JP2743083B2 - Automatic meter reading system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an apparatus such as a plurality of copying machines or vending machines using the same power line in a building or the like (hereinafter, simply referred to as "apparatus"). In the case of meter counter values for counting the number of times these devices are used, sales management information, maintenance information, etc., these information are collected using a power line such as in a building, etc. The present invention relates to an automatic meter reading system that can be automatically grasped at a remote management center.

[Related Art] In an apparatus such as a copying machine installed in an office or the like, an integrating meter for integrating the number of uses of the apparatus is provided.
The integrated meter value and the use status of the apparatus can be found only at the time of meter reading, maintenance, and inquiry to an office or the like, and the failure status and the like cannot be appropriately confirmed.

Methods of automatically grasping the integrated meter value and the use management status of the device at a remote point include a method using a no-ringing communication service using a public telephone network or a method using a terminal transmission method. In the case where multiple devices are installed on the same floor or in an adjacent place, the network control device for the terminal for automatic meter reading must be individually set to perform automatic meter reading for these devices. There is a method of preparing and connecting a telephone line for each, or connecting a plurality of devices to one terminal network control device, respectively, and there is a serious problem in wiring work.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described conventional problems, and collects such information using a power line communication technology for use status, failure information, maintenance information, and the like of a plurality of devices, Using the subscribed telephone line,
It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic meter reading system capable of automatically notifying a remote management and operation center by a terminal transmission method or automatically grasping using a no ringing communication service.

[Means for Solving the Problems] A terminal device constituting the automatic meter reading system according to the present invention includes one terminal device having a network control function (hereinafter referred to as “mother unit”) and a plurality of terminal devices having no network control function. A terminal unit (hereinafter referred to as a "subunit") is configured, a mother unit and a subunit are connected to each device, and a transmission means between the mother unit and the subunit uses power line communication technology to perform data transfer and device control. Do.

The sub-unit includes an interface unit for detecting the use state of the device, a power line communication control unit for controlling the mother unit, and a main control unit, and controls the mother unit to read meter reading data, maintenance information, and the like under the control of the mother unit. Transfer to

The mother unit includes an interface unit for detecting the use state of the device, a power line communication control unit for controlling a plurality of subunits, and a main control unit. A network that sends a meter reading data request from the mother unit to the subunit when the set conditions are reached, and automatically sends the usage status information and maintenance information of the above device to the management and operation center using a general subscriber telephone line. And a control unit.

[Operation] In the present invention, the mother unit and the subunit are connected by a power line circuit of the same commercial power supply, and when a condition for performing meter reading or the like is satisfied, the mother unit is connected via the power line circuit. It reads out information on the number of times of use of the device and maintenance information stored in the main control unit of each subunit. Reading can be specified individually, multiple or all can be specified according to the instruction from the mother unit, and other than the single specification, reading of each subunit is performed sequentially,
The mother unit automatically transfers the read data to the management center.

 The conditions for performing meter reading are as follows.

When using the no-ringing communication service from the management center When the conditions set in the mother unit are met ・ Transfer data (for example, maintenance data) to the management center in real time according to the conditions.

-Data (for example, usage data) is stored in the mother unit according to conditions.

Embodiment FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the entire configuration of the automatic meter reading system of the present invention. This figure shows an example in which a copying machine is used as an apparatus.

In this figure, an office 10 where the apparatus is installed is connected to a management center 30 by a general subscriber telephone line and a no-ringing communication line 20. In the office 10 or the like, a copying machine 100 using a commercial power supply is provided. The copying machine 100 is provided with an integrating meter 101 for integrating a pulse signal according to the amount of use of the apparatus (the number of times of copying), and a sensor 102 having a no-voltage / voltage contact. The sensor 102 is, for example, a sensor for maintenance such as the number of paper jams in the copier, and a plurality of sensors 102 are provided as necessary.

The subunit 200 counts the integrated pulses to the integrating meter 101 under the control of the built-in main control unit, and monitors the operation state of the sensor 102. Mother unit 3
00 is when a meter reading data request or maintenance information request is made by the no-ringing communication service from the management and operation center 30,
When the conditions set in advance in the main controller built into the mother unit 300 are reached, the sub-unit 200
In response to this, the meter counter value and the maintenance information stored in the main control unit are read out via the power line 400 of the commercial power supply, and the contents are reported to the management and operation center 30. In the case of the no-ringing communication service, the management and operation center 30 automatically calls the mother unit 300, and when the condition set in the mother unit 300 is satisfied, the management and operation center 30 is called by an automatic dial and a PB signal or An automatic notification is made to the center network control device 31 by the FSK method or the like. The telephone 500 is connected to the mother unit 300.
In the management and operation center 30, a center network control device 31 and an information processing device 32 are provided. Note that a plurality of copying machines 100 and subunits 200 can be installed.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing details of the subunit 200 and the mother unit 300. The copying machine 100 has an integrating meter 101 and a sensor 102 as described with reference to FIG. The sub unit 200 includes a main control unit 201, an interface unit 20
2. Includes a power line communication control unit 203, a power supply unit 204, and a setting unit 205. The mother unit 300 includes a main control unit 301,
A network control unit 302, a power line communication control unit 303, a power supply unit 304, and an interface unit 305 are built in. The setting unit 306 sets system condition data such as a terminal identification number, a copying machine number, and a meter counter value in the main control unit 301.

The copying machine 100 and the plurality of subunits 200 and the mother unit 300 for copying use the same commercial power supply, and the copying machine 100 and the subunit 200 and the copying machine 100 and the mother unit 300
Each is connected by the connector section 600.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an integrated pulse reading connector section. Integrating meter 101 and copier built into copier 100
The connector section 600 is inserted between the connection connectors 601 and 602 between the 100 boards. Connector section 600 has four connection connectors
603, 604, 605, 606 are required, and the connector 606 is connected to the interface unit 202 of the subunit 200 or the mother unit 30.
0 is connected to the interface unit 302. The connection between the various sensors and the interface units 202 and 302 is also based on the connection connector, but the connection can be included in the connector unit 600.

 Next, the operation will be described.

When the copying machine 100 is used, the integrated pulse signal is input to the main control unit 201 via the connector unit 600 via the interface unit 202 of the corresponding subunit 200, and the number of pulses is added. The operation state of the sensor 102 is also stored in the main control unit 201 in the same manner.

When the mother unit 300 needs meter reading data and maintenance information of the integrating meter of the subunit 200, the main control unit 301 sends the information to each subunit 200 using the same power line via the power line communication control unit 303. For setting device 3
In step 06, the copier number set in the main control unit 301 and the copier number set in the setting unit 205 are selected according to the power line communication protocol to establish a data link between the mother unit 300 and the sub unit 200. Thereafter, information stored in the main control unit 201 is transferred to the mother unit 300 via the power line communication control unit 203 and the power line 400 according to the instruction content designated by the main control unit 301. The information is reported from the network control unit 302 to the management center 30.

In this manner, the mother unit 300 transmits the information of the subunit 200 using the same power line to the power line communication control unit 303.
Can be arbitrarily selected and the information can be grasped, and the other subunits 200 can be grasped in a similar manner sequentially.Therefore, in the case of the no ringing communication service, the case of the terminal transmission method from the mother unit 300, In addition, the usage status of a plurality of copiers can be easily grasped with one telephone line.

Further, the mother unit can not only read information from the subunit but also write information necessary for the system to the subunit.

In the above embodiment, the case of a copying machine is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to vending machines using the same power line and other devices in general.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, the present invention uses the power line communication technology when grasping the usage status of a copier or a vending machine using the same power line.
The use status of a plurality of devices can be easily grasped from one mother unit, and no special wiring work is required. If the mother unit is provided with a no-ringing communication service and a bidirectional communication network control function circuit of the terminal transmission system, the terminal side uses only one subscriber telephone line, and the information such as the usage status of a plurality of devices is managed by the management center. It can be grasped, and a great effect is expected on the business of the management and operation company.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an entire configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing details of a mother unit and a subunit in the embodiment of FIG. 1, and FIG. It is a block diagram of a connector part.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Shozo Ishigami 238-4 Doiwa, Shimizu-cho, Sunto-gun, Shizuoka Prefecture (56) References JP-A-62-2232247 (JP, A) JP-A-61 -20451 (JP, A) JP-A-61-126831 (JP, A)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An automatic meter reading system for automatically collecting information such as the operation status of a plurality of devices installed at remote locations in a center device via a telephone line, wherein each of the devices is connected to a power line. Provided,
A plurality of sub-units that detect and store information such as the operation status of the device, and are connected to the power line, perform information transfer between the sub-units via the power line, and the telephone A mother unit that is connected to a line and transfers information to and from the center device via the telephone line, wherein the subunit has a setting unit configured to set identification information of the device to which the subunit is connected; Power line communication control means for transferring the storage information of the subunit to the mother unit when the identification information sent from the mother unit through the power line matches the identification information of the setting unit; Means for setting and inputting each piece of identification information of the apparatus; means for setting information request conditions; when the set information request conditions are reached, Or wherein when the center apparatus via the telephone line information request is received, select the identification information which is the setting input,
An automatic meter reading system, comprising: a power line communication control and a network control means for transmitting information to the power line and transferring the transfer information from the corresponding subunit to the center device through the telephone line.