eine Laufzeitmessung, eine Temperaturmesseinrichtung (16) zur Ermittlung einer Temperaturdifferenz zwischen dem Vorlauf (20) und dem Rücklauf (21) des Gemischs (18) und eine Recheneinrichtung (22) zur Ermittlung des Energieverbrauchs unter Berücksichtigung des Durchflusses, der Temperaturdifferenz sowie eines k-Faktors des Gemischs (18) aufweist, wobei zur Ermittlung des Gemischdurchflusses ein Laufzeitdifferenzwert mit einem unter Verwendung eines für ein Referenzgemisch vorgegebenen Kennfelds (5), insbesondere in Abhängigkeit von dem Laufzeitdifferenzwert und der Temperatur des Gemischs bei der Laufzeitmessung, bestimmbaren Ermittlungsfaktor multipliziert wird, wobei durch die Ultraschallmesseinrichtung (13) auch eine aktuelle Schallgeschwindigkeit des Gemischs (18) ermittelt wird, wobei die Bestimmung des Ermittlungsfaktors in Abhängigkeit von der aktuellen Schallgeschwindigkeit zur Korrektur einer Abweichung des Gemischs (18) von dem Referenzgemisch erfolgt.

IPC Classifications

G01K17/10, G01F1/66, G01F1/667 G01K17/10, G01F1/66

Priority Claims

DE 20201001596 Date: 2020-03-11

Designated Contracting States (38 EPC States)

AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR

Parties & Representation

Applicants

Diehl Metering GmbH

Industriestrasse 13, 91522 Ansbach

Inventors (4)

Benkert, Andreas

Schlossstraße 11, 91522 Ansbach

Mayle, Michael

Fichtestr. 8, 91522 Ansbach

Sonnenberg, Hans-Michael

Am Häuslesacker 10, 91564 Neuendettelsau

Horn, Roland

Lindenstr. 6, 91629 Weihenzell

Representatives / Agents

Diehl Patentabteilung

c/o Diehl Stiftung & Co. KG, Stephanstraße 49

Rentsch Partner AG

Kirchenweg 8, Postfach

Key Procedural Dates

Request-For-Examination 2022-02-23

Mention Of Grant Published 2025-08-06

First-Examination-Report-Despatched 2023-10-06

Legal Status & Event History

Official European Patent Office legal and procedural status changes recorded for this file.

38 Events Recorded

Date	Code	Event Description	Auth
2021-09-22	AK	DESIGNATED CONTRACTING STATES	EP
2021-08-20	PUAI	PUBLIC REFERENCE MADE UNDER ARTICLE 153(3) EPC TO A PUBLISHED INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION THAT HAS ENTERED THE EUROPEAN PHASE	EP
2021-08-20	STAA	INFORMATION ON THE STATUS OF AN EP PATENT APPLICATION OR GRANTED EP PATENT	EP
2022-02-25	STAA	INFORMATION ON THE STATUS OF AN EP PATENT APPLICATION OR GRANTED EP PATENT	EP
2022-03-30	17P	REQUEST FOR EXAMINATION FILED	EP
2022-03-30	RBV	DESIGNATED CONTRACTING STATES (CORRECTED)	EP
2023-10-06	STAA	INFORMATION ON THE STATUS OF AN EP PATENT APPLICATION OR GRANTED EP PATENT	EP
2023-11-08	17Q	FIRST EXAMINATION REPORT DESPATCHED	EP
2025-03-24	GRAP	DESPATCH OF COMMUNICATION OF INTENTION TO GRANT A PATENT	EP
2025-03-24	STAA	INFORMATION ON THE STATUS OF AN EP PATENT APPLICATION OR GRANTED EP PATENT	EP
2025-04-23	INTG	INTENTION TO GRANT ANNOUNCED	EP
2025-04-23	RIC1	INFORMATION PROVIDED ON IPC CODE ASSIGNED BEFORE GRANT	EP
2025-06-27	GRAS	GRANT FEE PAID	EP
2025-07-04	GRAA	(EXPECTED) GRANT	EP
2025-07-04	STAA	INFORMATION ON THE STATUS OF AN EP PATENT APPLICATION OR GRANTED EP PATENT	EP
2025-08-06	AK	DESIGNATED CONTRACTING STATES	EP
2025-08-06	REG	REFERENCE TO A NATIONAL CODE	EP
2025-08-15	REG	REFERENCE TO A NATIONAL CODE	EP
2025-08-28	REG	REFERENCE TO A NATIONAL CODE	EP
2025-08-27	REG	REFERENCE TO A NATIONAL CODE	EP
2025-10-01	U01	REQUEST FOR UNITARY EFFECT FILED	EP
2025-10-01	U07	UNITARY EFFECT REGISTERED	EP
2026-01-08	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-01-12	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-01-15	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-01-16	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-01-23	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-01-28	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-01-30	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-04-06	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-04-22	U20	RENEWAL FEE FOR THE EUROPEAN PATENT WITH UNITARY EFFECT PAID	EP
2026-04-23	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-04-28	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-05-08	PLBI	OPPOSITION FILED	EP
2026-05-18	REG	REFERENCE TO A NATIONAL CODE	EP
2026-05-19	PLAX	NOTICE OF OPPOSITION AND REQUEST TO FILE OBSERVATION + TIME LIMIT SENT	EP
2026-06-10	26	OPPOSITION FILED	EP
2026-08-07	PLBB	REPLY OF PATENT PROPRIETOR TO NOTICE(S) OF OPPOSITION RECEIVED	EP

Patent & Non-Patent Citations

Cited documents and prior art referenced in search and examination reports.

16 Citations

Cited Patent Documents

DE102007015609

Espacenet

EP1975582

Espacenet

EP2746742

Espacenet

WO2012065276

Espacenet

FR6047

Espacenet

US2013259083 2013-10-03

Espacenet

EP2369305 2011-09-28

Espacenet

DE102011080365 2013-02-07

Espacenet

US4331025 1982-05-25

Espacenet

EP3882595 2021-09-22

Espacenet

Non-Patent Scientific Literature (NPL)

- BAACK SEBASTIAN: "Heat Metering with Glycol-Water-Mixtures", DOCTORAL DISSERTATION, TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITÄT BERLIN, 27 November 2019 (2019-11-27), XP093397632, Retrieved from the Internet <URL:https://api-depositonce.tu-berlin.de/server/api/core/bitstreams/61bcf29a-1f83-4107-8c15-367d78d886e7/content>

- D1A - NACHWEIS DES VERÖFFENTLICHUNGSDATUMS DER D1

- HOLOCH PHILIP: "GLYCOL COMPENSATION ALGORITHM FOR ULTRASONIC THERMAL ENERGY METERS", PRESENTATION EMATEM BELIMO, 1 January 2018 (2018-01-01), XP093397643

- HOLOCH PHILIP: "Overcoming the Glycol Measurement Challenge", BELIMO, 1 June 2019 (2019-06-01), XP093397644, Retrieved from the Internet <URL:https://www.belimo.com/mam/corporate-communications/pictures-graphics/teasers/belimo-com/case-studies/Belimo_article_glycol_measurement_challenge_0619_EN.pdf>

- D3A - NACHWEIS DES VERÖFFENTLICHUNGSDATUMS DER D3

- D3B - NACHWEIS ZU DEN METADATEN DER D3

Worldwide Patent Family

Related applications and patents in the same INPADOC worldwide family.

6 Family Members

Country	Publication Number	Kind	Publication Date	Action
EP	EP3882595A1	A1	2021-09-22	Espacenet
EP	EP3882595B1	B1	2025-08-06	Espacenet
EP	EP3882595C0	C0	2025-08-06	Espacenet
CN	CN113390536A	A	2021-09-14	Espacenet
CN	CN113390536B	B	2026-08-25	Espacenet
DE	DE102020001596A1	A1	2021-09-16	Espacenet

Official File Inspection EPC Art. 128 Public Dossier

Complete European Patent Register Dossier (148 Total Documents)

The full inspection file for Application EP21160833 contains 148 total documents, including all notices of opposition, proprietor counter-statements, examination communications, third-party observations, and procedural forms. Below are all major recorded procedural filings and publication specifications.

Open 148-Doc Register Dossier

Dossier Filing

Date: 2026-01-30 Procedure: Examination 0009250

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METHOD FOR OPERATING AN ENERGY METER AND ENERGY METER

Patent Abstract / Summary

IPC Classifications

Priority Claims

Designated Contracting States (38 EPC States)

Parties & Representation

Applicants

Inventors (4)

Representatives / Agents

Key Procedural Dates

Patent Oppositions

BELIMO HOLDING AG

Legal Status & Event History

Patent & Non-Patent Citations

Cited Patent Documents

Non-Patent Scientific Literature (NPL)

Worldwide Patent Family

Complete European Patent Register Dossier (148 Total Documents)

Recorded Filings & Patent Specifications

European Patent Specification - Granted Patent (B1)

Official European Patent Register Full Dossier

European Patent Application with Search Report (A1)

New entry: Reply of patent proprietor to notice(s) of opposition

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