JP2002223481A - Data collection system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a data collection system that can collect measurement data wirelessly outputted from slave sets each having a wireless communication function installed in a space of a building partitioned by construction materials reflecting/attenuating a radio wave without hindrance while bridging over the partitioned spaces. SOLUTION: Wireless watt-hour meters 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 are provided in distribution boards 5-1, 5-2, 5-3 on floors 1-1, 1-2, 1-3 of a building 1. Furthermore, wireless communication master units 7-1, 7-2, 7-3 are provided to the floors 1-1, 1-2, 1-3 and connected to a LAN cable 2 installed in the building 1 via hubs 3-1, 3-2, 3-3. A computer 4 provided in an administration room of the building is connected to the LAN cable 2 via a hub 3-0.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a data collection system for collecting measurement data such as electric energy in a building such as a building.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the spread of personal computers and the like, LANs (local area networks) have been constructed in intelligent buildings and the like. Each floor of the building is provided with a concentrator called a hub (HUB),
By connecting a personal computer to this hub, mutual communication can be performed between the personal computers on each floor via a LAN cable laid in the building.

On the other hand, a power distribution board is provided on each floor of the building, and power is supplied to facilities and equipment on each floor via the power distribution board. Recently, in order to take energy saving measures,
Power measurement for each floor and applications for each floor (air conditioning, lighting, etc.)
There is a request to perform power measurement and the like. For example,
A power meter using a current transformer is provided on the primary side (power supply side) of the distribution board to measure the total power consumption of the floor, or a power meter using the current transformer is connected to the secondary side of the distribution board. It is provided on the side (branch side) to measure the amount of electric power used for each use on that floor. The power consumption is checked by a method such that a building manager goes to the site and writes it in a meter reading table. The building manager inputs the power consumption collected in this way to a computer provided in the building management room, tabulates it with spreadsheet software, and displays a trend graph on the screen, etc. Analyze the usage status of the electric energy.

[0004]

However, according to such a method of collecting power consumption, a building manager must go to the site, which requires an excessive amount of labor. Recently, some power meters have a wireless communication function,
If a wattmeter (slave unit) equipped with this wireless communication function is used, the measured power amount at each floor, which is wirelessly transmitted from this wattmeter, is received by a single master unit and provided in the management room of the building. It seems possible to send it to a personal computer.

However, a building uses metal such as a reinforcing bar or a steel frame as a building material, and the metal acts as a reflection surface of a radio wave, and the radio wave is reflected on a floor surface or a ceiling surface. In addition, radio waves are attenuated by concrete on the floor or ceiling. For this reason, radio waves often do not reach the parent device on the upper floor or lower floor, and even if the radio waves reach the parent device through stairs connecting the upper and lower floors, the transmission path is long and the signal level becomes minute In many cases, necessary transmission quality cannot be ensured.

[0006] For this reason, conventionally, a wattmeter having a wireless communication function cannot be used, and it has been practiced to go to the site and check the power consumption one by one. A heavy burden was placed on the administrator. Although it is conceivable to connect the wattmeter and the computer in the management room of the building with a communication line, it is enormous cost to lay a new communication line in the building. In the above description, the measurement data to be collected is described as the electric energy. However, a similar problem occurs when it is desired to wirelessly transmit temperature data, humidity data, and the like of each floor to a computer in a management room of a building. In the above description, an office building has been described. However, a similar problem occurs between clean rooms having a function of preventing radio waves from entering.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a wireless communication function in a space in a building partitioned by a building material that reflects or attenuates radio waves. It is an object of the present invention to provide a data collection system in which slave units provided with the above are arranged, and measurement data wirelessly output from the slave units arranged in these spaces can be collected without trouble over each space.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve such an object, the present invention relates to a first to a first partition in a building partitioned by building materials.
Each of the first to Nth slave units that wirelessly outputs measurement data to the Nth space is provided, and the first to Nth spaces are provided in the first to Nth spaces.
First to Nth master units for receiving measurement data transmitted wirelessly from the Nth slave unit are provided, and measurement data received by these first to Nth master units is laid in a building. The data is sent to a data collection device via a communication cable. According to the present invention, for example, when a building is a multi-story building and the first to Nth spaces are spaces on each floor of the building, measurement data is wirelessly transmitted from the slave unit to the master unit for each floor. The measurement data is sent to the data collection device via a communication cable (for example, a LAN cable) laid in the building.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a main part of a data collection system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a building, which is constructed using metal such as a reinforcing bar or a steel frame or concrete as a building material. This figure shows three floor office spaces from the m floor to the (m + 2) floor due to space limitations.

In this building 1, a LAN (Ethernet (registered trademark)) is built, and a hub is provided on each floor of the building. That is, the LAN cable 2 is laid in the building 1, the hub 3-1 is located on the m-th floor 1-1,
A hub 3-2 is provided on the floor 1-2 on the (m + 1) th floor, and a hub 3-3 is provided on the floor 1-3 on the (m + 2) th floor.
The personal computers in each of the floors 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3 are connected to the LAN cable 2 via 2, 3-3.

In this embodiment, a building management room is provided on the floor 1-1, and the computer 4 in the building management room is connected to the LAN cable 2 via the hub 3-0. The LAN constructed in the building 1 is also connected to the Internet 100. LA in Building 1
Actually, a firewall, a router, and the like are provided between N and the Internet 100, but these configurations are omitted in FIG.

On the other hand, distribution boards 5-1, 5-2 and 5-3 are provided on the floors 1-1, 1-2 and 1-3, and the distribution boards 5-1 and 5-2 are provided. Floor 1 of each floor via 5-3
Power is supplied to facilities and devices in -1, 1-2 and 1-3. The distribution board 5-3 has a front door 5-
As shown by opening 3A, a no-fuse breaker 5-31 (hereinafter, this breaker is referred to as a main breaker) is provided on the case body 5-3B side.
No-fuse breakers 5-32 and 5-33 (hereinafter, this breaker is referred to as a branch breaker) are provided on branch lines L1 and L2 on the secondary side of 31. Distribution board 5-1 and 5-
2 is also provided with a main breaker and a branch breaker.

In this embodiment, the branch line L1 is a pair of power supply lines to the air conditioner on the floor 1-3, and the branch line L2 is a pair of power supply lines to other facilities and equipment on the floor 1-3. It is assumed to be a power supply line. That is, a group of air conditioning equipment on the floor 1-3 is connected as a load to the branch line L1 provided with the branch breaker 5-32, and other components on the floor 1-3 are connected to the branch line L2 provided with the branch breaker 5-33. It is assumed that the equipment group of the facility is connected.

The distribution board 5-3 is provided with a wireless watt-hour meter (child unit) 6-3. This wireless power meter 6
Reference numeral -3 has a wireless power meter main body WP, a current transformer CT, and an antenna AT. In this embodiment, the current transformer CT is detachably attached to one of the power supply lines to the load side of the branch breaker 5-32, and detects the current flowing through this power supply line in a non-contact manner. The current transformer CT is connected to a current transformer connection terminal of the wireless power meter main body WP.

The antenna AT is installed outside the distribution board 5-3, and is connected to the wireless power meter main body WP in the distribution board 5-3B via a coaxial cable. Further, the voltage between the power supply lines to the load side of the branch breaker 5-32 is drawn into the wireless power meter main body WP as the power supply voltage and the measurement voltage. The distribution boards 5-1 and 5-2 are also provided with wireless power meters 6-1 and 6-2, respectively.

On the floors 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3, the wireless power meters 6-1, 6-2, and 6-3 correspond to the wireless power meters 6-1, 6-2, and 6-3. Wireless communication master units (master units) 7-1, 7-2, and 7-3 that receive measurement data from the wireless communication unit 3 are provided. Wireless communication master units 7-1, 7-2, 7-3
Is hung on a wall in the floor 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, and operates by obtaining a commercial power supply of AC100V by inserting a power plug into a nearby outlet.

When the antenna AT is installed inside the distribution board 5-3, if the front door 5-3A or the case body 5-3B is made of metal, the radio signal is shielded and the radio communication base unit 7- 3 cannot communicate with it. For this reason, in the present embodiment, the antenna AT is connected to the distribution board 5 (5-1, 5-
2, 5-3).

The wireless communication master units 7-1, 7-2, 7-
3 is connected to the LAN cable 2 via hubs 3-1, 3-2, 3-3 provided in the floors 1-1, 1-2, 1-3. Wireless communication master units 7-1, 7-2, 7-3
The hubs 3-1, 3-2, and 3-3 can be easily connected by a one-touch connector.

FIG. 2 shows a wireless power meter 6 (6-1, 6-2, 6-2).
The main part of 6-3) is shown. The wireless power meter main body WP is CP
U6A, current measurement circuit 6B, voltage measurement circuit 6C, power supply circuit 6D, backup battery 6E, VF conversion circuit 6F,
Switching circuit 6G, adjustment circuit 6H, pulse display circuit 6I, voltage drop detection circuit 6J, operation display circuit 6K, transmission / reception circuit 6
L, an address setting circuit 6M and an adjusting pulse output circuit 6N.

FIG. 3 shows a wireless communication master unit 7 (7-1, 7-2,
The main part of 7-3) is shown. The wireless communication base unit 7 includes a CPU 7
A, ROM 7B, RAM 7C, communication control circuit 7D, power supply circuit 7E, switching circuit 7F, backup battery 7G, voltage drop detection circuit 7H, operation display circuit 7I, transmission / reception circuit 7J
And an antenna ANT.

[Output of Measurement Data from Wireless Watt-hour Meter]
In the distribution board 6-3, the wireless watt-hour meter 6-3 operates using a voltage between power supply lines to the load side of the branch breaker 5-32 as a power supply voltage. That is, the branch breaker 5-
Voltage between power supply lines to 32 load side (AC voltage)
Is supplied to the power supply circuit 6D of the wireless power meter main body WP, and is converted into a DC voltage by the power supply circuit 6D, and then supplied to each unit in the wireless power meter main body WP via the switching circuit 6G.

The switching mode of the switching circuit 6G is controlled by the CPU 6A, and normally outputs a DC voltage from the power supply circuit 6D. Switching circuit 6G from power supply circuit 6D
The DC voltage to the switching circuit 6G is monitored by a voltage drop detection circuit 6J. When the DC voltage falls below a predetermined threshold voltage, the mode of the switching circuit 6G is switched by a command from the CPU 6A, and the backup battery 6E
Is supplied to each unit in the wireless power meter main body WP.

The voltage between the power supply lines to the load side of the branch breaker 5-32 is also supplied to the voltage measuring circuit 6C. The voltage measurement circuit 6C uses this voltage as a measurement voltage for power measurement and sends it to the VF conversion circuit 6F. in this case,
Since the power supply voltage to the wireless power meter main body WP is measured inside the wireless power meter main body WP as a voltage for power measurement, no separate wiring is required for voltage measurement.

On the other hand, the current transformer CT detects the current flowing in the power supply line to the load side of the branch breaker 5-32 in a non-contact manner, and sends it to the current measuring circuit 6B of the wireless power meter main body WP. The current measurement circuit 6B generates a voltage according to the detection current from the current transformer CT and sends the voltage to the VF conversion circuit 6F.

The VF conversion circuit 6F includes a voltage measurement circuit 6C
From the current measurement circuit 6B, and generates a frequency signal corresponding to the power value supplied to the load side of the branch breaker 5-32, that is, in the floor 1-3, A frequency signal corresponding to the power value supplied to the air conditioner is generated and provided to the CPU 6A. C
The PU 6A integrates the frequency signal given from the VF conversion circuit 6F into electric energy data (measurement data), and in accordance with a request from the wireless communication master device 7-3,
The signal is output wirelessly from the antenna AT via the transmission / reception circuit 6L.

In the wireless power meter main body WP, the pulse display circuit 6I displays whether or not the frequency signal is normally generated in the VF conversion circuit 6F by blinking an LED or the like. The adjustment circuit 6H is provided for the VF conversion circuit 6F for fine adjustment of the measured power amount that fluctuates due to an error in the current transformer CT or the like.
The operation display circuit 6K is provided for confirming the operation of the CPU 6A. The address of the wireless communication master device 7-3 and its own address are set in the address setting circuit 6M. Also in the floor 1-1 and 1-2, the floor 1-3
In the same manner as described above, the electric energy data (measurement data) is wirelessly output from the wireless power meters 6-1 and 6-2 from the antenna AT.

[Request for Transmission of Measurement Data from Wireless Communication Base Unit] The wireless communication base unit 7-3 receives a commercial power supply from a plug inserted into an outlet, and operates using the commercial power supply as a power supply voltage. That is, AC 100 V commercial power is supplied to the power supply circuit 7E of the wireless communication master device 7-3, and after being converted into a DC voltage by the power supply circuit 7E, the switching power supply circuit 7F switches the internal power supply of the wireless communication master device 7-3. It is supplied to each part.

The switching mode of the switching circuit 7F is controlled by the CPU 7A, and normally outputs a DC voltage from the power supply circuit 7E. Switching circuit 7F from power supply circuit 7E
Is monitored by a voltage drop detection circuit 7H. When the DC voltage becomes lower than a predetermined threshold voltage, the mode of the switching circuit 7F is switched by a command from the CPU 7A, and the backup battery 7G
Is supplied to each unit in the wireless communication master device 7-3.

The CPU 7A operates according to the program stored in the ROM 7B while accessing the RAM 7C. In this embodiment, the CPU 7A sends a request for transmission of power amount data (measurement data) to the wireless watt-hour meter 6-3 at predetermined time intervals. This transmission request is transmitted to the transmission / reception circuit 7.
J is wirelessly output from the antenna ANT via J, and transmitted and received by the transmission / reception circuit 6L of the wireless power meter main body WP inside the distribution board 5-3 through the antenna AT provided outside the distribution board 5-3.
Received at. The CPU 6A of the wireless power meter 6-3 receives the power amount data transmission request and wirelessly returns the power amount data to the wireless communication master device 7-3. Wireless communication master unit 7-
3 receives the electric energy data returned from the wireless electric energy meter 6-3 and stores it in the RAM 7C.

In floors 1-1 and 1-2, similarly to floor 1-3, transmission requests for electric energy data from radio communication masters 7-1 and 7-2 are transmitted to distribution boards 5-1 and 5 respectively. -2 is wirelessly transmitted to the wireless power meters 6-1 and 6-2. The CPU 6A of the wireless power meters 6-1 and 6-2 receives the power amount data transmission request, and transmits the power amount data to the wireless communication master unit 7-.
1, 7-2 by radio. Wireless communication base units 7-1 and 7
-2 receives the electric energy data returned from the wireless electric energy meters 6-1 and 6-2 and stores it in the RAM 7C.

The wireless communication master unit 7 (7-1, 7-2,
In 7-3), the operation display circuit 7I is provided for confirming the operation of the CPU 7A. In addition, the CPU 7A
Power value and power amount data are converted to HTM file as RAM7.
Store in C. The wireless communication master device 7 has a Web server function in addition to a communication function required for Ethernet.

[Collection of Measurement Data from a Computer Provided in a Building Management Room] A computer 4 provided in a building management room is connected to a LAN cable 2. The building manager can obtain power amount data on a desired floor in the building 1 by activating a browser mounted on the computer 4.

For example, when it is desired to obtain the electric energy data on the floor 1-3, the wireless communication master unit 7 is displayed on the screen of the browser.
Specify -3. As a result, a request to acquire power amount data is sent to the communication control circuit 7D of the wireless communication master device 7-3 via the LAN cable 2, and the contents of the HTM file stored in the RAM 7C are displayed on the screen of the browser. Is displayed. For example, the integrated value of the electric energy of the air conditioner on the floor 1-3 on a time, day, or month basis is displayed as a trend graph or numerically displayed.

In this case, the integrated value of the electric energy is obtained by the wireless communication master unit 7-3 receiving from the wireless watt-hour meter 6-3, and the computer 4 substantially operates the wireless communication master unit 7-
3 has collected the power amount data (measurement data) received from the wireless watt-hour meter 6-3 via the communication cable 2.

Similarly, by designating the wireless communication master devices 7-1 and 7-2 on the browser screen of the computer 4, the floor 1-1 and the floor 1-1 are connected via the LAN cable 2.
-2 in the wireless communication master units 7-1 and 7-
2 can be obtained. FIG. 4 shows an example of numerical display of power data on a browser screen.

As a result, the building manager does not have to go to the site and check the power consumption one by one, and the burden on the building manager is greatly reduced.
Moreover, in the present embodiment, the LAN constructed in the building 1 is used, that is, the LAN cable 2 already laid for communication between the personal computers on each floor in the building 1 is used, so that a new construction is used. There is no need to lay communication lines, and the system can be introduced at low cost.

Radio communication base units 7-1, 7-2, and 7-3 are provided on floors 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3.
Wireless power meter 6-1, 6-2 in 1,5-2,5-3
The power amount data from 6-3 is transmitted to the wireless communication base units 7-1 and 7-.
The system 1 is constructed such that the building 1 is constructed using metal or concrete such as a reinforcing steel bar or a steel frame as a building material by using a method in which each is received by the individual 2, 7-3 and sent to the computer 4 in the management room of the building via the LAN cable 2. Despite this, the electric energy data on the floors 1-1, 1-2 and 1-3 can be collected by the computer 4 in the management room of the building without any problem.

That is, the building 1 is constructed of a metal such as a reinforcing steel bar or a steel frame using building materials, and the floors 1-1 and 1--1.
2, 1-3 floors and ceilings are partitioned by these metals and concrete. Reinforcing bars 8 and the like are contained in the concrete, and a deck plate 9 and the like made of a metal material are also provided. When attempting to wirelessly transmit power amount data from the wireless watt-hour meters 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 directly to the computer 4 in the control room, rebar bars on the floors and ceilings of the floors 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3 are required. 8 and the deck plate 9 act as a reflection surface, and the reflection of radio waves occurs on a floor surface, a ceiling surface, or the like.
In addition, radio waves are attenuated by concrete on the floor or ceiling. Therefore, the wireless power meters 6-1 and 6-
The electric waves from the computers 2 and 6-3 do not reach the computer 4 in the control room, and the electric energy data on the floors 1-1, 1-2 and 1-3 cannot be transmitted.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the power amount data wirelessly output from the wireless watt-hour meters 6-1, 6-2, and 6-3 are used as the wireless communication master units 7-1 and 7- on each floor. 2,7-
3 and sent to the computer 4 in the control room via the LAN cable 2, the floor 1-1, 1-2, 1
-3 can be collected.

In this embodiment, the distribution board 5-3
In the above, only the amount of power supplied to the load side of the branch breaker 5-32, that is, the amount of power supplied to the air conditioner on the floor 1-3, was measured. May be measured, that is, the amount of power supplied to a device group of another facility on the floor 1-3.

The power amount on the primary side (power supply side) of the main breaker 5-31, that is, the total power consumption of the floor 1-3 may be measured, and the branch line of the distribution board 5-3 may be measured. The number may be further increased, and the electric energy for each type of equipment such as air conditioning equipment and lighting equipment may be measured. In this case, the wireless power meter 6-3 is a multi-point input type, and the current transformer C
T may be added. Also, the number of wireless power meters 6-3 may be increased. With respect to the distribution boards 5-1 and 5-2, the measurement points of the electric energy can be similarly increased.

In this embodiment, the measured data to be collected is the electric energy at each floor. However, the same applies to the case where it is desired to wirelessly transmit the temperature data and humidity data of each floor to the computer 4 in the management room of the building. It is possible to apply. Also described as an example of application to a building (a multi-story building), a space that is horizontally partitioned by building materials that reflect or attenuate radio waves, such as a function to prevent the penetration of radio waves It is also possible to apply the same method between clean rooms.

In FIG. 1, the wireless communication master unit 7-
1, 7-2, 7-3 are wireless power meters 6-1, 6-2, 6-
It is necessary to set the transmission distance within a transmission distance range of the wireless communication with No. 3, but this transmission distance can be extended by installing a repeater. As the wireless communication between the wireless communication base unit 7 and the wireless watt-hour meter 6, a 2.4 GHz band advanced low power data communication system that can be used without a license is conceivable.

[0045]

As apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, for example, the building is a multi-story building,
When the Nth space is a space of each floor of this building, measurement data is wirelessly transmitted from the slave unit to the master unit for each floor, and the measurement data is transmitted to a communication cable (for example, LAN) laid in the building. Via a cable) to the data collection device. In this way, slave units with wireless communication functions are placed in the space of each floor in a building that is partitioned by building materials that reflect and attenuate radio waves, and measurement data wirelessly output from these slave units is stored in each floor. It is possible to collect without any trouble over the space.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a main part of a data collection system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a main part of a wireless watt-hour meter (child unit) in the data collection system.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a main part of a wireless communication master device (master device) in the data collection system.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of numerical display of power data on a screen of a browser.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... building, 1-1, 1-2, 1-3 ... floor, 2 ... LA
N cable, 3 (3-1, 3-2, 3-3) ... hub, 4
... computer, 5 (5-1, 5-2, 5-3) ... distribution board, 6 (6-1, 6-2, 6-3) ... wireless watt-hour meter (child unit), WP ... wireless watt-hour meter Main unit, CT: current transformer, AT: antenna, 6A: CPU, 6B: current measurement circuit, 6C: voltage measurement circuit, 6F: VF conversion circuit, 6L
... Transceiver circuit, 7 (7-1, 7-2, 7-3) ... wireless communication base unit (base unit), 7A ... CPU, 7B ... ROM, 7C ...
RAM, 7D: communication control circuit, 7J: transmission / reception circuit, AN
T: antenna, 8: rebar, 9: deck plate.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04B 7/24 H04B 7/24 D H04L 12/28 303 H04L 12/28 303 F term (Reference) 2F073 AA09 AA19 AB01 BB01 BB04 BC01 BC02 CC03 CC12 DD07 DE13 EE11 EF09 FF01 FG01 FG02 GG01 GG04 GG09 5K033 AA09 BA08 DA01 DA06 DA17 DB20 EA07 5K048 AA01 BA32 BA35 CA08 DA02 DB01 DC01 EA11 EB10 EB05 HA01 AE05 HA02

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A first to N-th building in a building partitioned by building materials
First to N-th slave units provided in each of the (N ≧ 2) spaces and wirelessly outputting measurement data; and the first to N-th units provided in each of the first to N-th spaces.
A first to an N-th master unit for receiving measurement data wirelessly transmitted from the slave units, and a communication cable laid in the building using the measurement data received by the first to N-th master units. A data collection system, comprising: a data collection device that collects the data via a computer. 2. The data collection system according to claim 1, wherein the building is a multi-story building, and the first to N-th spaces are spaces on each floor of the building. Data collection system.