JP2006352407A - Terminal network controller - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a terminal network controller capable of reducing battery consumption, by improving the communication success rate of an automatic metering system as a whole. <P>SOLUTION: A control section 13 utilizes the clock functions and memory functions of the inside of the control section 13 and data of a meter terminal to retry, when communication is performed easily for each installed terminal network controller, according to utilization environment. In this way, the communication success rate for the automatic metering system as a whole can be improved, and the battery consumption can be reduced. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a retry control method when communication with a center of a terminal network control device connected to a telephone line is not completed.

  Conventionally, this type of terminal network control device is, for example, as shown in FIG. 3 (for example, see Patent Document 1).

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a main part of a conventional terminal network control apparatus. As shown in FIG. 3, when the communication with the center is not completed, a retry sequence is entered, the number of retries is counted, and when the number of retries reaches a preset number, the call from the terminal is stopped and the standby state is entered. It is a configuration.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-193637

  However, in the conventional configuration, the telephone line is congested, temporary telephone line noise, frequent telephone off-hook in the office, etc., the number of retries increases, the communication success rate decreases, the battery consumption increases Had.

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and provides a terminal network control device that improves the communication success rate of the entire automatic meter reading system and reduces battery consumption by performing retry control suitable for the use environment. For the purpose.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, the terminal network control apparatus of the present invention is provided with a control unit that performs retry control in accordance with the use environment when entering a retry sequence due to incomplete communication with the center.

  As a result, the control unit uses a clock function, a memory function, and meter terminal data in the control unit to retry for each installed terminal network control device when communication is likely to succeed depending on the usage environment. By doing so, the communication success rate of the whole automatic meter-reading system can be increased, and battery consumption can be reduced.

  The terminal network control device of the present invention can increase the communication success rate of the entire automatic meter reading system and reduce battery consumption.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a line terminating unit that performs matching and connection control of DC resistance and AC impedance with a telephone line, a signal receiving unit that receives signals, a signal transmitting unit that transmits signals, and the signal receiving unit A modem unit that demodulates a received signal through a unit to receive the telephone line, or modulates a transmission signal to transmit to the telephone line through the signal transmission unit and the line termination unit; Meter interface unit for transmitting / receiving to / from meter terminal, incoming call detecting unit for detecting incoming call from the telephone line, line voltage detecting unit for detecting voltage of the telephone line, line terminating unit, modem unit, Used when entering the retry sequence due to control of the meter interface, detection of the telephone off-hook by the output of the line voltage detector, detection of the on-hook, or incomplete communication with the center A control unit that performs retry control according to a boundary, and a battery unit that supplies power to the line voltage detection unit, the modem unit, and the control unit, so that the control unit has a clock function inside the control unit, Use the memory function and meter terminal data to increase the communication success rate of the entire automatic meter reading system by retrying each installed terminal network controller according to the usage environment when communication is likely to succeed. be able to.

  In particular, the second aspect of the invention provides a user who uses less telephone at night by providing the control unit of the first aspect of the invention with a mode for making a terminal call at night using the clock function inside the control unit. Battery consumption at home can be reduced.

  According to a third aspect of the invention, in particular, the control unit of the first aspect of the invention is provided with a mode for making a terminal call in a time zone where the frequency of use of the telephone of the user is low by using a clock function in the control unit. The battery consumption can be reduced according to the life pattern of the user.

  In the fourth aspect of the invention, in particular, the control unit of the first aspect of the invention is provided with a mode for making a terminal call when the user has not used the telephone for a certain period of time using the clock function in the control unit. As a result, battery consumption can be reduced while communication is completed quickly.

  The fifth aspect of the invention includes a mode in which the control unit of the first aspect of the invention is equipped with a mode in which the terminal is called when the gas consumption is below a certain flow rate using the data of the meter terminal, and the gas consumption is used. By making a terminal call while avoiding the person's life time, battery consumption can be reduced.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a terminal network control apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, 1 is a terminal network control device of the present invention, 2 is a telephone line, 3 is a telephone of a house to which the terminal network control device 1 is attached, 4 is a meter terminal such as a gas meter, and 5 is a telephone line 2 Line termination unit for matching and connection control of DC resistance and AC impedance, 6 a signal receiving unit for receiving signals, 7 a signal transmitting unit for transmitting signals, and 8 for receiving signals via the signal receiving unit 6 The modem unit 9 performs demodulation and reception with the telephone line 2, or modulates the transmission signal and transmits to the telephone line 2 via the signal transmission unit 7 and the line termination unit 5. Meter interface unit 10 for performing an incoming call detection unit for detecting an incoming call from the telephone line 2, 11 a line voltage detecting unit for detecting the voltage of the telephone line 2, and 12 a telephone for controlling connection between the telephone line 2 and the telephone 3 Interface part, 3 is when a retry sequence is entered due to control of the line termination unit 5, modem unit 8 and meter interface unit 9 and detection of the off-hook and on-hook detection of the telephone 3 by the output of the line voltage detection unit 11 or incomplete communication with the center. A control unit 14 that performs retry control according to the use environment is a battery unit that supplies power to the line voltage detection unit 11, the modem unit 8, and the control unit 13.

  About the terminal network control apparatus 1 comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement and an effect | action are demonstrated below.

First, an incoming call operation from the center device of the meter reading center that performs automatic meter reading via the telephone line 2 will be described. When detecting the incoming signal from the center device, the incoming detection unit 10 notifies the control unit 13 of the incoming signal. A received signal from the telephone line 2 is detected by the modem unit 8 via the signal receiving unit 6. When the modem unit 8 detects the received signal, the modem unit 8 notifies the control unit 13 of the received signal. If this received signal is addressed to its own device, the control unit 13 matches the line terminating unit 5 with the line impedance in the communication state, and sends the transmission signal to the telephone line 2 via the modem unit 8 and the signal transmission unit 7. With the above operation, connection with the center apparatus is performed, and data communication is performed between the meter terminal 4 and the center apparatus via the meter interface unit 9.

  On the other hand, when a terminal call signal is notified from the meter terminal 4 to the control unit 13 via the meter interface unit 9, the terminal network control device 1 performs a terminal call operation. The control unit 13 matches the line termination unit 5 to the line impedance of the terminal calling state, controls the modem unit 8 and the line termination unit 5 and dials the call destination, thereby connecting to the center device. Do. After the connection with the center device, communication such as communication between the control unit 13 and the center device and notification of meter reading data from the meter terminal 4 to the center device is performed. The line voltage detecting unit 11 detects the line voltage of the telephone line 2 and the control unit 13 compares the line voltage detected by the line voltage detecting unit 11 with a preset reference voltage before calling the terminal. If the off-hook of the telephone 3 is detected from the contents, the control unit 13 interrupts the terminal call, and the line voltage detection unit 11 monitors the line voltage of the telephone line 2 until the telephone 3 is on-hooked. Operate.

  FIG. 2 shows a main part flowchart by the control unit 13.

  In FIG. 2, the terminal call operation starts from step 15, and the terminal network control device 1 goes off-hook at step 16. In step 17, the center apparatus is dialed, and in step 18, communication is performed after establishing a link with the center apparatus. If this communication is normally completed, the determination in step 19 is YES, the terminal network control device 1 enters the standby state in step 20, and the communication is completed once.

  However, if the telephone line is congested or communication is not normally completed due to temporary telephone line noise or frequent telephone off-hook in the office, the determination is NO in step 19 and the terminal network control device 1 performs step 21. Enter the retry sequence from. If the number of retries is less than or equal to the preset number of times y, the determination is YES in step 21, the retry is started in step 22, and if the communication is normally completed, the determination is YES in step 23, and the terminal network control device 1 The standby state of step 20 is entered. Here again, if the communication is not completed normally, the process returns to step 21, retry is performed up to y times, and the retry is stopped in step 24.

  Next, using the clock function, the memory function, and the meter terminal data inside the control unit 13, for each installed terminal network control device, depending on the usage environment, a retry condition that facilitates communication is established. If the number of retries is less than or equal to a preset number of times, the determination is YES in step 26, the retry is started in step 27, and if the communication is normally completed, the determination is YES in step 28. The terminal network control device 1 enters the standby state in step 20. If the communication is not normally completed, the process returns to step 25, retry is performed z times, and the retry is stopped at step 29. The terminal network control device 1 enters the standby state at step 20, and ends without communication being completed. .

  Here, the number of retries y and z are set to a number that does not affect battery consumption.

  As described above, in the form of the present embodiment, the control unit uses the clock function, memory function, and meter terminal data in the control unit to set the usage environment for each installed terminal network control device. Accordingly, the communication success rate of the entire automatic meter reading system can be increased by retrying when communication is likely to succeed.

  In addition, by providing the control unit of the present embodiment with a mode for making a terminal call at night by using the clock function inside the control unit, a battery at a user's house that uses less telephones especially at night Consumption can be reduced.

  In addition, the control unit according to the present embodiment is provided with a mode for making a terminal call in a time zone where the frequency of use of the telephone of the user is low by using a clock function inside the control unit, so that the user's life Battery consumption can be reduced according to the pattern.

  In addition, communication is completed by providing the control unit of the present embodiment with a mode for making a terminal call when the user has not used the telephone for a certain period of time using the clock function inside the control unit. As a result, battery consumption can be reduced.

  In addition, the control unit of the present embodiment has a mode for making a terminal call when the gas consumption is below a certain flow rate using the data of the meter terminal, and the life time zone of the user with gas consumption The battery consumption can be reduced by calling the terminal while avoiding the above.

The block diagram of the terminal network control apparatus in Embodiment 1 of this invention Main part flowchart of terminal network control apparatus in Embodiment 1 of this invention Main part flowchart of conventional terminal network control device

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Terminal network control apparatus 2 Telephone line 3 Telephone 4 Meter terminal 5 Line termination part 6 Signal receiving part 7 Signal transmission part 8 Modem part 9 Meter interface part

Claims (5)

Line termination unit for matching and connection control of DC resistance and AC impedance with telephone line, signal receiving unit for receiving signal, signal transmitting unit for transmitting signal, and received signal via said signal receiving unit A modem unit that performs demodulation and reception of the telephone line, modulates a transmission signal and transmits the signal to the telephone line via the line terminal unit, and transmission and reception between the meter terminal A meter interface unit for performing an incoming call detection unit for detecting an incoming call from the telephone line, a line voltage detection unit for detecting a voltage of the telephone line, control of the line termination unit, the modem unit, and the meter interface unit; When the phone enters the retry sequence due to the off-hook detection or on-hook detection of the telephone by the output of the line voltage detection unit or the communication failure with the center, And a control unit for performing line control, terminal network control device including a battery unit for supplying power to the line voltage detecting unit and the modem unit and the control unit. The terminal network control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit makes a terminal call at night using a clock function in the control unit. 2. The terminal network control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit makes a terminal call in a time zone in which a user uses the telephone less frequently by using a clock function in the control unit. 2. The terminal network control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit makes a terminal call when a user does not use the telephone for a certain period of time by using a clock function in the control unit. 2. The terminal network control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit makes a terminal call when the gas consumption amount is equal to or less than a certain flow rate using data of the meter terminal.

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