EP0836732A1 - Consumption measurement system for remote reading - Google Patents

Consumption measurement system for remote reading

Info

Publication number
EP0836732A1
EP0836732A1 EP96931813A EP96931813A EP0836732A1 EP 0836732 A1 EP0836732 A1 EP 0836732A1 EP 96931813 A EP96931813 A EP 96931813A EP 96931813 A EP96931813 A EP 96931813A EP 0836732 A1 EP0836732 A1 EP 0836732A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
consumption
antenna
recording system
planar antenna
detection device
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP96931813A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0836732B1 (en
Inventor
Rainer Perthold
Heinz GERHÄUSSER
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Fraunhofer Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Angewandten Forschung eV
Original Assignee
Fraunhofer Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Angewandten Forschung eV
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from DE19624273A external-priority patent/DE19624273A1/en
Application filed by Fraunhofer Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Angewandten Forschung eV filed Critical Fraunhofer Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Angewandten Forschung eV
Publication of EP0836732A1 publication Critical patent/EP0836732A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0836732B1 publication Critical patent/EP0836732B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
    • H01Q1/12—Supports; Mounting means
    • H01Q1/22—Supports; Mounting means by structural association with other equipment or articles
    • H01Q1/2208—Supports; Mounting means by structural association with other equipment or articles associated with components used in interrogation type services, i.e. in systems for information exchange between an interrogator/reader and a tag/transponder, e.g. in Radio Frequency Identification [RFID] systems
    • H01Q1/2233—Supports; Mounting means by structural association with other equipment or articles associated with components used in interrogation type services, i.e. in systems for information exchange between an interrogator/reader and a tag/transponder, e.g. in Radio Frequency Identification [RFID] systems used in consumption-meter devices, e.g. electricity, gas or water meters
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08C—TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILAR SIGNALS
    • G08C17/00—Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
    • G08C17/02—Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link using a radio link
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q9/00—Electrically-short antennas having dimensions not more than twice the operating wavelength and consisting of conductive active radiating elements
    • H01Q9/04—Resonant antennas
    • H01Q9/0407—Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna
    • H01Q9/0421—Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna with a shorting wall or a shorting pin at one end of the element

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to consumption recording systems with remote reading and in particular to consumption recording systems in which planar antennas are used to emit a signal which corresponds to a measured consumption.
  • a vertical antenna for example, only works satisfactorily if it is attached to the outside of the meter housing, the housing serving as an HF counterweight. So the antenna is from accessible from outside and can be easily damaged.
  • the wall mounting of such devices is fundamentally a problem, since a vertical antenna is therefore always close to the HF-disturbing house wall, which can be made of reinforced concrete, for example, or also close to a metal radiator or gas meter.
  • the installation location also has the consequence that an omnidirectional characteristic of the transmitting / receiving antenna is not absolutely expedient, since electrical energy is uselessly radiated into the wall, which is fundamentally lossy.
  • the linear polarization of the electromagnetic field emitted by the antennas mentioned also has a disruptive effect, since reflections of the electromagnetic radiation lead to rotations in the plane of polarization of the radiation, which lead to a reduced reception power at the input of the receiver.
  • the object of the present invention is to create a reliable wireless consumption recording system.
  • the invention is based on the knowledge that by using a planar antenna in a consumption recording system it is possible to eliminate the disadvantages existing in the prior art.
  • the present invention enables the antenna to be placed in a consumption recording system in such a way that it is safe from destruction and manipulation.
  • Another advantage of the invention is that the metal housing of a consumption detection device does not have a negative influence on the radiation characteristics of the planar antenna, but rather has a positive influence in the sense of better HF radiation, lung characteristic is directed away from the wall. Due to the fact that the planar antenna used in the invention radiates elliptically polarized, reflections along the radio path lead to much smaller power losses at the receiver compared to linear radiators.
  • the antenna used reacts relatively insensitively to an exact installation position and to a bad connection of the RF dimensions of the transmitter with the metallic housing of the meter, which is why the position of the antennas does not have to be taken into particular account when designing a consumption detection device, or a subsequent one Installation of the antenna is easily possible.
  • FIG. 1 shows a consumption recording system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention using the example of a gas meter
  • FIG. 2 shows an “inverted F antenna” that can be used as a planar antenna in the consumption recording system according to the present invention.
  • FIG 3 shows a radio module with a planar antenna on a multilayer substrate for a consumption recording system according to the present invention.
  • FIG. 1 shows a consumption recording system 10 which is attached to a wall 12.
  • An embodiment of the present invention is described using a gas meter.
  • the consumption recording system according to the present invention can also be a water meter, a heat meter and the like.
  • a metallic gas meter housing 14 is formed on the side opposite the wall 12 by a housing cover 16 Plastic finished.
  • the housing cover 16 is usually provided with a seal in order to avoid unauthorized manipulation of the gas meter.
  • a planar antenna 18 is attached to the housing cover 16 by means of adhesive or other suitable holding devices.
  • the planar antenna 18 is fed by a radio module 22 via a coaxial line 20.
  • the radio module is connected to a gas meter device (not shown) in order to suitably process the detected gas meter reading and convert it into data signals that can be transmitted via the planar antenna 18.
  • the gas meter device is located in the gas meter housing 14. It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that any other consumption detection device can be connected to the radio module 22 so that it can supply the planar antenna 18 with suitable transmission data via the coaxial cable.
  • planar antenna 18 used in a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention, which is implemented as an “inverted F antenna”.
  • Such antennas are described in K. Hirasawa and M. Haiishi "Analysis, Design, and Measurement of small and low Profile Antennas", Artech House, Boston, London, 1992.
  • planar antennas can be understood as stripline resonators with radiation losses, the radiation losses of the resonator representing the radiated useful signal.
  • the “inverted F antenna” 18 is composed of the following components.
  • the dielectric antenna substrate 28 is located on a metallized base surface 26, e.g. FR4.
  • a metallized antenna surface 30 is formed on the antenna substrate, for example by known etching methods.
  • an entry point 32 can be selected in order to adapt the antenna 18 to the output impedance of a transmitter in the radio module 22.
  • the antenna 18 is tuned the length of a short-circuit strip 34 is tuned to resonance at the desired transmission frequency, such as 433 MHz.
  • FIG. 3 Another exemplary embodiment of the consumption detection system according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 3.
  • a metallized surface 38 which acts as an antenna surface, is attached to a multilayer substrate 40.
  • a first ground plane 42 forms the ground plane necessary for the planar antenna.
  • an intermediate substrate 46 which can be made of the same material as a circuit substrate 48, on which in turn a radio module 50 is present.
  • the radio module 50 can have SMD components for a high-frequency section and / or low-frequency circuit arrangements which are necessary for the signal processing of the consumption detection device.
  • an agent of the supply company activates, for example by sending an activation pulse, all the consumption recording devices present in a residential complex from a standby mode, whereupon they begin with a different code for each individual consumption recording device stood out.
  • a suitable receiver assigns the received signals to the respective rental party and prepares the corresponding consumption bills. It is therefore no longer necessary to enter every apartment or every single room of every apartment.
  • the planar antenna 18, which is used in the consumption recording system 10 according to the present invention, is a planar structure, which is why only a small installation height is required, but there must be sufficient area for this.
  • the same can thus be accommodated in an arbitrarily attached housing, such as in a gas meter or radiator mounted on a wall.
  • the main radiation direction points frontally from the gas meter, ie from the lossy one Wall, away, which ultimately leads to an increased range of the entire system.
  • the antenna is also not very sensitive to changes in the environment behind the antenna, ie to changes in the mechanical position in the gas meter.
  • the antenna can also be easily produced by a conventional etching process.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Arrangements For Transmission Of Measured Signals (AREA)
  • Measuring Volume Flow (AREA)
  • Selective Calling Equipment (AREA)

Abstract

A consumption measurement system (10) comprises a consumption measurement device (14), a transmission module (22) connected to the consumption measurement device (14), and a planar antenna (18) connected to the transmission module (22) to allow transmission of data acquired by the consumption measurement device (14).

Description

Verbrauchserfassungssystem zur Fernablesung Consumption recording system for remote reading
Beschreibungdescription
Die vorliegende Erfindung bezieht sich auf Verbrauchserfas¬ sungssysteme mit Fernablesung und insbesondere auf Ver¬ brauchserfassungssysteme, bei denen Planarantennen verwendet werden, um ein Signal abzustrahlen, das einem gemessenen Verbrauch entspricht.The present invention relates to consumption recording systems with remote reading and in particular to consumption recording systems in which planar antennas are used to emit a signal which corresponds to a measured consumption.
Bei Wohnanlagen oder Bürohäusern mit einer zentralen Ener¬ gie- und Wasserversorgung ist es notwendig, den individuel¬ len Verbrauch einzelner Mietparteien an Gas, Heizung und/oder Wasser getrennt für jede Mietpartei zu erfassen und abzurechnen. In Anbetracht der steigenden Kosten für Energie und Wasser sowie der stark unterschiedlichen Verbrauchswerte einzelner Mietparteien, wie z.B. Alleinstehende im Vergleich zu Familien mit Kindern, ist es nicht mehr tragbar, die Energie- und Wasserkosten aufgrund der gemieteten Wohn- bzw. Geschäftsfläche "überschlagsmäßig" abzurechnen.In residential complexes or office buildings with a central energy and water supply, it is necessary to record and bill the individual consumption of individual tenants for gas, heating and / or water separately for each tenant. In view of the rising costs for energy and water and the very different consumption values of individual rental parties, such as Single people compared to families with children, it is no longer sustainable to bill the energy and water costs due to the rented residential or business space "roughly".
Dies hat dazu geführt, für jede Miet- bzw. Eigentümerpartei einen getrennten Zähler für elektrische Energie vorzusehen, die dann alle üblicherweise in einem gemeinsamen Raum, bei¬ spielsweise im Keller des betreffenden Hauses, angebracht sind. Um die Verbrauchsdaten an elektrischem Strom abzule¬ sen, ist es notwendig, daß ein Angestellter der Stadtwerke die Zählerstände in regelmäßigen Abständen abliest, was mit begrenztem Aufwand verbunden ist, da alle Stromzähler des Hauses in einem gemeinsamen Raum angebracht sind.This has led to the provision of a separate meter for electrical energy for each tenant or owner party, which are then usually all installed in a common room, for example in the basement of the house in question. In order to read the consumption data of electrical current, it is necessary for an employee of the municipal utility company to read the meter readings at regular intervals, which is associated with limited expenditure, since all of the house's electricity meters are located in a common room.
Anders ist die Situation jedoch bei zentralen Gasversorgun¬ gen oder zentralen Heizungsanlagen für Wohnanlagen und Ge¬ schäftshäuser. Hierbei wird die gesamte Anlage meist durch eine zentrale Brennereinheit versorgt, weswegen es erforder¬ lich ist, beispielsweise an jedem Heizkörper einen Wärmezäh¬ ler anzubringen. Ähnlich geartet ist der Fall bei einer Gas- Versorgung. Hier ist bei dem Eintrittspunkt eines Gasnetzes in die jeweilige Wohnung ein Gaszähler vorgesehen. Zur Er¬ fassung des Verbrauchs und zur Rechnungsstellung ist es dem¬ nach erforderlich, daß ein Angestellter des Versorgungsun¬ ternehmens jede einzelne Wohnung betritt, um beispielsweise den Gasstand abzulesen, während es bei Wärmezählern an Heiz¬ geräten sogar erforderlich ist, daß der Angestellte des Ver¬ sorgungsunternehmens jeden einzelnen Heizkörper sowie jede Warmwasserleitung aufsuchen muß, um den entsprechenden Zäh¬ lerstand zu notieren, um pro Wohneinheit eine Gesamtrechnung zu erstellen. Aufgrund des großen Zeitaufwandes, jede ein¬ zelne Wohnung einer Wohnanlage oder sogar jedes einzelne Zimmer einer Wohnung zu betreten, ist das Ablesen sehr teuer und aufwendig. Die Kosten für das Ablesen können sogar in die Größenordnung der insgesamt angefallenen Heizkosten kom¬ men.The situation is different, however, in the case of central gas supplies or central heating systems for residential complexes and commercial buildings. The entire system is usually supplied by a central burner unit, which is why it is necessary to attach a heat meter to each radiator, for example. The case is similar with a gas Care. Here, a gas meter is provided at the entry point of a gas network into the respective apartment. For recording consumption and for billing, it is therefore necessary for an employee of the supply company to enter each individual apartment, for example to read the gas level, while it is even necessary for heat meters on heaters that the employee of the Utilities must visit each individual radiator and each hot water pipe in order to note the corresponding meter reading in order to draw up an overall bill for each living unit. Because of the great expenditure of time to enter every single apartment in a residential complex or even every single room in an apartment, reading is very expensive and time-consuming. The costs for reading can even come in the order of the total heating costs incurred.
Aufgrund der beschriebenen Situation existieren Anstrengun¬ gen, eine Ablesung der genannten Verbrauchserfassungsein¬ richtungen mittels drahtloser Telemetrie zu realisieren. Die bisher dafür verwendeten linearen Antennen, wie z.B. Dipol¬ antennen, Vertikalantennen oder Schleifenantennen, als Sen¬ de- bzw. Empfangsantennen weisen jedoch den Nachteil auf, daß es äußerst schwierig ist, mit den genannten Antennenfor¬ men die an drahtlose Verbrauchserfassungssysteme gerichteten Anforderungen zu erfüllen. Diese sind insbesondere ein aus¬ reichender Sende- bzw. Empfangswirkungsgrad und eine ausrei¬ chende Sicherheit gegen Zerstörung und Beeinflussung durch die Umgebung.On the basis of the situation described, efforts are being made to implement a reading of the consumption detection devices mentioned by means of wireless telemetry. The linear antennas previously used for this, e.g. Dipole antennas, vertical antennas or loop antennas, however, as transmitter or receiver antennas have the disadvantage that it is extremely difficult to meet the requirements for wireless consumption recording systems with the antenna forms mentioned. These are in particular a sufficient transmission or reception efficiency and adequate security against destruction and influence by the environment.
Die elektrischen Eigenschaften der genannten Antennenformen ändern sich sehr stark, sobald leitendes Material, wie z.B. das Gehäuse des Zählers, in die Nähe des strahlenden Bau¬ teils kommt. In Fachkreisen wird dieser Effekt auch als der "Proximity-Effekt" bezeichnet. So funktioniert beispielswei¬ se eine Vertikalantenne nur dann zufriedenstellend, wenn sie außen am Gehäuse des Zählers angebracht ist, wobei das Ge¬ häuse als HF-Gegengewicht dient. Damit ist die Antenne von außen zugänglich und kann sehr leicht beschädigt werden.The electrical properties of the antenna shapes mentioned change very rapidly as soon as conductive material, such as the housing of the meter, comes close to the radiating component. In professional circles, this effect is also referred to as the "proximity effect". A vertical antenna, for example, only works satisfactorily if it is attached to the outside of the meter housing, the housing serving as an HF counterweight. So the antenna is from accessible from outside and can be easily damaged.
Weiterhin stellt die Wandmontage derartiger Geräte grund¬ sätzlich ein Problem dar, da sich eine Vertikalantenne damit immer nahe an der HF-mäßig störenden Hauswand, die bei¬ spielsweise aus Stahlbeton bestehen kann, oder auch nahe an einem metallenen Heizkörper oder Gaszähler befindet. Das gleiche gilt für Dipolantennen, da diese nicht ausreichend weit von der Hauswand oder dem Heizkörper entfernt ange¬ bracht werden können. Der Montageort hat weiterhin zur Fol¬ ge, daß eine Rundstrahlcharakteristik der Sende/Empfangs¬ antenne nicht unbedingt sinnvoll ist, da elektrische Energie nutzlos in die Wand eingestrahlt wird, die grundsätzlich verlustbehaftet ist. Die lineare Polarisation des elektro¬ magnetischen Feldes, das die genannten Antennen ausstrahlen, wirkt ebenfalls störend, da es bei Reflexionen der elektro¬ magnetischen Strahlung zu Drehungen der Polarisationsebene der Strahlung kommt, die zu einer verminderten Empfangslei¬ stung am Eingang des Empfängers führen.Furthermore, the wall mounting of such devices is fundamentally a problem, since a vertical antenna is therefore always close to the HF-disturbing house wall, which can be made of reinforced concrete, for example, or also close to a metal radiator or gas meter. The same applies to dipole antennas, since they cannot be attached sufficiently far from the house wall or the radiator. The installation location also has the consequence that an omnidirectional characteristic of the transmitting / receiving antenna is not absolutely expedient, since electrical energy is uselessly radiated into the wall, which is fundamentally lossy. The linear polarization of the electromagnetic field emitted by the antennas mentioned also has a disruptive effect, since reflections of the electromagnetic radiation lead to rotations in the plane of polarization of the radiation, which lead to a reduced reception power at the input of the receiver.
Die Aufgabe der vorliegenden Erfindung besteht darin, ein zuverlässiges drahtloses Verbrauchserfassungssystem zu schaffen.The object of the present invention is to create a reliable wireless consumption recording system.
Diese Aufgabe wird durch ein Verbrauchserfassungssystem ge¬ mäß Anspruch 1 gelöst.This object is achieved by a consumption recording system according to claim 1.
Der Erfindung liegt die Erkenntnis zugrunde, daß es durch Verwenden einer Planarantenne in einem Verbrauchserfassungs- sys.tem möglich ist, die im Stand der Technik vorhandenen Nachteile zu beseitigen. Insbesondere ermöglicht es die vor¬ liegende Erfindung, die Antenne derart in einem Verbrauchs¬ erfassungssystem zu plazieren, daß dieselbe vor Zerstörung und Manipulierung sicher ist. Ein weiterer Vorteil der Er¬ findung besteht darin, daß das Metallgehäuse einer Ver¬ brauchserfassungseinrichtung die Abstrahlungscharakteristik der Planarantenne nicht negativ, sondern im Sinne besserer HF-Abstrahlung positiv beeinflußt, wobei ferner die Abstrah- lungscharakteristik von der Wand weg gerichtet ist. Aufgrund der Tatsache, daß die bei der Erfindung verwendete Planaran¬ tenne elliptisch polarisiert strahlt, führen Reflexionen entlang der Funkstrecke im Vergleich zu linearen Strahlern zu viel kleineren Leistungsverlusten am Empfänger. Schließlich reagiert die verwendete Antenne relativ unempfindlich auf eine genaue Einbauposition und auf eine schlechte Verbindung der HF-Maße des Senders mit dem metallischen Gehäuse des Zählers, weswegen beim Entwurf einer Verbrauchserfassungseinrichtung nicht speziell auf die Position der Antennen Rücksicht genommen werden muß, oder andererseits ein nachträglicher Einbau der Antenne ohne weiteres möglich ist.The invention is based on the knowledge that by using a planar antenna in a consumption recording system it is possible to eliminate the disadvantages existing in the prior art. In particular, the present invention enables the antenna to be placed in a consumption recording system in such a way that it is safe from destruction and manipulation. Another advantage of the invention is that the metal housing of a consumption detection device does not have a negative influence on the radiation characteristics of the planar antenna, but rather has a positive influence in the sense of better HF radiation, lung characteristic is directed away from the wall. Due to the fact that the planar antenna used in the invention radiates elliptically polarized, reflections along the radio path lead to much smaller power losses at the receiver compared to linear radiators. Finally, the antenna used reacts relatively insensitively to an exact installation position and to a bad connection of the RF dimensions of the transmitter with the metallic housing of the meter, which is why the position of the antennas does not have to be taken into particular account when designing a consumption detection device, or a subsequent one Installation of the antenna is easily possible.
Bevorzugte Ausführungsbeispiele der vorliegenden Erfindung werden nachfolgend bezugnehmend auf die beiliegenden Zeich¬ nungen detaillierter erläutert. Es zeigen:Preferred exemplary embodiments of the present invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Show it:
Fig. 1 ein Verbrauchserfassungssystem gemäß einem Ausfüh¬ rungsbeispiel der vorliegenden Erfindung am Beispiel eines Gaszählers;1 shows a consumption recording system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention using the example of a gas meter;
Fig. 2 eine "Inverted F-Antenne", die als Planarantenne bei dem Verbrauchserfassungssystem gemäß der vorliegen¬ den Erfindung verwendet werden kann; und2 shows an “inverted F antenna” that can be used as a planar antenna in the consumption recording system according to the present invention; and
Fig. 3 ein Funkmodul mit einer Planarantenne auf einem Mul- tilayer-Substrat für ein Verbrauchserfassungssystem gemäß der vorliegenden Erfindung.3 shows a radio module with a planar antenna on a multilayer substrate for a consumption recording system according to the present invention.
Fig. 1 zeigt ein Verbrauchserfassungssystem 10, das an einer Wand 12 befestigt ist. Ein Ausführungsbeispiel der vorlie¬ genden Erfindung wird anhand eines Gaszählers beschrieben. Es ist jedoch offensichtlich, daß das Verbrauchserfassungs¬ system gemäß der vorliegenden Erfindung ebenfalls ein Was¬ serzähler, ein Wärmezähler und dergleichen sein kann. Ein metallisches Gaszählergehäuse 14 ist auf der der Wand 12 gegenüberliegenden Seite durch einen Gehäusedeckel 16 aus Kunststoff abgeschlossen. Üblicherweise ist der Gehäuse¬ deckel 16 mit einer Plombierung versehen, um unerlaubte Manipulationen an dem Gaszähler zu vermeiden. An dem Ge¬ häusedeckel 16 ist eine Planarantenne 18 mittels Klebstoff oder anderer geeigneter Haltevorrichtungen befestigt. Die Planarantenne 18 wird über eine Koaxialleitung 20 von einem Funkmodul 22 gespeist. Das Funkmodul steht mit einer Gaszäh¬ lereinrichtung (nicht gezeigt) in Verbindung, um den erfa߬ ten Gaszählerstand geeignet zu verarbeiten und in über die Planarantenne 18 aussendbare Datensignale umzuwandeln. Die Gaszählereinrichtung befindet sich in dem Gaszählergehäuse 14. Für Fachleute ist es offensichtlich, daß jede andere Verbrauchserfassungseinrichtung mit dem Funkmodul 22 verbun¬ den werden kann, damit dasselbe die Planarantenne 18 über das Koaxialkabel mit geeigneten Sendedaten versorgen kann.1 shows a consumption recording system 10 which is attached to a wall 12. An embodiment of the present invention is described using a gas meter. However, it is obvious that the consumption recording system according to the present invention can also be a water meter, a heat meter and the like. A metallic gas meter housing 14 is formed on the side opposite the wall 12 by a housing cover 16 Plastic finished. The housing cover 16 is usually provided with a seal in order to avoid unauthorized manipulation of the gas meter. A planar antenna 18 is attached to the housing cover 16 by means of adhesive or other suitable holding devices. The planar antenna 18 is fed by a radio module 22 via a coaxial line 20. The radio module is connected to a gas meter device (not shown) in order to suitably process the detected gas meter reading and convert it into data signals that can be transmitted via the planar antenna 18. The gas meter device is located in the gas meter housing 14. It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that any other consumption detection device can be connected to the radio module 22 so that it can supply the planar antenna 18 with suitable transmission data via the coaxial cable.
Fig. 2 zeigt eine bei einem bevorzugten Ausführungsbeispiel der vorliegenden Erfindung verwendete Planarantenne 18, die als "Inverted F-Antenne" realisiert ist. Derartige Antennen sind in K. Hirasawa und M. Haiishi "Analysis, Design, and Measurement of small and low Profile Antennas", Artech House, Boston, London, 1992, beschrieben. Grundsätzlich kön¬ nen Planarantennen als Streifenleitungsresonatoren mit Strahlungsverlusten aufgefaßt werden, wobei die Strahlungs¬ verluste des Resonators das abgestrahlte Nutzsignal darstel¬ len.2 shows a planar antenna 18 used in a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention, which is implemented as an “inverted F antenna”. Such antennas are described in K. Hirasawa and M. Haiishi "Analysis, Design, and Measurement of small and low Profile Antennas", Artech House, Boston, London, 1992. Basically, planar antennas can be understood as stripline resonators with radiation losses, the radiation losses of the resonator representing the radiated useful signal.
Die "Inverted-F-Antenne" 18 setzt sich aus folgenden Kompo¬ nenten zusammen. Auf einer metallisierten Grundfläche 26 be¬ findet sich das dielektrische Antennensubstrat 28, wie z.B. FR4. Auf dem Antennensubstrat ist eine metallisierte Anten¬ nenfläche 30 beispielsweise durch bekannte Ätzverfahren ge¬ bildet.The “inverted F antenna” 18 is composed of the following components. The dielectric antenna substrate 28 is located on a metallized base surface 26, e.g. FR4. A metallized antenna surface 30 is formed on the antenna substrate, for example by known etching methods.
Abhängig von der auf der Antennenfläche 30 vorhandenen Feld¬ verteilung kann ein Einspeisepunkt 32 gewählt werden, um die Antenne 18 an die Ausgangsimpedanz eines Senders in dem Funkmodul 22 anzupassen. Die Antenne 18 wird durch Abstimmen der Länge eines Kurzschlußstreifens 34 auf Resonanz bei der gewünschten Sendefrequenz, wie z.B. 433 MHz, abgestimmt.Depending on the field distribution present on the antenna surface 30, an entry point 32 can be selected in order to adapt the antenna 18 to the output impedance of a transmitter in the radio module 22. The antenna 18 is tuned the length of a short-circuit strip 34 is tuned to resonance at the desired transmission frequency, such as 433 MHz.
Ein weiteres Ausführungsbeispiel des Verbrauchserfassungssy¬ stems gemäß der vorliegenden Erfindung ist in Fig. 3 ge¬ zeigt. Insbesondere ist dort eine metallisierte Fläche 38, die als Antennenfläche wirkt, auf einem Multilayer-Substrat 40 befestigt. Eine erste Massefläche 42 bildet die für die Planarantenne notwendige Masseebene. Zwischen der ersten Massefläche 42 und einer zweiten Massefläche 44 befindet sich ein Zwischensubstrat 46, das aus dem gleichen Material sein kann wie ein Schaltungssubstrat 48, auf dem wiederum ein Funkmodul 50 vorhanden ist. Das Funkmodul 50 kann SMD- Bauteile für einen Hochfrequenzabschnitt und/oder niederfre¬ quente Schaltungsanordnungen aufweisen, die für die Signal¬ verarbeitung der Verbrauchserfassungseinrichtung nötig sind.Another exemplary embodiment of the consumption detection system according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 3. In particular, a metallized surface 38, which acts as an antenna surface, is attached to a multilayer substrate 40. A first ground plane 42 forms the ground plane necessary for the planar antenna. Between the first ground surface 42 and a second ground surface 44 there is an intermediate substrate 46, which can be made of the same material as a circuit substrate 48, on which in turn a radio module 50 is present. The radio module 50 can have SMD components for a high-frequency section and / or low-frequency circuit arrangements which are necessary for the signal processing of the consumption detection device.
Zum Zeitpunkt einer Ablesung der Verbrauchserfassungsein¬ richtung aktiviert ein Beauftragter des Versorgungsunterneh¬ mens beispielsweise durch Senden eines Aktivierungsimpulses alle in einer Wohnanlage vorhandenen Verbrauchserfassungs¬ einrichtungen aus einem Bereitschaftsmodus heraus, worauf dieselben beginnen, mit einem für jede einzelne Verbrauchs¬ erfassungseinrichtung unterschiedlichen Code ihren Zähler¬ stand auszusenden. Ein geeigneter Empfänger ordnet dann die empfangenen Signale der jeweiligen Mietpartei zu und er¬ stellt die entsprechenden Verbrauchsabrechnungen. Es ist also nicht mehr notwendig, daß jede Wohnung oder jedes einzelne Zimmer jeder Wohnung betreten werden muß.At the time of reading the consumption recording device, an agent of the supply company activates, for example by sending an activation pulse, all the consumption recording devices present in a residential complex from a standby mode, whereupon they begin with a different code for each individual consumption recording device stood out. A suitable receiver then assigns the received signals to the respective rental party and prepares the corresponding consumption bills. It is therefore no longer necessary to enter every apartment or every single room of every apartment.
Die Planarantenne 18, die bei dem Verbrauchserfassungssystem 10 gemäß der vorliegenden Erfindung verwendet wird, ist eine planare Struktur, weswegen nur eine geringe Einbauhöhe, da¬ für aber eine ausreichende Fläche vorhanden sein muß. Die¬ selbe läßt sich damit in einem beliebig angebrachten Gehäu¬ se, wie z.B. in einem an einer Wand montierten Gaszähler oder Heizkörper, unterbringen. Die Hauptstrahlungsrichtung zeigt frontal vom Gaszähler, d.h. von der verlustbehafteten Wand, weg, was schließlich zu einer erhöhten Reichweite des gesamten Systems führt. Die Antenne reagiert ferner wenig empfindlich auf Änderungen der Umgebung hinter der Antenne, d.h. auf Änderungen der mechanischen Position im Gaszähler. Die Antenne ist ferner ohne weiteres durch einen konventio¬ nellen Ätzprozeß herstellbar. Ihr HF-Strahlungsfeld ist el¬ liptisch polarisiert, weswegen keine größeren Polarisations¬ verluste am Empfänger entstehen, wenn durch Reflexionen auf der Funkstrecke Phasendrehungen auftreten. Da die Antenne bereits eine inhärente Bezugsebene beinhaltet, ist die Qua¬ lität der Masseverbindung zum Gaszähler von geringer Bedeu¬ tung. Es ist jedoch auch möglich, bei geeigneter Verbindung der Antenne mit dem Metallgehäuse einer Verbrauchserfas¬ sungseinrichtung 14 das metallische Gehäuse als Masseebene für die Planarantenne 18 zu verwenden. The planar antenna 18, which is used in the consumption recording system 10 according to the present invention, is a planar structure, which is why only a small installation height is required, but there must be sufficient area for this. The same can thus be accommodated in an arbitrarily attached housing, such as in a gas meter or radiator mounted on a wall. The main radiation direction points frontally from the gas meter, ie from the lossy one Wall, away, which ultimately leads to an increased range of the entire system. The antenna is also not very sensitive to changes in the environment behind the antenna, ie to changes in the mechanical position in the gas meter. The antenna can also be easily produced by a conventional etching process. Your RF radiation field is elliptically polarized, which is why there are no major polarization losses at the receiver if phase shifts occur due to reflections on the radio link. Since the antenna already contains an inherent reference plane, the quality of the ground connection to the gas meter is of little importance. However, it is also possible, with a suitable connection of the antenna to the metal housing of a consumption detection device 14, to use the metal housing as a ground plane for the planar antenna 18.

Claims

Patentansprüche claims
1. Verbrauchserfassungssystem (10) mit:1. Consumption recording system (10) with:
einer Verbrauchserfassungseinrichtung (14) ;a consumption detection device (14);
einem Funkmodul (22) , das an die Verbrauchserfassungs¬ einrichtung (14) angeschlossen ist; unda radio module (22) which is connected to the consumption detection device (14); and
einer Planarantenne (18) , die an das Funkmodul (22) an¬ geschlossen ist.a planar antenna (18) which is connected to the radio module (22).
2. Verbrauchserfassungssystem (10) gemäß Anspruch 1,2. consumption recording system (10) according to claim 1,
bei dem die Planarantenne (18) innerhalb eines nicht¬ metallischen Gehäusedeckels (16) einer Verbrauchserfas¬ sungseinrichtung (14) plaziert ist.in which the planar antenna (18) is placed inside a non-metallic housing cover (16) of a consumption detection device (14).
3. Verbrauchserfassungssystem (10) gemäß Anspruch 1 oder 2,3. consumption recording system (10) according to claim 1 or 2,
bei dem die Verbrauchserfassungseinrichtung (14) an einer Wand (12) angebracht ist, und die Hauptabstrah- lungsrichtung der Planarantenne (18) senkrecht von der Wand weg ausgerichtet ist.in which the consumption detection device (14) is attached to a wall (12) and the main radiation direction of the planar antenna (18) is oriented perpendicularly away from the wall.
4. Verbrauchserfassungssystem (10) gemäß einem beliebigen der vorhergehenden Ansprüche,4. consumption recording system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims,
bei dem die Planarantenne (18) eine Inverted-F-Antenne ist.in which the planar antenna (18) is an inverted-F antenna.
5. Verbrauchserfassungssystem (10) gemäß einem beliebigen der vorhergehenden Anεprüche,5. consumption recording system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims,
bei dem eine Metallfläche der Verbrauchserfassungsein¬ richtung (14) die Massefläche (26) der Planarantenne ( 18 ) darstellt.in which a metal surface of the consumption detection device (14) is the ground surface (26) of the planar antenna (18).
6. Verbrauchserfassungssystem (10) gemäß einem beliebigen der Ansprüche 1 bis 4 ,6. consumption recording system (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
bei dem die Planarantenne (18) eine eigene Massefläche (24) aufweist.in which the planar antenna (18) has its own ground plane (24).
7. Verbrauchserfassungssystem (10) gemäß Anspruch 6,7. consumption recording system (10) according to claim 6,
bei dem das Funkmodul (22) und die Planarantenne (18) auf dem gleichen Substrat (40) realisiert sind.in which the radio module (22) and the planar antenna (18) are realized on the same substrate (40).
8. Verbrauchserfassungssystem (10) gemäß einem beliebigen der vorhergehenden Ansprüche,8. consumption recording system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims,
bei dem die Verbrauchserfassungseinrichtung (14) ein Gaszähler ist. in which the consumption detection device (14) is a gas meter.
EP96931813A 1995-09-20 1996-09-17 Consumption measurement system for remote reading Expired - Lifetime EP0836732B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (5)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE19534969 1995-09-20
DE19534969 1995-09-20
DE19624273 1996-06-18
DE19624273A DE19624273A1 (en) 1995-09-20 1996-06-18 Consumption recording system for remote reading
PCT/EP1996/004068 WO1997011445A1 (en) 1995-09-20 1996-09-17 Consumption measurement system for remote reading

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0836732A1 true EP0836732A1 (en) 1998-04-22
EP0836732B1 EP0836732B1 (en) 1999-01-13

Family

ID=26018776

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP96931813A Expired - Lifetime EP0836732B1 (en) 1995-09-20 1996-09-17 Consumption measurement system for remote reading

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US6115677A (en)
EP (1) EP0836732B1 (en)
CA (1) CA2229638C (en)
ES (1) ES2126407T3 (en)
WO (1) WO1997011445A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (23)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2002049195A2 (en) * 2000-11-06 2002-06-20 Bcn Data Systems Auxiliary metering apparatus and methods
US6819292B2 (en) * 2001-03-09 2004-11-16 Arad Measuring Technologies Ltd Meter register
US7385524B1 (en) 2001-09-21 2008-06-10 James Robert Orlosky Automated meter reading, billing and payment processing system
US7267014B2 (en) * 2004-09-23 2007-09-11 Arad Measuring Technologies Ltd. Meter register having an encoder
DE102005062732A1 (en) * 2005-12-22 2007-07-05 Deutsche Telekom Ag Manhole cover with aerial for radio networks
US9093744B2 (en) * 2006-11-03 2015-07-28 Itron, Inc. Forward throw antenna utility meter with antenna mounting bracket
US8188884B2 (en) * 2006-11-03 2012-05-29 Smartsynch, Inc. Forward throw antenna utility meter
US9202362B2 (en) 2008-10-27 2015-12-01 Mueller International, Llc Infrastructure monitoring system and method
DE102009000692A1 (en) 2009-02-06 2010-08-12 Wika Alexander Wiegand Gmbh & Co. Kg gauge
JP2012527706A (en) 2009-05-22 2012-11-08 ミューラー インターナショナル インコーポレイテッド Infrastructure monitoring apparatus, system, and method
JP5654124B2 (en) 2010-06-16 2015-01-14 ミューラー インターナショナル エルエルシーＭｕｅｌｌｅｒ Ｉｎｔｅｒｎａｔｉｏｎａｌ，Ｌｌｃ Infrastructure monitoring apparatus, system, and method
US8833390B2 (en) 2011-05-31 2014-09-16 Mueller International, Llc Valve meter assembly and method
US8855569B2 (en) 2011-10-27 2014-10-07 Mueller International, Llc Systems and methods for dynamic squelching in radio frequency devices
EP2833476B1 (en) * 2012-03-29 2019-09-11 Panasonic Corporation Flow volume measuring apparatus
DE102013012041B4 (en) * 2013-07-18 2015-03-26 Diehl Metering Systems Gmbh Data transmitter of a measurement data acquisition device
DE102013113258A1 (en) * 2013-11-29 2015-06-03 Endress + Hauser Conducta Gesellschaft für Mess- und Regeltechnik mbH + Co. KG Sensor and measuring arrangement
EP3137852B1 (en) 2014-04-29 2019-01-30 Kamstrup A/S Consumption meter with antenna
US9494249B2 (en) 2014-05-09 2016-11-15 Mueller International, Llc Mechanical stop for actuator and orifice
US9565620B2 (en) 2014-09-02 2017-02-07 Mueller International, Llc Dynamic routing in a mesh network
JP2018092457A (en) * 2016-12-06 2018-06-14 大日本印刷株式会社 Airtight structure
US10826181B2 (en) * 2017-07-11 2020-11-03 Sensus Spectrum, Llc Hybrid patch antennas, antenna element boards and related devices
US10727564B2 (en) * 2018-04-12 2020-07-28 Landis+Gyr Innovations, Inc. Changeable external meter antenna for meter assemblies
DE102020122036B4 (en) * 2020-08-24 2022-06-23 GEO Gesellschaft für Energieversorgung Ostalb mbH Measuring device arrangement with a quantity sensor, method for mechanically securing network communication and/or a network access point of a measuring device arrangement and use of an access protection device for a measuring device arrangement

Family Cites Families (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH01310572A (en) * 1988-06-08 1989-12-14 Nec Corp Microwave integrated circuit
JPH02131001A (en) * 1988-11-10 1990-05-18 Nec Corp Portable radio equipment
IL91439A (en) * 1989-08-25 1994-10-07 Arad Ltd System for measuring and recording a utility consumption
JP2846482B2 (en) * 1991-01-28 1999-01-13 三菱電機株式会社 Filter / antenna device
US5181025A (en) * 1991-05-24 1993-01-19 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Air Force Conformal telemetry system
GB9118030D0 (en) * 1991-08-21 1991-10-09 Disys Inc Data gathering system
US5298894A (en) * 1992-06-17 1994-03-29 Badger Meter, Inc. Utility meter transponder/antenna assembly for underground installations
DE9405793U1 (en) * 1993-04-08 1994-09-15 Kundo Systemtechnik Gmbh Consumption distributors, in particular heating cost or hot water cost allocators
JP3257135B2 (en) * 1993-04-12 2002-02-18 ソニー株式会社 Portable radio
GB9410557D0 (en) * 1994-05-26 1994-07-13 Schlumberger Ind Ltd Radio antennae
GB2305505B (en) * 1995-09-25 2000-02-23 Nokia Mobile Phones Ltd Antenna assembly for a radio transceiver
US5856791A (en) * 1996-06-04 1999-01-05 M&Fc Holding Company, Inc. Port expander for utility meter reading

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO9711445A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
US6115677A (en) 2000-09-05
ES2126407T3 (en) 1999-03-16
EP0836732B1 (en) 1999-01-13
CA2229638C (en) 2000-10-10
CA2229638A1 (en) 1997-03-27
WO1997011445A1 (en) 1997-03-27

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
EP0836732A1 (en) Consumption measurement system for remote reading
DE60021454T2 (en) Encapsulated antenna in passive transponder
DE19840242A1 (en) Double polarized antenna system for base station of wireless telecommunication system
DE19602657A1 (en) Mobile telephone aerial for securing to vehicle glass surface
DE19533105A1 (en) High sensitivity non-directional loop antenna arrangement e.g for high frequency
DE10241626A1 (en) Wireless transmitter and doorbell system
DE102007008575B4 (en) Antenna device with ion-implanted resonance structure
DE19624273A1 (en) Consumption recording system for remote reading
GB2290416A (en) Antenna
DE102007008469A1 (en) Measurement/report values transmitting device for use in e.g. electricity meter, has secondary antenna that is not connected with primary antenna, fixed outside housing, and coupled to primary antenna by near field coupling
EP0982867B1 (en) Flush-mounting module with rotatable antenna
DE2829302A1 (en) Alarm signal transmission over central heating pipes - has transformers for signal transmission using piping as primary and secondary coils in coupled system
DE19954579C1 (en) Device for recording the energy consumption of a heating system
DE202009018716U1 (en) Antenna system for a lock cylinder
DE4023457C2 (en)
EP0949708B1 (en) Module
DE102007053269A1 (en) System for wireless energy transmission, has one or multiple fields generating at wall and door sides, where fields resonant among each other and are superimposed
DE19715215C1 (en) Contactless transponder system
EP2907945B1 (en) Communication devices
DE202018102865U1 (en) Electrotechnical device
DE102016221447A1 (en) Household cooking appliance
KR100753803B1 (en) Low-profile unidirectional planar antenna for uhf band constructed with substrate of high permittivity
DE102016011652A1 (en) Arrangement for the radio transmission of consumption data and / or status data
DE102013012041B4 (en) Data transmitter of a measurement data acquisition device
DE202014005545U1 (en) Electronic locking device

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

17P Request for examination filed

Effective date: 19971209

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): DE ES FR GB IT NL

GRAG Despatch of communication of intention to grant

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOS AGRA

GRAH Despatch of communication of intention to grant a patent

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOS IGRA

17Q First examination report despatched

Effective date: 19980603

GRAH Despatch of communication of intention to grant a patent

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOS IGRA

GRAA (expected) grant

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009210

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: B1

Designated state(s): DE ES FR GB IT NL

ET Fr: translation filed
GBT Gb: translation of ep patent filed (gb section 77(6)(a)/1977)

Effective date: 19990203

REF Corresponds to:

Ref document number: 59601157

Country of ref document: DE

Date of ref document: 19990225

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: ES

Ref legal event code: FG2A

Ref document number: 2126407

Country of ref document: ES

Kind code of ref document: T3

PLBE No opposition filed within time limit

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009261

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: NO OPPOSITION FILED WITHIN TIME LIMIT

26N No opposition filed
REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: GB

Ref legal event code: IF02

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: FR

Ref legal event code: PLFP

Year of fee payment: 20

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: ES

Payment date: 20150923

Year of fee payment: 20

Ref country code: GB

Payment date: 20150922

Year of fee payment: 20

Ref country code: DE

Payment date: 20150923

Year of fee payment: 20

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: FR

Payment date: 20150923

Year of fee payment: 20

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: IT

Payment date: 20150925

Year of fee payment: 20

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: NL

Payment date: 20150923

Year of fee payment: 20

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: DE

Ref legal event code: R071

Ref document number: 59601157

Country of ref document: DE

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: NL

Ref legal event code: MK

Effective date: 20160916

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: GB

Ref legal event code: PE20

Expiry date: 20160916

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: GB

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF EXPIRATION OF PROTECTION

Effective date: 20160916

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: ES

Ref legal event code: FD2A

Effective date: 20161227

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: ES

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF EXPIRATION OF PROTECTION

Effective date: 20160918